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NBA Grind Down: Tuesday, March 28th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2017-03-29 01:56:53

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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.

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.

Legend & FAQ

Milwaukee Bucks at Charlotte Hornets – 7:00 PM ET

Milwaukee Bucks Charlotte Hornets
Article Image Vegas Total 201.0 Article Image Vegas Total 201.0
Vegas Spread 3.5 Vegas Spread -3.5
Team Total 98.8 Team Total 102.3
Pace +/- -0.7 Pace +/- -1.8
Proj. Starter Malcolm Brogdon Tony Snell Khris Middleton Giannis Antetokounmpo Thon Maker Proj. Starter Kemba Walker Nicolas Batum Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Marvin Williams Cody Zeller
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 15 20 17 20 15 Adj. DvP 11 6 15 9 19
DRPM -0.94 -0.37 2.21 0.28 3.08 DRPM -0.80 -0.68 0.52 1.93 -0.46

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks have been on a nice run over the last six weeks. Not only have they made their way into the playoff picture, but they are all the way up to sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. With the way Atlanta is playing, Milwaukee could easily end up as the five seed. They draw a fairly difficult matchup tonight against the Hornets, who are ranked ninth in both points allowed per game and defensive efficiency. The Bucks come into the game with an implied total of only 98.8 points and a projected point differential of -5.7.

Even though we don’t have a monstrous slate on tap tonight, I will likely be avoiding the Bucks as a whole. Giannis Antetokounmpo has shown a massive ceiling recently, but he also has a very low floor and will likely be defended by Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. If I’m paying up at shooting guard on FanDuel, I am going to go all the way up to James Harden. Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton have also played well at times in the last few weeks, but are deep tournament fliers at best tonight. I will note that Middleton missed this morning’s shoot-around. If he is unable to go, give a small boost to both Antetokounmpo and Brogdon.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Malcolm Brogdon $5,600 $5,100 0.78 26.4 5.8 20.6 4.8 20.3% -1.2% 15 -0.94
Tony Snell $3,800 $3,900 0.52 29.0 1.5 15.2 -1.7 12.0% -0.7% 20 -0.37
Khris Middleton $6,300 $6,200 0.89 29.2 2.7 26.0 -0.3 24.0% 0.7% 17 2.21
Giannis Antetokounmpo $10,300 $9,700 1.29 35.4 0.5 45.7 -0.2 29.3% 1.1% 20 0.28
Thon Maker $3,500 $3,000 0.82 8.3 0.9 6.8 0.5 16.9% -2.0% 15 3.08
Greg Monroe $6,000 $5,200 1.11 22.6 -0.1 25.1 -0.9 23.8% 3.8% 15 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Giannis Antetokounmpo

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets were a top five team in the East after the first two months of the season, but are now out of the playoff picture entirely. It would take a tremendous winning streak for them to have any shot at the postseason. They draw a decent matchup tonight against the Bucks, who are ranked ninth in points allowed per game and 20th in defensive efficiency. Unfortunately, Vegas is expecting a slow-paced game, as the over/under is set at a measly 201 points. The Hornets have an implied total of only 102.3 points, which is 2.8 points below their season average.

Similar to Milwaukee, I’m not going to go out of my way to target players from the Hornets tonight. They have a low implied total and they have not been playing great basketball in the last couple of weeks. The Bucks have been stout against point guards and shooting guards, which hurts the appeal of Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum. The best way to attack Milwaukee is at the center position, but Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky both have limited minute upside. The way I’m going to attack this slate is to load up on some of the higher scoring games that we’ll get to here shortly.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Kemba Walker $7,800 $8,000 1.06 34.6 0.0 36.6 -0.7 30.4% -0.4% 11 -0.80
Nicolas Batum $6,700 $7,000 0.93 34.5 -3.5 32.3 -4.3 24.2% 2.4% 6 -0.68
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist $4,800 $4,700 0.79 29.2 -3.6 23.0 -2.0 14.1% -0.9% 15 0.52
Marvin Williams $6,500 $6,100 0.77 30.4 4.7 23.6 6.4 16.0% -3.1% 9 1.93
Cody Zeller $5,300 $5,300 0.85 27.7 2.0 23.6 7.5 16.1% -0.3% 19 -0.46
Frank Kaminsky $5,400 $5,200 0.83 26.2 4.5 21.7 -0.2 21.4% -1.1% 9 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Cody Zeller (GPP), Frank Kaminsky (GPP)

