NBA Grind Down: Tuesday, April 7th - Page Two
L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers – 10:30 PM
- Vegas Line – L.A. Clippers -17.5, 204.5 Over/Under
- L.A. Lakers Proj. Starters – Clarkson-Lin-Johnson-Kelly-Black
- L.A. Clippers Proj. Starters – Paul-Redick-Barnes-Griffin-Jordan
| L.A. Lakers | L.A. Clippers | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 204 |  | Vegas Total | 204 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 17.5 | Vegas Sprd | -17.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 93.5 | Team Proj. | 111.0 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 96.2 | Team Pace | 96.94 | |||||||||
| 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 | Proj Starter | |||||||||||
| Opp. Season | 2 | 17 | 28 | 15 | 12 | Opp. Season | 30 | 25 | 23 | 13 | 24 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 2 | 23 | 15 | 19 | 3 | Opp. Last 7 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 17 | 13 | |
L.A. Lakers
The Lakers are massive underdogs tonight against the Clippers. The 17.5-point spread is one of the largest that we have seen all season. The Lakers have nothing to play for at this point of the season, while the Clippers are still fighting for playoff positioning. In a game that is almost certain to turn into a blowout, the fantasy options here are few and far between. I’ll likely be avoiding this game altogether in my cash game lineups.
Opponent Breakdown (L.A. Clippers)
Record: 52-26
Points Allowed Per Game: 100.3 (Rank: 16)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 16
Rebounding Differential Rank: 14
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Jordan Clarkson (FD: $7700, DK: $6700), Wesley Johnson (FD: $4500, DK: $5000), and Ryan Kelly (FD: $4200, DK: $4000) are all viable secondary options tonight against the Clippers. All three players have been seeing extended action recently, but it’s hard to predict their minutes in a game that could be over by half-time.
L.A. Clippers
The Clippers are in the same boat as the Lakers, at least in terms of fantasy appeal. This is a fantastic matchup, but the game will likely be in hand very early. Once the Clippers get up big, they have no reason to play their starters more minutes than necessary. For that reason, I see players from both teams as tournament options.
Opponent Breakdown (L.A. Lakers)
Record: 20-56
Points Allowed Per Game: 104.8 (Rank: 28)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 29
Rebounding Differential Rank: 17
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
I had any confidence in the Lakers’ ability to keep this game close, Chris Paul (FD: $11000, DK: $9800), Blake Griffin (FD: $9500, DK: $8800), and DeAndre Jordan (FD: $9000, DK: $8200) would all be elite plays tonight. Unfortunately, they are risky options in cash games, given the potential for a blowout.