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NBA Grind Down: Tuesday, December 8th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2015-12-10 00:00:44

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 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.

Every game is also broken down by our NBA experts, providing an overview of the game and a selection of players to consider from each contest.

Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.

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Golden State Warriors at Indiana Pacers – 7:00 PM

Golden State Warriors Indiana Pacers
goldenstatenba Vegas Total 214.5 indiananba Vegas Total 214.5
Vegas Sprd -6.0 Vegas Sprd 6.0
Team Proj. 110.3 Team Proj. 104.3
Team Pace 101.30 Team Pace 99.60
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 Stephen Curry Klay Thompson Brandon Rush Draymond Green Andrew Bogut Proj. Starter George Hill Monta Ellis C.J. Miles Paul George Ian Mahinmi
Opp. Season 3 24 9 14 15 Opp. Season 20 5 12 12 9
Opp. Last 7 12 15 15 26 5 Opp. Last 7 22 4 30 9 19

Golden State Warriors

Record: 22-0 — Road: 12-0 — Last 10: 10-0

Well, let’s see here. The Warriors are 10-0 at home and 12-0 on the road. By my calculations – and yes, I do have a Masters Degree in Accounting, I believe that makes them 22-0 on the season. They will look to keep their perfect record intact tonight against the Pacers. I have not wasted my “this will be the game the Warriors lose” card just yet. I am going to save it for now, but may have to employ it against the Celtics later in the week.

When it comes to the Warriors, we typically worry less about their opponent’s defensive numbers and more about the spread and the expected pace of the game. Tonight’s game is expected to stay close and I have the projected pace set at 102.2 possessions, which is the highest on the schedule. The Warriors are projected to score 110.3 points tonight, which is easily the highest team total on the board.

Harrison Barnes has already been ruled out for the rest of the Warriors’ road trip. In his five missed games, the minute distribution for the Warriors’ wing players has been as follows: Klay Thompson (31.6), Andre Iguodala (24.4), Brandon Rush (17.2), and Leandro Barbosa (13.8). Basically, Barnes’ absence hasn’t opened the door for much in terms of fantasy production. Stephen Curry deserves consideration tonight thanks to his massive upside, but it’s worth noting that the Pacers have held point guards to the third-fewest fantasy points per game. Draymond Green has averaged 41.1 fantasy points per game over his last five, but his price fully reflects his recent play. Green and Klay Thompson are better secondary options.

Elite Plays

Stephen Curry

FD — $10,900 — PG
DK — $10,700 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 28.2 | Last Five Games: 24.8
Min/Game — Season: 34.3 | Last Five Games: 33.6
FP/Game — Season: 48.1 | Last Five Games: 43.1

Secondary Plays

Draymond Green

FD — $8,300 — PF
DK — $8,100 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 16.1 | Last Five Games: 20.5
Min/Game — Season: 33.9 | Last Five Games: 35.7
FP/Game — Season: 36.3 | Last Five Games: 41.1

Klay Thompson

FD — $6,100 — SG
DK — $6,400 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.3 | Last Five Games: 20.4
Min/Game — Season: 31.5 | Last Five Games: 31.7
FP/Game — Season: 25.7 | Last Five Games: 28.4

Indiana Pacers

Record: 12-7 — Home: 6-2 — Last 10: 7-3

The Pacers have won seven of their last ten games and have improved to 12-7 on the season. They are hoping to be the first team to hand the Warriors their first loss. Tonight’s game is expected to be close and high-scoring, both of which are attributes that we look for in daily fantasy. The total for the game is set at 214.5 points, which is seven points higher than the next closest total tonight.

The Warriors have still been one of the most efficient defenses in the NBA (ranked 5th), but they are right around the league average in points allowed per game at 100.2. The Pacers are projected to score 104.3 points tonight, which is actually a point higher than their average points scored this season. The quick tempo of this game should overrule the difficult matchup on paper.