Minnesota Timberwolves at Indiana Pacers – 7:00 PM ET

Minnesota Timberwolves Indiana Pacers
Article Image Vegas Total 208.0 Article Image Vegas Total 208.0
Vegas Spread 4.5 Vegas Spread -4.5
Team Total 101.8 Team Total 106.3
Pace +/- -0.3 Pace +/- -1.9
Proj. Starter Ricky Rubio Brandon Rush Andrew Wiggins Gorgui Dieng Karl-Anthony Towns Proj. Starter Jeff Teague Monta Ellis Paul George Thaddeus Young Myles Turner
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 5 11 26 8 24 Adj. DvP 6 14 9 4 17
DRPM 0.01 -1.86 0.01 2.39 2.20 DRPM 0.93 0.05 -2.47 3.74 -1.39

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves came out of the All-Star break looking like a new team. It didn’t last that long though, as they have now lost six games in a row. They come into tonight’s game as 4.5-point underdogs against the Pacers in a game that features an over/under of 208 points. Indiana is a slightly favorable matchup overall, as they are ranked 15th in points allowed per game and 27th in rebounding differential. This game is on the road though, which helps explain why Minnesota has an implied total of only 101.8 points.

Ricky Rubio has been a favorite target of ours over the last few weeks, but there are some obvious plays at point guard in this slate. Rubio’s price is up and his matchup isn’t great, so I see him as more of a deep tournament play. Andrew Wiggins is the one Wolves’ player that I am considering in cash games. After a string of bad matchups and lackluster performances, he has scored at least 32 fantasy points in four of his last five games. The Pacers have really struggled against small forwards this season and Wiggins is affordable on both FanDuel ($7,200) and DraftKings ($6,800). Gorgui Dieng has seen a minute bump with Nemanja Bjelica out. He is a sneaky play at power forward if you are looking to pivot away from Ersan Ilyasova. Karl-Anthony Towns has 50-fantasy point upside every time he takes the floor. He should get overlooked tonight, even though Indiana is one of the worst rebounding teams in the league.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Ricky Rubio $7,700 $7,400 0.92 32.4 0.9 29.7 4.1 21.4% 4.7% 5 0.01
Brandon Rush $3,500 $3,000 0.45 21.0 3.2 9.4 -0.7 10.1% -3.4% 11 -1.86
Andrew Wiggins $7,200 $6,800 0.86 37.2 0.2 32.0 1.6 28.1% 2.8% 26 0.01
Gorgui Dieng $5,100 $5,500 0.79 31.9 2.0 25.1 -1.4 14.6% -1.3% 8 2.39
Karl-Anthony Towns $10,500 $10,100 1.21 36.9 1.4 44.5 -2.7 27.0% -1.0% 24 2.20
Shabazz Muhammad $4,000 $4,300 0.71 19.8 1.6 14.1 3.1 19.8% 2.4% 26 N/A

Elite Plays – Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Karl-Anthony Towns (Cash), Ricky Rubio (GPP), Gorgui Dieng

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have only won five of their last ten games, but appear to be headed to the playoffs. They are currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and have a two and a half game lead over the ninth place Bulls. They draw a favorable matchup tonight against the Wolves at home. On the season, Minnesota is ranked 17th in points allowed per game and 24th in defensive efficiency. The Pacers have an implied total of 106.3 points. They are the first team that we’ve covered so far with a positive projected point differential (+2.0).

Jeff Teague has been in good form over his last five games, averaging 34 fantasy points per contest. He has the same issue as Ricky Rubio, though. There are four options at point guard that stand out above the rest, which puts Teague in that same deep tournament play category. It also doesn’t help that Rubio is a very underrated defender (0.93 DRPM). Monta Ellis was inserted into the starting lineup before the last game and played well enough to earn himself another start. He seems a bit expensive on both sites though, so I’m going to be fading Ellis tonight. Paul George has been in great form recently, but we are paying mid-$8,000 for a player that only averages 35 fantasy points per game on the season. I like the matchup and the upside, but prefer Andrew Wiggins at a steep discount. With Al Jefferson out, Myles Turner has 35 minute upside tonight. He generally plays better at home and opposing centers have had a lot of success against Karl-Anthony Towns this season.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jeff Teague $7,300 $7,100 1.01 32.3 -0.7 32.6 1.6 26.4% 1.6% 6 0.93
Monta Ellis $4,400 $4,600 0.66 26.8 -0.1 17.8 3.0 18.5% 2.8% 14 0.05
Paul George $8,600 $8,400 1.01 35.4 0.4 35.8 3.2 28.2% 2.7% 9 -2.47
Thaddeus Young $4,200 $4,400 0.75 29.9 -4.7 22.4 -4.6 15.8% -0.7% 4 3.74
Myles Turner $6,700 $6,700 0.96 31.1 1.5 30.0 0.7 18.8% -3.5% 17 -1.39
C.J. Miles $3,500 $3,600 0.71 23.4 -1.2 16.7 -2.3 17.2% -1.3% 9 N/A

