NBA Grind Down: Thursday, January 11th
Welcome to the RotoGrinders NBA Grind Down. In this all-encompassing preview of today’s NBA action, every game will be broken down statistically, with several key elements highlighted in our charts.
Vegas lines are broken down to show projected Implied Team Totals, to give you an idea of who is favored to win, and often more importantly, how many points they’re expected to score. We also provide pace numbers, so you can spot a game that might have a few extra possessions and more opportunities for fantasy points.
We also provide position-by-position matchup rankings for every team, to give you an idea of the players who will be in better situations to succeed. Using Defense versus Position data, every projected starter is listed along with his opponent’s rank in points allowed to players of his position. These color-coded charts will help you spot the best matchups of the night at a glance.
If you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use promo code “GRINDERS” to receive the best perks in the industry.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors – 8:00 PM ET
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Toronto Raptors | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 219.5 |  | Vegas Total | 219.5 | |||||||
| Vegas Spread | -3.0 | Vegas Spread | 3.0 | |||||||||
| Implied Team Total | 111.3 | Implied Team Total | 108.3 | |||||||||
| Pace Projection +/- | 1.2 | Pace Projection +/- | -0.3 | |||||||||
| Projected Starters | Isaiah Thomas | J.R. Smith | LeBron James | Jae Crowder | Kevin Love | Projected Starters | Delon Wright | DeMar DeRozan | OG Anunoby | Pascal Siakam | Jonas Valanciunas | |
| Opponent Rank | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Opponent Rank | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DvP | 7 | 19 | 2 | 14 | 14 | DvP | 21 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 11 | |
| DRPM Rat. | 5 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 19 | DRPM Rat. | 16 | 24 | 19 | 27 | 25 | |
Cleveland Cavaliers
It’s a strange slate of games on the schedule today. We have one early game (that we aren’t going to cover since it’s not featured in the main slate) and three late games. Much like NBA players, us DFS players need a night off every now and then. We’ve been playing in back-to-back-to-backs all season. These smaller slates are usually nice ones to take off, but I’m actually a big fan of this slate for DFS. This might be the most value-loaded three game slate I have ever seen. We start with the Cavaliers and Raptors in a game that features a total of 219.5 points. The Cavaliers have the highest implied total on the board at 111.3 points, which is slightly above their season average.
Isaiah Thomas was not suspended for his flagrant two foul the other night, so he will be in the starting lineup tonight. While he will be a popular DFS play a month from now, I will continue to avoid him until his playing time increases or until his salary decreases. LeBron James may not have the best matchup on paper, but he’s more affordable tonight than he is in most slates. I’m not talking about his actual price, but how easy it is to fit him in your lineups with all of the value available in this slate. James is matchup-proof and he could push for 38-40 minutes in a game that features a spread of only three points.
Jae Crowder might be the starter in name, but Jeff Green has out-produced him regularly. Green doesn’t offer the same type of value as Pascal Siakam, but he’s worth a look as a secondary play. Kevin Love’s minutes and fantasy production are both trending in the wrong direction, but that has led to a sharp decline in his salary on FanDuel. With this spread being so close, we should expect Love to play 29-31 minutes against Jonas Valanciunas, who isn’t great at defending stretch centers. Much like the stock market, we want to buy low and sell high. Love is a great buy-low candidate tonight on FanDuel ($6,700).