Monta Ellis is listed as questionable for tonight’s game against the Warriors, but he was able to practice on Monday and is expected to play. Ellis has lost some of that aggressiveness that made him a great fantasy option in year’s past. He can be avoided in all league formats. This is a big game for Paul George. Even though the Warriors have an undefeated streak alive, this game probably means as much to him as it does to Stephen Curry. He has taken that next step this season and what better way to prove it by outplaying Curry at home. George is going to have two very capable defenders on him tonight in Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, but he is still an elite fantasy option at small forward. George Hill and Rodney Stuckey are both secondary options at their respective positions.

Elite Plays

Paul George

FD — $10,100 — SF
DK — $10,200 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: | Last Five Games: 28.6
Min/Game — Season: | Last Five Games: 38.5
FP/Game — Season: 43.9 | Last Five Games: 46.0

Secondary Plays

George Hill

FD — $6,000 — PG
DK — $5,700 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.6 | Last Five Games: 14.9
Min/Game — Season: 35.5 | Last Five Games: 33.4
FP/Game — Season: 24.8 | Last Five Games: 22.4

Rodney Stuckey

FD — $5,000 — SG
DK — $4,700 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 18.8 | Last Five Games: 19.0
Min/Game — Season: 25.0 | Last Five Games: 30.2
FP/Game — Season: 20.3 | Last Five Games: 25.6

Portland Trail Blazers at Cleveland Cavaliers – 7:00 PM

Portland Trail Blazers Cleveland Cavaliers
portlandnba Vegas Total 200.0 clevelandnba Vegas Total 200.0
Vegas Sprd 9.0 Vegas Sprd -9.0
Team Proj. 95.5 Team Proj. 104.5
Team Pace 97.80 Team Pace 95.80
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 Damian Lillard C.J. McCollum Al-Farouq Aminu Noah Vonleh Mason Plumlee Proj. Starter Matthew Dellavedova J.R. Smith LeBron James Kevin Love Timofey Mozgov
Opp. Season 12 16 8 1 3 Opp. Season 13 22 1 23 29
Opp. Last 7 28 24 1 5 24 Opp. Last 7 14 9 6 21 26

Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 9-13 — Road: 4-8 — Last 10: 5-5

The Blazers have lost five of their last ten games and have a subpar road record of 4-8 this season. They are also playing in the second half of a back-to-back, after losing to the Bucks last night in Milwaukee. It’s no surprise that they are listed as 9-point underdogs tonight in their matchup against the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers have been a tough team to target players against in daily fantasy basketball. On the season, they are ranked fifth or better in points allowed per game, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. Cleveland plays at a slow pace and they are often on the winning end of blowouts. The Blazers are only projected to score 95.5 points tonight, which is six points lower than their average points scored this season.

No matter what statistic you look at, they all point in the same direction. This is a potential blowout game. I generally start to take note of potential blowouts when the spread is close to double-digits. I don’t mind targeting players on the favored team, as if they get ahead by a large margin, then their starters would have obviously played well. However, if we target players on teams that are large underdogs, they may not have played well AND they may not see their usual complement of minutes. The Blazers will need big games from Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum if they are going to keep this game close, but I will label them as tournament-only plays.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Damian Lillard

FD — $9,300 — PG
DK — $8,700 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 27.0 | Last Five Games: 24.2
Min/Game — Season: 36.6 | Last Five Games: 33.7
FP/Game — Season: 39.1 | Last Five Games: 33.3

C.J. McCollum

FD — $7,000 — SG
DK — $6,600 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 23.1 | Last Five Games: 24.6
Min/Game — Season: 35.1 | Last Five Games: 36.2
FP/Game — Season: 30.1 | Last Five Games: 31.8

Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 13-7 — Home: 9-1 — Last 10: 5-5

The Cavaliers have lost five of their last ten games, which is a bit uncharacteristic for the defending Eastern Conference champions. They still boast a 9-1 record at home though and they have a good chance to get back to their winning ways tonight against the Blazers. The Cavaliers are the largest favorites on the schedule, as the spread is set at nine points.

The Blazers are ranked right below the league average in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and fantasy points allowed per game. The Cavaliers have an implied team total of 104.5 points tonight, which is the third-highest on the board. This could also be a pace-up game for Cleveland, as the Blazers play with a quicker tempo.