Elite Plays – Myles Turner (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Myles Turner (Cash), Jeff Teague (GPP), Paul George

Phoenix Suns at Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 PM ET

Phoenix Suns Atlanta Hawks
Article Image Vegas Total 220.0 Article Image Vegas Total 220.0
Vegas Spread 7.5 Vegas Spread -7.5
Team Total 106.3 Team Total 113.8
Pace +/- 1.0 Pace +/- 3.9
Proj. Starter Tyler Ulis Devin Booker T.J. Warren Marquese Chriss Alex Len Proj. Starter Dennis Schroder Tim Hardaway Taurean Prince Ersan Ilyasova Dwight Howard
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 26 27 30 6 5 Adj. DvP 29 22 11 28 27
DRPM -2.86 -1.05 1.43 0.23 2.89 DRPM -0.93 -2.24 -2.76 -1.19 1.33

Phoenix Suns

The Suns are playing short-handed and they are trying to develop their young players as much as possible. This is basically the perfect combination from a DFS standpoint, as we can accurately predict their minutes, regardless of the game’s outcome. The Suns come into tonight’s game as 7.5-point underdogs against the Hawks, but the matchup isn’t nearly as tough as it looks on paper. The Hawks are missing three of their starters and the Suns are currently projected to score 106.3 points.

Tyler Ulis has played at least 40 minutes in five of his last six games and will likely do the same tonight if Ronnie Price is ruled out again. Efficiency has gone out the window lately, but at $6,000 on FanDuel, he doesn’t have to be efficient to reach value in 40+ minutes of action. I also like his matchup against Dennis Schroder, who is statistically one of the worst defenders in basketball. This is the first game that most people will have the opportunity to roster Devin Booker after he scored 70 actual points against the Celtics. The Suns did play a game after that, but it was one of the day games over the weekend, so it wasn’t included in the main slate. I expect Booker’s ownership to be inflated, but he draws a nice matchup against Tim Hardaway and we can basically pencil him in for 20+ shot attempts. T.J. Warren is playable on FanDuel at $6,400, but is a little too rich for my blood on DraftKings. Marquese Chriss has been one of my favorite tournament plays recently. The Suns are finally giving him a full complement of minutes and he sees a major matchup boost with Paul Millsap out. I hate trying to predict the center rotation in Phoenix and when you add in a matchup against Dwight Howard, Alex Len and Alan Williams become easy fades for me in this slate.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Tyler Ulis $6,000 $6,900 0.80 15.4 25.8 12.3 16.2 23.2% -3.8% 26 -2.86
Devin Booker $7,600 $7,400 0.85 34.9 3.6 29.6 14.6 28.1% 8.6% 27 -1.05
T.J. Warren $6,400 $7,200 0.79 30.6 7.6 24.1 9.2 18.5% -1.3% 30 1.43
Marquese Chriss $5,100 $5,700 0.80 20.7 8.7 16.6 8.4 18.7% 3.4% 6 0.23
Alex Len $5,000 $4,600 0.92 20.2 5.7 18.5 5.4 16.6% 0.3% 5 2.89
Alan Williams $5,400 $5,400 1.15 14.3 8.8 16.5 8.8 20.2% -0.5% 5 N/A

Elite Plays – Tyler Ulis (FD), Devin Booker, T.J. Warren (FD), Marquese Chriss (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Tyler Ulis (DK), T.J. Warren (DK), Marquese Chriss (Cash)

Atlanta Hawks

Try as we might, it is nearly impossible to stay away from the Hawks tonight. Not only are they playing short-handed and not only are they playing at home, but they have the second best matchup in the entire slate. On the season, Phoenix is ranked second in pace of play and 29th in points allowed per game. The Hawks have a massive implied total of 113.8 points, which is the fourth highest in the slate. And that’s with the Hawks missing three of their starters. This has stack written all over it. Fly Hawks, fly!