Notable Injuries
None
Cleveland Cavaliers Offense
Points Per Game: 110.2 (5 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 111.3 (1 of 6)
Projected Point Differential: 1.1 (3 of 6)
Matchup vs. Toronto Raptors
Points Allowed Per Game: 103.8 (9 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 102.8 (4 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 0.2 (13 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.6 (10 of 30)
| Player | FD Salary | DK Salary | FDRFT Salary | FP/Game | L5 +/- | Minutes | L5 +/- | FP/Min | True Usage | EFF | DVP | DRPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Thomas | $5,400 | $6,000 | $11,600 | 17.9 | 0.0 | 19.7 | 0.0 | 0.91 | 32.2% | 2 | 7 | 5 |
| J.R. Smith | $3,600 | $3,700 | $7,200 | 16.6 | -5.4 | 29.8 | -3.2 | 0.56 | 11.8% | 27 | 19 | 22 |
| LeBron James | $11,500 | $11,300 | $22,100 | 54.6 | -4.5 | 36.9 | -3.3 | 1.48 | 29.6% | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Jae Crowder | $3,900 | $3,900 | $7,600 | 16.2 | 1.6 | 25.8 | -2.1 | 0.63 | 13.7% | 15 | 14 | 6 |
| Kevin Love | $6,700 | $7,900 | $16,500 | 34.8 | -10.8 | 29.0 | -4.1 | 1.20 | 23.2% | 7 | 14 | 19 |
| Dwyane Wade | $5,400 | $4,800 | $9,400 | 24.8 | 0.4 | 23.6 | -0.6 | 1.05 | 22.7% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Jeff Green | $4,400 | $4,400 | $9,100 | 19.3 | 5.8 | 22.6 | 2.9 | 0.86 | 18.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Elite Plays – LeBron James, Kevin Love (FD)
Secondary Plays – Kevin Love (DK), Jeff Green
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are expected to be without two of their starters tonight. Serge Ibaka has been suspended a game for his altercation with James Johnson and Kyle Lowry is listed as doubtful with a bruised tailbone. This opens up minutes in the rotation and usage in the offense. The icing on the cake is their matchup against the Cavaliers, who are ranked 23rd in both points allowed per game and rebounding differential. The Raptors have an implied total of 108.3 points, which is the second highest mark of the slate.
In his spot start against the Heat, Delon Wright played 29 minutes and scored 33 fantasy points. He is a stat-stuffing point guard that averages 0.95 fantasy points per minute on the season. He’s one of the best point-per-dollar targets on the board, especially in an exploitable matchup against Isaiah Thomas. If we run CourtIQ with Lowry and Ibaka off the floor, DeRozan averages 1.61 fantasy points per minute with a 44% usage rate. Even at his elevated price point, he’s close to a must play in my eyes. Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, and C.J. Miles are all expected to play 20+ minutes in this game. All three are viable in tournaments with VanVleet being my favorite target of the bunch.
OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam are expected to start at the three and the four and both should play extending minutes. Anunoby isn’t the best per-minute producer, but he is close to minimum salary and is a nice punt play on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Siakam’s minutes aren’t quite as secure, but he offers more upside that Anunoby. Siakam is an elite play in all formats on FanDuel and a nice tournament play on DraftKings. Surprisingly, Jonas Valanciunas doesn’t see much of a usage or fantasy boost with Lowry and Ibaka off the floor. That doesn’t mean that he can’t play well tonight against the Cavaliers, but I’m not going to pay the premium for him.
Notable Injuries
Serge Ibaka (Suspended)
Kyle Lowry (Doubtful)
Toronto Raptors Offense
Points Per Game: 111.5 (3 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 108.3 (2 of 6)
Projected Point Differential: -3.3 (6 of 6)
Matchup vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Points Allowed Per Game: 108.2 (23 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 109.0 (29 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -1.6 (23 of 30)
Pace of Play: 99.1 (15 of 30)
