NBA Grind Down Thursday, November 6th
Welcome to the RotoGrinders NBA Grind Down Article. Each day, we’ll break down all of the matchups with a focus on defense vs. position stats. The Grind Down shows you Vegas lines, defense stats and projected starting lineups for each and every game.
The analysis should point you in the right direction, but it is still up to you to decipher the information and make your own selections. Use this article to help you gain a better understanding of the matchups for the coming week and build from there. We have everything you could possibly need on our Daily Research console for you to be a successful daily fantasy player!
Note: Fantasy Point Average Listed Uses FanDuel Scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s NFL Scoring System, check out the scoring systems section of our FanDuel Review.
Click ‘Stat Chart’ Buttons Below for Pop-Ups of Essential Game-Specific Statistics including Defense vs. Position and Pace
San Antonio at Houston
- Vegas Line – Houston -3, 201.5 Over/Under
- San Antonio Proj. Starters – Tony Parker-Danny Green-Kawhi Leonard-Boris Diaw-Jeff Ayres (Quest.)
- Houston Proj. Starters – Patrick Beverley-James Harden-Trevor Ariza-Donatas Motiejunas-Dwight Howard
| San Antonio | Houston | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 201 |  | Vegas Total | 201 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 3.0 | Vegas Sprd | -3.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 99.3 | Team Proj. | 102.3 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 91.49 | Team Pace | 96.83 | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proj Starter | Tony Parker | Danny Green | Kawhi Leonard | Boris Diaw | Jeff Ayres | Proj Starter | Patrick Beverley | James Harden | Trevor Ariza | Donatas Motiejunas | Dwight Howard | |
| Opp. Season | 11 | 10 | 7 | 20 | 21 | Opp. Season | 28 | 3 | 10 | 23 | 6 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 11 | 28 | Opp. Last 7 | 30 | 3 | 27 | 19 | ||
San Antonio
Editor’s Note: Pop has decided to rest several of his starters tonight. Duncan, Manu, Splitter, and Belinelli have all been ruled out. This obviously increases the value of all active Spurs. Parker, Leonard, Green, and Diaw all receive huge bumps for tonight.
After an exciting 12-game slate on Wednesday night, it’s a relatively quiet night in the NBA with only two games on tap tonight. Expect a lot of overlap in your leagues tonight. That said, there is still plenty of NBA action out there for you if you want it.
The Spurs are 3-point underdogs tonight against the Rockets in a game that features a total of 201 points. While the Spurs have played at a slow pace this season (91.5 possessions per 48 minutes), that’s not expected to continue moving forward. Their matchup against the Rockets seems favorable on paper, but the Rockets actually have three premier defenders in Patrick Beverley, Trevor Ariza, and Dwight Howard.
Primary Plays
Tony Parker – Parker is having a Parker-like start to the season. He is averaging 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. He does have a tough one-on-one matchup against Patrick Beverley, but his usage rate will be high with the other stars sitting out.
Kawhi Leonard – The reigning Finals MVP is off to a slow start this season. He has yet to top 30 minutes of playing time and he’s yet to top 21 fantasy points (FD scoring). That could change tonight against the Rockets in an uptempo game.
Danny Green – Green is in play thanks to the small slate of games. He’s not the most reliable fantasy option, but he’s a good scorer that can catch fire at any moment. He’s a nice value play at SG if you are looking for salary cap relief.
Secondary Plays
Anyone that is active for the Spurs will likely get plenty of playing time. Of those not mentioned in the Primary Plays, Boris Diaw should be the most useful for fantasy purposes.
Houston
The Rockets are one of three undefeated teams remaining in the NBA. They are 5-0 to start the season and have won by an average of 14.2 points per game. It’s still early, but the Rockets look like a formidable team in the West. They have never had trouble scoring as they are ranked second in offensive efficiency this season, but the difference has been on the other end of the floor as they are ranked fourth in defensive efficiency. As mentioned above, the addition of Trevor Ariza has given the Rockets three elite defenders.
Terrence Jones is expected to sit out of tonight’s game which means Donatas Motiejunas will draw another start at PF. His last start was a bit of a disappointment as he got into foul trouble in the first two minutes of the game. Motiejunas should have a better effort this time around, but is by no means a must play tonight.
Primary Plays
James Harden – Even tough his matchup against the likes of Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard is tough, it’s hard seeing anyone slow Harden down at this point. He is averaging 27 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2.5 steals/blocks through the first five games of the season. He is out to prove that he is the best player in the NBA and he’s looked the part here in the early going. His usage rate of 31.2 is the sixth highest of any player in the NBA.
Dwight Howard – Dwight will have moments of the game where he takes over. He’ll also have moments where he completely disappears. He’s a frustrating player to watch because with his size and talent, you always expect more out of him. That said, he’s still averaging 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks this season and should be a frequent visitor to the double-double bonus on DraftKings. Give him a slight boost if Tiago Splitter is forced to miss tonight’s game.