With Paul Millsap, Kent Bazemore, and Thabo Sefolosha out, there is a chance that all five Hawks’ starters could end up playing 32+ minutes in a nearly perfect matchup. I’m not sure if this has ever happened before in the history of the Grind Down, but I will be recommending all five starters as elite plays. Dennis Schroder is averaging 34 fantasy points with a true usage rate of 35% over his last five games. He has a bad pattern of letting us down in favorable spots, but it’s hard seeing him flop tonight. Tim Hardaway and Taurean Prince could both see 35+ minutes on the wings tonight and both are in great spots. Ersan Ilyasova didn’t see a full complement of minutes in the first couple of games with Millsap out, but that was due to foul trouble and a couple of blowouts. Dwight Howard is finally seeing minutes in the mid 30s (out of necessity) and is my favorite center target in the slate. I will note that the Hawks are a lot more expensive on DraftKings than they are on FanDuel, but I still consider them all elite plays. If you aren’t playing four Hawks in cash games on FD tonight, go back and start from scratch.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Dennis Schroder $7,200 $7,800 0.96 31.2 1.8 30.0 4.2 30.5% 4.7% 29 -0.93
Tim Hardaway $5,900 $6,500 0.80 26.6 9.0 21.2 6.8 22.7% 1.2% 22 -2.24
Taurean Prince $3,800 $4,800 0.73 14.2 15.2 10.3 9.9 16.9% 0.2% 11 -2.76
Ersan Ilyasova $4,800 $6,000 0.90 26.2 3.1 23.5 2.7 21.7% -2.2% 28 -1.19
Dwight Howard $7,200 $7,600 1.09 29.8 2.7 32.6 3.0 18.3% 2.6% 27 1.33

Elite Plays – Dennis Schroder, Tim Hardaway (FD), Taurean Prince, Ersan Ilyasova, Dwight Howard

Secondary Plays – Tim Hardaway (DK)

Miami Heat at Detroit Pistons – 7:30 PM ET

Miami Heat Detroit Pistons
Article Image Vegas Total 201.0 Article Image Vegas Total 201.0
Vegas Spread -2.5 Vegas Spread 2.5
Team Total 101.8 Team Total 99.3
Pace +/- -1.8 Pace +/- -1.2
Proj. Starter Goran Dragic Rodney McGruder Josh Richardson Luke Babbitt Hassan Whiteside Proj. Starter Ish Smith Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Marcus Morris Tobias Harris Andre Drummond
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 18 4 19 14 8 Adj. DvP 3 1 8 5 6
DRPM 1.02 -0.66 0.68 -0.82 1.29 DRPM -1.50 -0.83 -0.21 1.66 2.35

Miami Heat

The Heat have lost two games in a row, but still hold a half game lead over the Bulls for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. Detroit has been playing some terrible basketball lately, but this still isn’t what I would consider a favorable matchup. Even with their recent struggles, the Pistons are still ranked tenth or better in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and rebounding differential. The Heat have an implied total of only 101.8 points, which is the fourth lowest in the slate.

I’m not particularly interested in the Heat players tonight. Ish Smith is surprisingly a good defender (1.02 DRPM) and there are better point guard options in the slate than Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson. Josh Richardson has played well in the absence of Dion Waiters, but he has limited upside. The only play on my radar is James Johnson, who is averaging 32 fantasy points over his last five games. We saw Kristaps Porzingis light up the Pistons last night and Johnson has the ability to fill up all areas of the stat sheet. Hassan Whiteside has really struggled against Andre Drummond in the past, failing to score more than 32 fantasy points in each of their last three meetings.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Goran Dragic $7,500 $7,500 1.00 33.4 -0.1 33.3 -2.5 29.4% 1.4% 18 1.02
Rodney McGruder $3,500 $3,400 0.54 25.2 -0.6 13.5 1.7 12.5% 1.5% 4 -0.66
Josh Richardson $4,600 $5,200 0.65 29.3 5.1 19.0 1.9 18.1% -2.6% 19 0.68
Luke Babbitt $3,500 $3,000 0.55 15.7 1.5 8.6 -0.9 13.2% -0.4% 14 -0.82
Hassan Whiteside $8,800 $8,200 1.19 32.7 -1.6 38.8 3.5 21.1% 2.0% 8 1.29
Tyler Johnson $6,100 $5,800 0.88 30.0 -0.1 26.3 1.7 22.2% 4.7% 18 N/A
James Johnson $6,200 $6,600 0.96 26.7 1.4 25.6 6.5 23.6% 4.8% 14 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – James Johnson

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons are in a complete free-fall right now. They have lost four games in a row and could potentially be shutting down Reggie Jackson for the rest of the season. The crazy part is that they are only a game and a half out of playoff contention. If Stan Van Gundy can somehow fire up his troops, they could certainly make a run at that final playoff spot in the East. They come into tonight’s game as 2.5-point underdogs against the Heat, who are a very good defensive team. On the season, Miami is ranked fifth in points allowed per game and sixth in defensive efficiency.

