NBA Grind Down: Tuesday, April 1st
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: Any Fantasy Point Average Listed Uses FanDuel Scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s NBA 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
Houston at Brooklyn
- Vegas Line – Brooklyn -3, 209 Over/Under
- Houston Proj. Starters – Lin-Harden-Parsons-Jones-Asik
- Brooklyn Proj. Starters – Williams-Livingston-Johnson-Pierce-Plumlee
Houston
There are only 3 games on the schedule tonight so we will try to keep the analysis short and simple. The first game of the night is between the Rockets and the Nets. Dwight Howard will miss tonight’s game which means Omer Asik will draw another start at Center. Dwight’s absence also gives a nice uptick to Terrence Jones, Chandler Parsons, and James Harden. The matchup isn’t great as the Nets are a top 10 defense this season, but the total is set at 209 points and this game has the feeling of a shootout. Jeremy Lin makes an interesting play at PG with Beverley out.
- James Harden – Harden typically takes over when Dwight is out of the lineup and he has the best matchup of all five starters on the Rockets. The Nets are ranked 23rd against SG’s this season and Harden has now topped 40 FP’s in 5 straight games. On a night like tonight with only 3 games, Harden provides a nice anchor to center your team around.
- Omer Asik – Asik has really filled in nicely when Dwight has been out of the lineup. He has topped 25 FP’s in each of his last 4 games that he has played at least 27 minutes. He should see around 30 minutes tonight and should be able to grab double-digit rebounds. Asik is cheap across the industry and is a no-brainer at Center.
Brooklyn
The Nets have a very favorable matchup against the fast-paced Rockets. With Dwight out of the lineup, the Rockets really take a hit defensively. The Rockets are ranked 20th or worse against SG’s, SF’s, and PF’s this season, but all positions are in play tonight as they Rockets will be missing their two best defenders (Beverley and Howard). Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce both make solid plays at SG and SF, both have been playing at a high level and this is expected to be a high scoring game.
- Deron Williams – Williams has to be extremely happy that he doesn’t have to deal with the pesky Beverley tonight. Lin just doesn’t bring that same intensity that Beverley does on the defensive end of the floor. Williams has topped 40 FP’s in 4 of his last 8 games and has a good shot of reaching that mark again tonight.
- Shaun Livingston – Livingston has now topped 20 FP’s in 12 straight games. You will rarely find a value player that provides that kind of consistency. His price has slowly crept up across the industry, but when he has a floor of 20 FP’s, it’s hard to pass him up in cash games. I like the matchup against the Rockets and think he keeps his streak alive.
Golden State at Dallas
- Vegas Line – Dallas -4, 204 Over/Under
- Golden State Proj. Starters – Curry-Thompson-Iguodala-Green-O’Neal
- Dallas Proj. Starters – Calderon-Ellis-Marion-Nowitzki-Dalembert
Golden State
The Warriors will be without David Lee and Andrew Bogut tonight which means Marreese Speights and Jermaine O’Neal will be the starting front-court. Lee and Bogut’s absence also means an increased role for Draymond Green who has really stepped up his play of late. The Mavericks have been pretty average defensively this season, but they have struggled against PF’s. Speights makes a solid punt play on FD ($3,500). O’Neal also makes a nice punt play tonight, he has really played well in spot starts this season.
- Stephen Curry – Curry is finally back to playing a full complement of minutes and he may have to take over offensively with Lee and Bogut out. Curry has topped 46 FP’s in 4 of his last 6 games and should be able to create his own shot against Calderon anytime he wants it. I have Curry ranked right up there with Harden as my top guards tonight.
- Draymond Green – Green should see 30+ minutes tonight with all of the injuries to the Warriors’ bigs. Green has really stepped up his play of late and has scored at least 17 FP’s in 9 straight games. Green is cheap across the industry and helps you afford the star players like Harden and Curry.
Dallas
The Mavericks have a less than favorable matchup tonight against the Warriors. The Warriors have a top 10 defense this season and are ranked above average defensively against all five positions on the floor. This is a revenge game for Monta Ellis as he faces his former team, but he really struggled in their last meeting and will have to deal with Andre Iguodala. That’s not a plus matchup for Monta.
- Dirk Nowitzki – Speights should have a tough time defending Dirk tonight. While Speights is tall, he’s not all that athletic and Dirk should be able to draw him into some shooting fouls. Dirk is averaging 18 points and 6 rebounds against the Warriors this season and should improve on those numbers tonight. He’s a solid play in cash games.
Portland at L.A.Lakers
- Vegas Line – Portland -8.5, 220 Over/Under
- Portland Proj. Starters – Lillard-Matthews-Batum-Aldridge-Lopez
- L.A.Lakers Proj. Starters – Marshall-Meeks-Bazemore-Hill-Gasol
Portland
The Blazers have the best matchup on the board tonight. The Lakers have given up the 2nd most points per game this season and are ranked 29th or 30th against all five positions this season. The Blazers are only 8.5 point favorites here so hopefully the Lakers can keep this one close enough that the starters all see their typical number of minutes. All five starters are in play here as well as Mo Williams off the bench. Williams is one of my favorite punt plays at PG tonight. Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, and Robin Lopez will all be littered throughout my cash game lineups tonight.
- Damian Lillard – Lillard has been in a slump lately, but the Lakers are a perfect cure for that. Lillard’s price is depressed across the industry and this is the perfect situation to buy low on him. Lillard is averaging 23 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds against the Lakers this season and should be able to replicate those numbers tonight.
- LaMarcus Aldridge – Not only are the Lakers one of the worst teams at defending the paint, but they are also one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA. Both bode well for Aldridge tonight. If he gets 35 minutes of playing time against this defense, he could very reasonably reach 50 FP’s.
L.A.Lakers
It sounds like the Lakers will have Pau Gasol back for tonight’s game and he will start alongside Chris Kaman. That means Jordan Hill will once again head to the end of the bench. This is a pretty solid matchup for the Lakers as the Blazers are ranked in the bottom 10 in points allowed per game and are ranked below average defensively against PG’s and Centers. Kent Bazemore has been playing major minutes and makes a nice value play. Kendall Marshall is coming off of his best game in quite a while and has a favorable matchup against Lillard. Chris Kaman has nice upside for his price. The rest of the Lakers can be avoided though.