Even though Mo Williams and Matthew Dellevadova have been splitting minutes at point guard, they have been decent fantasy options. Over his last five games, Dellevadova has averaged 18.3 fantasy points in 31.3 minutes per contest. If you need a value point guard, you can certainly do worse than Delly tonight against the Blazers. LeBron James appears to be in full coast mode right now until the Cavaliers need him to take over games. I’m not going to talk you out of LeBron, but he has only topped the 45.2 fantasy point mark once in his last nine games. J.R. Smith continues to log heavy minutes, but he his fantasy production is very dependent on making jumpers. Kevin Love is my favorite play here. He draws a favorable matchup against the Blazers’ bigs and his price has come down on FanDuel.

Elite Plays

Kevin Love

FD — $7,700 — PF
DK — $8,300 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 20.5 | Last Five Games: 18.7
Min/Game — Season: 33.7 | Last Five Games: 31.3
FP/Game — Season: 35.0 | Last Five Games: 27.8

Secondary Plays

LeBron James

FD — $10,200 — SF
DK — $10,000 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 28.5 | Last Five Games: 30.0
Min/Game — Season: 36.9 | Last Five Games: 39.0
FP/Game — Season: 45.5 | Last Five Games: 46.8

J.R. Smith

FD — $5,300 — SG
DK — $5,300 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 16.0 | Last Five Games: 17.3
Min/Game — Season: 32.2 | Last Five Games: 33.9
FP/Game — Season: 19.9 | Last Five Games: 21.4

Matthew Dellavedova

FD — $4,300 — PG
DK — $4,500 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 13.5 | Last Five Games: 12.3
Min/Game — Season: 28.0 | Last Five Games: 31.3
FP/Game — Season: 19.3 | Last Five Games: 18.3

Houston Rockets at Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 PM

Houston Rockets Brooklyn Nets
houstonnba Vegas Total 207.5 brooklynnba Vegas Total 207.5
Vegas Sprd -4.5 Vegas Sprd 4.5
Team Proj. 106.0 Team Proj. 101.5
Team Pace 99.90 Team Pace 98.80
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 Patrick Beverley James Harden Trevor Ariza Clint Capela Dwight Howard Proj. Starter Jarrett Jack Joe Johnson Bojan Bogdanovic Thaddeus Young Brook Lopez
Opp. Season 26 26 26 4 24 Opp. Season 25 17 28 30 20
Opp. Last 7 18 18 26 15 22 Opp. Last 7 26 5 14 30 14

Houston Rockets

Record: 10-11 — Road: 4-4 — Last 10: 6-4

The Rockets have won three games in a row and six of their last ten. They are playing their best basketball of the season. There has been some chatter that they may look to trade for Markieff Morris, but I expect them to give this current lineup another chance before making any moves. The Rockets are listed as 4.5-point favorites tonight against the Nets in Brooklyn.

The Nets have been a bottom ten defense all season. They are ranked 22nd or worse in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and fantasy points allowed per game. The Rockets are projected to score 106.0 points tonight, which is the second-highest team total on the board. Houston’s team total is also three points higher than their average points scored this season.

The Rockets are expected to be at full strength tonight, but they have been resting Dwight Howard in back-to-back sets. They play again tomorrow night in Washington, so just make sure Howard is in the lineup if you plan on using him tonight. Howard finds himself in a favorable matchup against Brook Lopez, who has never been known as a good defender. Howard has been inconsistent, but that $7,000 price tag on DraftKings is awfully enticing. James Harden remains an elite play at shooting guard. He has a similar floor as LeBron James, but a higher ceiling. If I’m paying up for a superstar, I’d rather have Harden. Patrick Beverley has been a good source of value at point guard, especially on FanDuel ($4,100).