| Player | FD Salary | DK Salary | FDRFT Salary | FP/Game | L5 +/- | Minutes | L5 +/- | FP/Min | True Usage | EFF | DVP | DRPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delon Wright | $5,700 | $5,100 | $11,200 | 20.4 | 11.6 | 21.5 | 4.0 | 0.95 | 17.0% | 20 | 21 | 16 |
| DeMar DeRozan | $9,600 | $8,800 | $16,700 | 40.2 | 11.4 | 34.7 | 2.1 | 1.16 | 28.5% | 25 | 24 | 24 |
| OG Anunoby | $3,500 | $3,400 | $6,400 | 12.5 | -4.2 | 21.4 | 3.4 | 0.58 | 10.4% | 22 | 23 | 19 |
| Pascal Siakam | $3,500 | $4,100 | $7,900 | 17.8 | -6.8 | 19.7 | -2.3 | 0.90 | 14.4% | 27 | 24 | 27 |
| Jonas Valanciunas | $6,200 | $5,400 | $10,400 | 22.9 | 0.0 | 20.9 | -1.1 | 1.10 | 17.9% | 15 | 11 | 25 |
| Jakob Poeltl | $3,500 | $3,700 | $7,200 | 16.5 | -9.3 | 17.0 | -3.1 | 0.97 | 13.1% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Fred VanVleet | $3,600 | $3,900 | $7,900 | 15.1 | 0.8 | 17.9 | 1.3 | 0.84 | 18.5% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| C.J. Miles | $3,800 | $3,600 | $7,000 | 15.6 | -2.3 | 18.2 | -0.9 | 0.85 | 19.6% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Elite Plays – Delon Wright, DeMar DeRozan, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam (FD)
Secondary Plays – Pascal Siakam (DK), Fred VanVleet
Los Angeles Clippers at Sacramento Kings – 10:00 PM ET
| Los Angeles Clippers | Sacramento Kings | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 210.5 |  | Vegas Total | 210.5 | |||||||
| Vegas Spread | -1.5 | Vegas Spread | 1.5 | |||||||||
| Implied Team Total | 106.0 | Implied Team Total | 104.5 | |||||||||
| Pace Projection +/- | -2.7 | Pace Projection +/- | 0.5 | |||||||||
| Projected Starters | Milos Teodosic | Lou Williams | Wesley Johnson | Blake Griffin | DeAndre Jordan | Projected Starters | De’Aaron Fox | George Hill | Malachi Richardson | Zach Randolph | Willie Cauley-Stein | |
| Opponent Rank | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Opponent Rank | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DvP | 8 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 27 | DvP | 9 | 30 | 22 | 20 | 12 | |
| DRPM Rat. | 29 | 26 | 18 | 27 | 21 | DRPM Rat. | 2 | 30 | 5 | 27 | 11 | |
Los Angeles Clippers
Blake Griffin and Milos Teodosic are both listed as questionable for tonight’s game, but I would put them closer to doubtful than probable. The Clippers played last night and I’m not sure 24 hours is enough time to heal from a concussion and plantar fasciitis. Hopefully the Clippers will give us an update soon, so we can take the guess work out of it. They draw a favorable matchup tonight against the Kings, who are ranked 30th in defensive efficiency and 27th in rebounding differential. The Clippers have an implied total of 106 points, which is very high considering the rag-tag group of players they have been throwing on the floor lately.
The fantasy appeal of the Clippers hinges on the availability of Griffin and Teodosic. For our purposes, I am going to assume that they are out and you can make your adjustments if they end up being active. If Teodosic is out again, Jawun Evans and Tyrone Wallace become two of the top value plays of the slate. With C.J. Williams ruled out, Evans and Wallace could both play minutes in the low to mid-30s. Wallace is getting more attention early in the day, but there’s no reason why we can’t play both. Lou Williams is extremely expensive, but will likely be the main source of offensive production once again. I slightly prefer DeMar DeRozan over Williams, but will try to play both on DraftKings.
If Griffin is unable to suit up, Montrezl Harrell and DeAndre Jordan would see the biggest fantasy boosts. On the season, Harrell averages six more fantasy points per game with Griffin out of the lineup and Jordan averages seven more fantasy points per game. Harrell is the better value of the two, but Jordan deserves a look in tournaments. He has the best matchup of the five starters, as the Kings are ranked 29th in efficiency against centers and have the fourth worst rebounding differential of any team in basketball.