Secondary Plays
Trevor Ariza – Ariza has filled the Chandler Parsons role to perfection. He’s playing great defense and he’s spreading the floor and knocking down open jumpers. Terrence Jones absence actually gives Ariza a small boost as he may see close to 40 minutes tonight against the Spurs.
Patrick Beverley – Beverley is always a risky fantasy proposition because he is not a true PG. He sits in the corner while James Harden runs the offense. He does draw a favorable matchup against Tony Parker though.
Dallas at Portland
- Vegas Line – Portland -2.5, 207.5 Over/Under
- Dallas Proj. Starters – Jameer Nelson-Monta Ellis-Chandler Parsons-Dirk Nowitzki-Tyson Chandler
- Portland Proj. Starters – Damian Lillard-Wesley Matthews-Nicolas Batum-LaMarcus Aldridge-Robin Lopez
| Dallas | Portland | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 207 |  | Vegas Total | 2007 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 2.5 | Vegas Sprd | -2.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 102.5 | Team Proj. | 105 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 95.49 | Team Pace | 95.38 | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proj Starter | Jameer Nelson | Monta Ellis | Chandler Parsons | Dirk Nowitzki | Tyson Chandler | Proj Starter | Damian Lillard | Wesley Matthews | Nicolas Batum | LaMarcus Aldridge | Robin Lopez | |
| Opp. Season | 17 | 4 | 30 | 4 | 15 | Opp. Season | 27 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 4 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 16 | 7 | 27 | 5 | 13 | Opp. Last 7 | 28 | 5 | 19 | 17 | 10 | |
Dallas
The Mavericks lead the league in points per game this season with 111.8. They have played at an average pace (95.5 possessions per 48 minutes), but have been the most efficient offense in the NBA. The Mavericks are 2.5-point underdogs tonight against the Blazers in a game that features a total of 207 points. Even though we only have a two-game slate tonight, the good news is that both of the games should be close and high-scoring.
Raymond Felton is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game which means Jameer Nelson will draw another start at PG. Devin Harris has been the more productive guard of the two though and is the recommended play over Nelson. Felton’s absence also gives Monta Ellis a continued boost as he has been the primary ball-handler in this offense.
Primary Plays
Dirk Nowitzki – Even at his old age, Dirk is playing well. He is averaging 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. His minutes are down a bit this season, but he should see 30-32 minutes tonight against the Blazers. Dirk has a high floor which makes him a safe cash game play.
Secondary Plays
Monta Ellis – Eliis is averaging 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists per game this season. He has a team-high usage rate of 25.4. The only thing holding him back from being a primary play is his matchup against Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum.
Tyson Chandler – Chandler has scored at least 23 fantasy points (FD scoring) in every game so far this season. He’s an affordable option at center that comes with little volatility.
Chandler Parsons – Parsons, like Ellis, is a secondary play due to his matchup. Both Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum are excellent defenders. That said, Parsons is at his best in the open floor and this game is expected to be played at an uptempo pace.
Devin Harris – Harris comes off the bench, but he is averaging 28 minutes per game. He has scored 24 or more fantasy points in three of the first four games of the season.
Portland
The Blazers are 2-2 to open the season, but they have had a tough opening schedule. The Blazers have played at an average pace (95.4 possessions per game) this season. They are ranked 11th in offensive efficiency and 6th in defensive efficiency.
Primary Plays
LaMarcus Aldridge – Aldridge is easily the top PF on the board tonight. He is averaging 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game and draws a prime matchup against Dirk Nowitzki who is not known as a lock-down defender at this stage of his career. Aldridge’s rebound totals will go up, it’s only a matter of time. Aldridge’s usage rate of 27.1 is the 18th highest in the NBA. Find a way to anchor your lineups with Aldridge in both cash games and GPP’s.
Damian Lillard – Lillard is coming off of his best game of the season. He had 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in a win over the Cavs the other night. He gets another favorable matchup tonight as Jameer Nelson and the Mavericks have allowed the fourth most fantasy points to opposing PGs this season. Lillard has always played well in front of his home crowd and is the top PG option available tonight.
Secondary Plays
Nicolas Batum – Batum should do what he does best tonight and that’s fill up the stat sheet. He’s only averaging 9 points per game this season, but is also averaging 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks/steals. As soon as he is a little more aggressive offensively, we will start to see those huge fantasy outings that we have become accustomed to seeing from him over the years.
Wesley Matthews – James Harden and Monta Ellis will both be popular plays tonight, but if you want to differentiate your lineups, Matthews is a nice alternative at SG. He has 35-FP upside and is much cheaper than Harden and Ellis.
Robin Lopez – Lopez isn’t flashy, but he’s awfully effective. He is averaging 13 points and 8 rebounds per game and should have a similar outing tonight against Tyson Chandler.