Elite Plays

James Harden

FD — $10,800 — SG
DK — $10,600 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 28.3 | Last Five Games: 27.8
Min/Game — Season: 39.2 | Last Five Games: 39.4
FP/Game — Season: 48.1 | Last Five Games: 48.4

Patrick Beverley

FD — $4,100 — PG
DK — $4,700 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: | Last Five Games: 12.7
Min/Game — Season: | Last Five Games: 29.4
FP/Game — Season: 15.3 | Last Five Games: 22.3

Secondary Plays

Dwight Howard

FD — $8,100 — C
DK — $7,000 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.0 | Last Five Games: 14.4
Min/Game — Season: 33.2 | Last Five Games: 33.9
FP/Game — Season: 33.9 | Last Five Games: 33.5

Trevor Ariza

FD — $6,100 — SF
DK — $5,500 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 13.9 | Last Five Games: 12.9
Min/Game — Season: 35.9 | Last Five Games: 36.9
FP/Game — Season: 24.2 | Last Five Games: 24.1

Clint Capela

FD — $4,700 — C
DK — $5,500 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.0 | Last Five Games: 15.1
Min/Game — Season: 19.4 | Last Five Games: 24.7
FP/Game — Season: 20.7 | Last Five Games: 22.8

Brooklyn Nets

Record: 5-15 — Home: 4-4 — Last 10: 4-6

The Nets are only 5-15 on the season, but four of those wins have come at home. Tonight they host the visiting Rockets in what is expected to be a close game. The Nets are listed as 4.5-point underdogs in a game that features a total of 207.5 points.

The Rockets have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. They are ranked 22nd or worse in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, rebounding differential, and fantasy points allowed per game. The Nets are projected to score 101.5 points, which is six points higher than their average points scored this season. We should give the Nets a nice boost as a whole tonight in this favorable matchup.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson broke his right foot and will have surgery on it today. While he is out, Bojan Bogdanovic is going to see the biggest fantasy boost. He will likely draw another start and hopefully play in the range of 25 minutes tonight. He is a viable punt option tonight against the Rockets, who have not defended the three-point line well this season. Shane Larkin may also see a small boost while Hollis-Jefferson is out. He played 28 minutes against the Warriors on Sunday. Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young are both in play down low. The Rockets have struggled to rebound effectively and they are ranked 30th against power forwards and 20th against centers.

Elite Plays

Brook Lopez

FD — $8,200 — C
DK — $7,700 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 23.0 | Last Five Games: 23.7
Min/Game — Season: 34.1 | Last Five Games: 34.4
FP/Game — Season: 35.8 | Last Five Games: 37.5

Thaddeus Young

FD — $6,800 — PF
DK — $7,100 — PF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.5 | Last Five Games: 20.9
Min/Game — Season: 31.9 | Last Five Games: 34.1
FP/Game — Season: 30.5 | Last Five Games: 31.0

Secondary Plays

Shane Larkin

FD — $4,600 — PG
DK — $4,300 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 16.7 | Last Five Games: 17.9
Min/Game — Season: 19.3 | Last Five Games: 22.9
FP/Game — Season: 17.4 | Last Five Games: 22.4

Bojan Bogdanovic

FD — $3,600 — SF
DK — $3,600 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.2 | Last Five Games: 11.4
Min/Game — Season: 23.5 | Last Five Games: 18.4
FP/Game — Season: 13.3 | Last Five Games: 11.9

Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies – 8:00 PM

Oklahoma City Thunder Memphis Grizzlies
oklahomacitynba Vegas Total 202.5 memphisnba Vegas Total 202.5
Vegas Sprd -3.0 Vegas Sprd 3.0
Team Proj. 102.8 Team Proj. 99.8
Team Pace 100.60 Team Pace 97.00
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 Russell Westbrook Andre Roberson Kevin Durant Serge Ibaka Steven Adams Proj. Starter Mike Conley Tony Allen Jeff Green Zach Randolph Marc Gasol
Opp. Season 18 11 20 25 6 Opp. Season 15 13 11 17 8
Opp. Last 7 19 16 20 17 20 Opp. Last 7 27 2 13 28 16

Oklahoma City Thunder

Record: 12-8 — Road: 3-5 — Last 10: 6-4

The Thunder are 12-8 on the season, but they are only 3-5 on the road. They draw a difficult matchup tonight against the Grizzlies in Memphis. The Thunder are listed as 3-point favorites in what will be a pace-down game for Oklahoma City. The Grizzlies have averaged 3.6 less possessions per game this season than the Thunder.