Notable Injuries
C.J. Williams (Out)
Blake Griffin (Questionable)
Milos Teodosic (Questionable)
Los Angeles Clippers Offense
Points Per Game: 106.5 (11 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 106.0 (4 of 6)
Projected Point Differential: -0.5 (4 of 6)
Matchup vs. Sacramento Kings
Points Allowed Per Game: 106.0 (14 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 109.9 (30 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -3.4 (27 of 30)
Pace of Play: 96.7 (28 of 30)
| Player | FD Salary | DK Salary | FDRFT Salary | FP/Game | L5 +/- | Minutes | L5 +/- | FP/Min | True Usage | EFF | DVP | DRPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milos Teodosic | $5,400 | $5,300 | $10,300 | 19.6 | -3.6 | 24.4 | -2.8 | 0.80 | 19.5% | 13 | 8 | 29 |
| Lou Williams | $8,900 | $8,300 | $15,200 | 33.5 | 8.0 | 31.5 | 2.0 | 1.06 | 27.4% | 13 | 18 | 26 |
| Wesley Johnson | $4,000 | $4,200 | $8,200 | 17.3 | -3.2 | 23.6 | -2.9 | 0.73 | 11.3% | 19 | 21 | 18 |
| Blake Griffin | $8,800 | $8,500 | $15,300 | 40.3 | -9.6 | 34.3 | -8.1 | 1.17 | 27.9% | 24 | 23 | 27 |
| DeAndre Jordan | $8,800 | $8,400 | $15,700 | 34.6 | 2.5 | 32.6 | 0.7 | 1.06 | 11.9% | 29 | 27 | 21 |
| Montrezl Harrell | $4,200 | $4,000 | $7,600 | 14.5 | -1.5 | 13.3 | 4.2 | 1.09 | 19.1% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Jawun Evans | $5,100 | $5,300 | $10,900 | 13.6 | 9.3 | 18.1 | 10.0 | 0.75 | 18.4% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Tyrone Wallace | $3,600 | $3,800 | $7,400 | 29.7 | 0.0 | 28.3 | 0.0 | 1.05 | 20.2% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Elite Plays – Jawun Evans, Tyrone Wallace, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell
Secondary Plays – DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Johnson
Sacramento Kings
The Kings are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA, but they play at such a slow pace that they rarely get involved in shootouts. Luckily, tonight’s game against the Clippers features a total of 210.5 points and the spread is the lowest on the board at 1.5 points. This should be a close, high-scoring game, which is always conducive to fantasy production. The Kings come into the game with an implied total of 104.5 points. While that may be the second lowest total on the board, it is seven points above their season average.
George Hill will return to the lineup and he has the nappy factor on his side (just had a baby). While I’m intrigued by his price point, there are better value plays at point guard tonight. Hill will likely cut into De’Aaron Fox’s minutes and with Frank Mason nearing a return, it might be a good idea to avoid this point guard situation for a while. Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic have both played well recently, but their playing time could also come down with Hill back in the lineup. I have some interest in Hield and Bogdanovic as low owned tournament plays, but there are better options for cash games.
The two most appealing plays here come in the frontcourt. Zach Randolph has a good track record against the Clippers in his career and grades out as the top point-per-dollar power forward on FanDuel. His minutes have come down recently, but he should play 24+ tonight against a short-handed frontcourt. Willie Cauley-Stein’s minutes have been all over the map, but he is averaging 31 fantasy points over his last five games. He’s an excellent tournament play, as he has put up at least 33 fantasy points in each of his last three meetings against DeAndre Jordan.
Notable Injuries
Frank Mason (Questionable)
George Hill (Probable)
Sacramento Kings Offense
Points Per Game: 97.3 (30 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 104.5 (5 of 6)
Projected Point Differential: 7.2 (1 of 6)
Matchup vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Points Allowed Per Game: 106.7 (19 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 106.4 (18 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -0.3 (15 of 30)
Pace of Play: 99.9 (11 of 30)