The Grizzlies are still a mediocre defense, but there numbers have improved over the last couple of weeks. They are now ranked 14th in points allowed per game and defensive efficiency. This is obviously not an ideal matchup for the Thunder, as they are only projected to score 102.8 points, which is five points lower than their average points scored per game.

There are basically two viable fantasy options on the Thunder right now. You can take a chance on Serge Ibaka or Dion Waiters, but they have been too inconsistent to trust in cash games. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant account for such a large portion of the Thunder’s points that they are the only two options on my radar here. While both deserve consideration, neither stands out as an elite play. Westbrook has to match up against Mike Conley, who is a solid on-ball defender. Durant will likely have a mix of defenders on him, as Jeff Green, Matt Barnes, and Tony Allen are all good perimeter defenders.

Elite Plays

NONE

Secondary Plays

Russell Westbrook

FD — $10,900 — PG
DK — $10,400 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 30.1 | Last Five Games: 26.2
Min/Game — Season: 34.7 | Last Five Games: 34.4
FP/Game — Season: 50.6 | Last Five Games: 43.5

Kevin Durant

FD — $10,100 — SF
DK — $10,100 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 24.9 | Last Five Games: 24.1
Min/Game — Season: 35.4 | Last Five Games: 37.5
FP/Game — Season: 43.9 | Last Five Games: 45.8

Memphis Grizzlies

Record: 12-9 — Home: 7-4 — Last 10: 7-3

The Grizzlies have really turned their season around, winning seven of their last ten. They are now right back in the mix in the Western Conference. They will have their hands full tonight with a very talented Thunder team. The Grizzlies are listed as 3-point underdogs in a game that features a total of 202.5 points.

The Thunder have been mediocre defensively this season. They are ranked between tenth and 21st in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and fantasy points allowed per game. The Grizzlies are projected to score 99.8 points tonight, which is 3.5 points higher than their average points scored this season.

Marc Gasol is a little overpriced on FanDuel ($8,100), but he is worth a look on DraftKings at a price of only $7,300. He is coming off of a terrific five-game stretch where he averaged 38.7 fantasy points per contest. Mike Conley is a safe cash game option at point guard, but given the wealth of options at the position, he is not my favorite play in a fantasy points per dollar sense. Zach Randolph, Jeff Green, Tony Allen, and Matt Barnes can all be avoided tonight at home.

Elite Plays

Marc Gasol

FD — $8,100 — C
DK — $7,300 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 18.8 | Last Five Games: 18.5
Min/Game — Season: 34.8 | Last Five Games: 37.6
FP/Game — Season: 32.2 | Last Five Games: 38.7

Secondary Plays

Mike Conley

FD — $6,700 — PG
DK — $6,700 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 20.9 | Last Five Games: 20.9
Min/Game — Season: 32.0 | Last Five Games: 32.4
FP/Game — Season: 29.0 | Last Five Games: 27.2

Orlando Magic at Denver Nuggets – 9:00 PM

Orlando Magic Denver Nuggets
orlandonba Vegas Total 198.0 denvernba Vegas Total 198.0
Vegas Sprd -3.0 Vegas Sprd 3.0
Team Proj. 100.5 Team Proj. 97.5
Team Pace 98.30 Team Pace 98.40
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 Elfrid Payton Evan Fournier Tobias Harris Channing Frye Nikola Vucevic Proj. Starter Emmanuel Mudiay Randy Foye Danilo Gallinari Kenneth Faried Joffrey Lauvergne
Opp. Season 28 30 15 24 25 Opp. Season 22 4 17 11 19
Opp. Last 7 23 22 28 22 2 Opp. Last 7 1 27 16 12 17

Orlando Magic

Record: 11-9 — Road: 4-6 — Last 10: 6-4

The Magic have won six of their last ten games and are now 11-9 on the season. I bet most hardcore NBA fans wouldn’t even know that the Magic are above .500 right now. Tonight they travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets. The Magic are listed as 3-point favorites in a game that features a low total of 198 points.

The Nuggets have not fared well on the defensive end of the floor this season. They are ranked 23rd or worse in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and fantasy points allowed per game. The Magic have an implied team total of 100.5 points. While that is not the highest team total on the board, we shouldn’t discount the Magic in a favorable matchup against the Nuggets.