| Player | FD Salary | DK Salary | FDRFT Salary | FP/Game | L5 +/- | Minutes | L5 +/- | FP/Min | True Usage | EFF | DVP | DRPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De’Aaron Fox | $6,300 | $5,800 | $11,400 | 20.4 | 9.2 | 26.0 | 6.6 | 0.78 | 21.3% | 16 | 9 | 2 |
| George Hill | $4,600 | $4,700 | $9,200 | 19.6 | -6.4 | 27.1 | -1.1 | 0.72 | 16.2% | 13 | 30 | 30 |
| Malachi Richardson | $3,500 | $3,000 | $6,000 | 6.9 | -0.5 | 12.8 | -0.5 | 0.54 | 14.3% | 27 | 22 | 5 |
| Zach Randolph | $4,900 | $6,200 | $13,400 | 27.7 | -5.6 | 25.4 | -2.7 | 1.09 | 24.6% | 14 | 20 | 27 |
| Willie Cauley-Stein | $7,000 | $6,300 | $12,800 | 26.3 | 4.9 | 26.1 | 1.0 | 1.01 | 19.2% | 17 | 12 | 11 |
| Bogdan Bogdanovic | $5,500 | $5,000 | $9,600 | 20.2 | 3.6 | 26.0 | 3.9 | 0.78 | 17.7% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Kosta Koufos | $4,400 | $3,600 | $6,700 | 17.2 | 2.3 | 18.3 | -0.9 | 0.94 | 13.3% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Buddy Hield | $4,500 | $4,700 | $9,000 | 20.7 | -3.1 | 23.7 | 4.4 | 0.87 | 21.4% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Elite Plays – Zach Randolph (FD), Willie Cauley-Stein (GPP)
Secondary Plays – Buddy Hield (GPP), Bogdan Bogdanovic (GPP), Willie Cauley-Stein (Cash)
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers – 10:30 PM ET
| San Antonio Spurs | Los Angeles Lakers | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 210.5 |  | Vegas Total | 210.5 | |||||||
| Vegas Spread | -2.5 | Vegas Spread | 2.5 | |||||||||
| Implied Team Total | 106.5 | Implied Team Total | 104.0 | |||||||||
| Pace Projection +/- | 4.5 | Pace Projection +/- | -2.7 | |||||||||
| Projected Starters | Dejounte Murray | Bryn Forbes | Kyle Anderson | LaMarcus Aldridge | Pau Gasol | Projected Starters | Lonzo Ball | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Brandon Ingram | Julius Randle | Brook Lopez | |
| Opponent Rank | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | Opponent Rank | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DvP | 27 | 23 | 30 | 25 | 24 | DvP | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | |
| DRPM Rat. | 1 | 9 | 25 | 17 | 11 | DRPM Rat. | 1 | 27 | 1 | 19 | 4 | |
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are going to be without three of their best wing players tonight, as Kawhi Leonard, Rudy Gay, and Danny Green have all been ruled out. This opens up minutes in the rotation and a lot of usage in the offense. The best part is that they draw a matchup against the Lakers, who are ranked first in pace of play and 29th in points allowed per game this season. As long as this game stays close, the Spurs should have plenty of fantasy production to go around. They have an implied total of 106.5 points, which is the third highest overall and five points above their season average.
Dejounte Murray has not played well in his last two starts, but makes an interesting value play in tournaments. We’ve seen 30+ fantasy point upside from him in the past and he’s close to the min-salary on FanDuel ($3,800). Patty Mills is the safer play off the bench. He is averaging 18 fantasy points per game without Tony Parker in the lineup this season. Bryn Forbes doesn’t offer much in terms of FP/min (0.54), but anyone that is expected to play 30+ minutes against the Lakers is noteworthy. Kyle Anderson is an elite play in all formats against a Lakers’ defense that is ranked dead last in fantasy points allowed to small forwards. Manu Ginobili is also viable off the bench. The old man has turned back the clock over his last five games, averaging 32 fantasy points.
LaMarcus Aldridge has great splits with Leonard off the floor this season. He should be the focal point of the offense and the Lakers are ranked dead last in efficiency against power forwards. Aldridge is viable on all sites, but is the better buy on DraftKings ($8,500). Pau Gasol’s minutes are inconsistent, but he averages 1.12 FP/min on the season and he gets to face one of the worst defensive frontcourts in basketball. Davis Bertans provides some value as well, playing at least 27 minutes in four straight games.