Aaron Gordon is questionable for tonight’s game against the Nuggets. If he is unable to play, it may open a few extra minutes for Tobias Harris and/or Channing Frye. Harris is the preferred play of the two. He is at his best in transition and this game could end up being played at a relatively quick pace. Nikola Vucevic is high on my list of targets tonight. I wish his minutes were in the mid-30’s, but I’ll take 30 minutes against the Nuggets’ frontcourt any day of the week. Elfrid Payton is also an elite play (which may be a first for the Grind Down this season). It appears that his minutes are finally secure. He has averaged 32.1 fantasy points in 34 minutes per game in his last five outings.

Elite Plays

Nikola Vucevic

FD — $7,200 — C
DK — $7,000 — C
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 20.9 | Last Five Games: 20.3
Min/Game — Season: 29.5 | Last Five Games: 30.7
FP/Game — Season: 31.1 | Last Five Games: 29.7

Elfrid Payton

FD — $6,800 — PG
DK — $6,400 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 18.8 | Last Five Games: 20.6
Min/Game — Season: 32.2 | Last Five Games: 34.0
FP/Game — Season: 27.0 | Last Five Games: 32.1

Secondary Plays

Tobias Harris

FD — $6,500 — SF
DK — $6,200 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 17.3 | Last Five Games: 17.7
Min/Game — Season: 32.7 | Last Five Games: 32.8
FP/Game — Season: 28.2 | Last Five Games: 27.3

Denver Nuggets

Record: 8-13 — Home: 3-6 — Last 10: 2-8

The Nuggets come into tonight’s game in bad form. They have lost eight of their last ten games. Despite their poor play, they are only listed as 3-point underdogs tonight against the Magic at home.

The Magic have actually been pretty solid defensively this season. They are ranked 12th or better in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and rebounding differential. The Nuggets are only projected to score 97.5 points, which is the second-lowest team total on the board.

There are two injuries that could impact the fantasy appeal of the Nuggets tonight. Gary Harris has already been ruled out and Danilo Gallinari is listed as questionable. Will Barton and Randy Foye may both see extended playing time tonight, especially if Gallinari is ruled out. If Gallinari is able to suit up, he is a nice tournament play at home. He always provides good upside for his price and he fill the ever-thin small forward position. I am going to avoid all of the players in the Nuggets’ frontcourt. There are too many bodies splitting those minutes right now.

Elite Plays

Will Barton

Especially if Danilo Gallinari is ruled out.
FD — $5,700 — SG
DK — $5,900 — SG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 18.5 | Last Five Games: 18.3
Min/Game — Season: 27.3 | Last Five Games: 30.3
FP/Game — Season: 25.4 | Last Five Games: 27.3

Randy Foye

Especially if Danilo Gallinari is ruled out.
FD — $3,700 — SG
DK — $3,500 — PG
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 14.0 | Last Five Games: 13.0
Min/Game — Season: 20.8 | Last Five Games: 30.7
FP/Game — Season: 10.5 | Last Five Games: 15.5

Secondary Plays

Danilo Gallinari

If he is able to play tonight.
FD — $7,100 — SF
DK — $7,000 — SF
TO-Adjusted Usage — Season: 19.3 | Last Five Games: 17.3
Min/Game — Season: 34.5 | Last Five Games: 35.6
FP/Game — Season: 30.1 | Last Five Games: 28.8

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About the Author

Notorious
Derek Farnsworth (Notorious)

Derek Farnsworth (aka Notorious) is a lead RotoGrinders Expert and one of the most recognizable names and faces in all of DFS. Before joining the RotoGrinders team, Derek received a Master’s Degree from the University of Utah. When he’s not busy providing content, he’s dominating the DFS industry as evidenced by his consistent top rankings in several sports and multiple Live Final appearances. Noto provides expert NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA analysis for RotoGrinders Premium members on a daily basis and has also been nominated for five different Fantasy Sports Writer’s Association (FSWA) awards. Follow Noto on X – @RG_Notorious