Notable Injuries
Kawhi Leonard (Out)
Tony Parker (Out)
Danny Green (Out)
Rudy Gay (Out)
San Antonio Spurs Offense
Points Per Game: 101.6 (26 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 106.5 (3 of 6)
Projected Point Differential: 4.9 (2 of 6)
Matchup vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Points Allowed Per Game: 111.1 (29 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 105.2 (14 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 1.0 (10 of 30)
Pace of Play: 103.9 (1 of 30)
| Player | FD Salary | DK Salary | FDRFT Salary | FP/Game | L5 +/- | Minutes | L5 +/- | FP/Min | True Usage | EFF | DVP | DRPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dejounte Murray | $3,800 | $4,500 | $8,600 | 16.8 | -2.3 | 17.5 | -2.6 | 0.96 | 19.4% | 22 | 27 | 1 |
| Bryn Forbes | $3,500 | $3,900 | $8,100 | 11.1 | 4.5 | 20.6 | 5.7 | 0.54 | 15.3% | 19 | 23 | 9 |
| Kyle Anderson | $5,600 | $5,400 | $10,300 | 23.9 | 0.2 | 27.2 | 3.5 | 0.88 | 13.2% | 18 | 30 | 25 |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | $9,900 | $8,500 | $15,500 | 39.2 | 9.4 | 33.8 | 2.3 | 1.16 | 26.0% | 30 | 25 | 17 |
| Pau Gasol | $5,500 | $5,700 | $10,900 | 27.7 | -5.5 | 24.8 | -1.5 | 1.12 | 18.5% | 19 | 24 | 11 |
| Davis Bertans | $4,500 | $4,500 | $8,600 | 10.1 | 13.6 | 12.0 | 15.0 | 0.84 | 16.4% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Patty Mills | $4,000 | $4,500 | $8,800 | 17.1 | -1.9 | 24.6 | 0.2 | 0.69 | 17.5% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Manu Ginobili | $4,400 | $4,400 | $8,900 | 17.4 | 15.0 | 21.0 | 2.4 | 0.83 | 19.4% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Elite Plays – Kyle Anderson, Manu Ginobili (FD), LaMarcus Aldridge (DK), Pau Gasol (FD)
Secondary Plays – Manu Ginobili (DK), LaMarcus Aldridge (FD), Pau Gasol (DK), Dejounte Murray (GPP), Patty Mills, Bryn Forbes, Davis Bertans
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are playing at home, but they draw one of the worst matchups of the slate. With all of the great plays from the Spurs and from the other two games, I plan to have very little exposure to the Lakers. All I ask is that they keep the game competitive enough so that Greg Popovich can’t rest his starters for the entire fourth quarter. The Spurs are as tough of a matchup as any, ranking second in both points allowed per game and defensive efficiency. The Lakers’ implied total of 104 points is the lowest of the slate and three points below their season average.
With so many great point guard and shooting guard plays tonight, the likes of Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Josh Hart, and Jordan Clarkson are all easy fades against the Spurs. Brandon Ingram has some appeal on FanDuel ($6,600) where we have to roster two small forwards, but there are better point-per-dollar options. Julius Randle is playing his best basketball of the season, but feels overpriced given a matchup against the Spurs. The one and only Lakers’ player on my radar tonight is Brook Lopez. He played 22 minutes against the Kings (his highest mark in nearly a month) and he could see a few extra minutes tonight against a Spurs’ team that rarely plays small.
Notable Injuries
None
Los Angeles Lakers Offense
Points Per Game: 106.8 (10 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 104.0 (6 of 6)
Projected Point Differential: -2.8 (5 of 6)
Matchup vs. San Antonio Spurs
Points Allowed Per Game: 98.4 (2 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 101.6 (2 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 2.6 (6 of 30)
Pace of Play: 96.7 (28 of 30)
| Player | FD Salary | DK Salary | FDRFT Salary | FP/Game | L5 +/- | Minutes | L5 +/- | FP/Min | True Usage | EFF | DVP | DRPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lonzo Ball | $7,800 | $7,200 | $13,600 | 33.7 | 4.6 | 33.6 | -2.4 | 1.00 | 18.3% | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | $5,100 | $5,200 | $10,100 | 27.0 | -7.1 | 33.8 | -7.5 | 0.80 | 16.2% | 2 | 3 | 27 |
| Brandon Ingram | $6,600 | $6,600 | $12,300 | 29.6 | -2.5 | 34.7 | -5.0 | 0.85 | 19.7% | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| Julius Randle | $6,700 | $6,500 | $12,200 | 26.1 | 4.7 | 22.9 | 3.2 | 1.14 | 20.8% | 3 | 4 | 19 |
| Brook Lopez | $4,400 | $4,500 | $8,500 | 24.3 | -3.1 | 22.0 | -2.6 | 1.10 | 21.9% | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| Jordan Clarkson | $4,000 | $4,500 | $8,800 | 22.0 | -4.0 | 22.9 | -2.5 | 0.96 | 25.3% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Josh Hart | $3,500 | $3,800 | $7,200 | 12.8 | 1.6 | 18.7 | 2.1 | 0.69 | 11.3% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Kyle Kuzma | $5,100 | $5,600 | $12,300 | 28.3 | -8.9 | 31.4 | -7.3 | 0.90 | 20.0% | N/A | N/A | N/A |