The only reason we can have a Pistons’ player as one of our core plays tonight is thanks to what we like to call a market inefficiency. Reggie Jackson was ruled out late last night and it wasn’t announced that he would be out again tonight until after the salaries had been released for this slate. We now have the opportunity to target Ish Smith at a discount, even though he should play around 35 minutes in an exploitable matchup against Goran Dragic. Smith played well in his spot start last night and we no longer have to worry about Jackson stealing his minutes. There are often opportunities to fade bad chalk plays, but this isn’t one of them. Is there a more frustrating center than Andre Drummond? I believe he had 20 fantasy points in the first quarter last night against the Knicks and he basically took the rest of the night off. I don’t trust Drummond in cash games, but he does have back-to-back 50+ fantasy point outings against Hassan Whiteside and we should be able to target him at low ownership in tournaments.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Ish Smith $4,500 $5,000 0.87 23.4 2.0 20.4 4.0 23.6% 1.2% 3 -1.50
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $4,400 $5,100 0.70 33.6 -3.1 23.6 -3.5 19.4% 2.0% 1 -0.83
Marcus Morris $5,000 $5,100 0.72 32.9 -0.9 23.7 -4.3 20.1% -0.3% 8 -0.21
Tobias Harris $5,400 $6,000 0.83 31.6 0.7 26.1 -3.6 21.5% -1.8% 5 1.66
Andre Drummond $7,600 $7,400 1.21 30.0 -4.0 36.3 -1.9 22.1% 0.2% 6 2.35
Jon Leuer $4,300 $4,100 0.77 26.6 -3.6 20.5 -0.3 17.5% 2.8% 5 N/A

Elite Plays – Ish Smith, Andre Drummond (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Andre Drummond (Cash), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (GPP)

Philadelphia 76ers at Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 PM ET

Philadelphia 76ers Brooklyn Nets
Article Image Vegas Total 222.5 Article Image Vegas Total 222.5
Vegas Spread 3.0 Vegas Spread -3.0
Team Total 109.8 Team Total 112.8
Pace +/- 4.8 Pace +/- 2.3
Proj. Starter T.J. McConnell Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Robert Covington Dario Saric Richaun Holmes Proj. Starter Jeremy Lin Randy Foye Caris LeVert Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Brook Lopez
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 30 28 29 26 26 Adj. DvP 16 16 16 19 30
DRPM -0.37 -1.74 -1.09 1.24 0.30 DRPM 0.30 4.21 -0.80 0.47

Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers and Nets are two of the worst teams in the NBA, but they both represent great matchups for fantasy production. Naturally, when they square off against each other, we should expect good things from a DFS standpoint. The Nets are currently ranked first in pace of play and dead last in points allowed per game, which is a dream combination for their opponents. Despite playing on the road, the Sixers have an implied total of 109.8 points, which is 7.3 points above their season average.

Sergio Rodriguez is listed as questionable for tonight’s game with a hamstring injury. If he is unable to go, we can give a sizable fantasy boost to both T.J. McConnell and Nik Stauskas. McConnell would likely end up playing 35+ minutes against a Nets’ defense that is ranked dead last against point guards and Stauskas would play back-up point guard, which could lead to minutes in the 30s and a higher usage rate. Keep your eye on S-Rod, as McConnell and Stauskas would both become elite tournament plays in his absence. Robert Covington has been wildly inconsistent recently, but we love using him in games where he can rack up blocks and steals. I can’t think of a better matchup for peripheral stats than the Nets. Dario Saric should see minutes in the mid-30s against a team that is ranked 26th against power forwards and 28th in rebounding differential. We can also give a long look to Richaun Holmes, who is soaking up major playing time with Jahlil Okafor out. I get the feeling that people will overlook this game, but it could be to their detriment.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
T.J. McConnell $5,500 $5,500 0.83 25.6 1.3 21.3 4.0 19.2% 0.4% 30 -0.37
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot $3,500 $3,400 0.56 14.7 9.4 8.2 2.7 16.7% -1.0% 28 -1.74
Robert Covington $6,700 $6,800 0.84 31.5 1.6 26.5 1.2 18.6% 2.5% 29 -1.09
Dario Saric $7,300 $7,700 0.91 26.2 2.9 23.8 6.6 24.1% 5.4% 26 1.24
Richaun Holmes $5,700 $6,300 0.99 19.1 10.3 18.9 10.3 17.6% -2.5% 26 0.30
Shawn Long $4,500 $4,200 1.39 11.5 3.5 16.0 6.0 25.4% 0.6% 26 N/A

Elite Plays – Dario Saric, T.J. McConnell (GPP – if Rodriguez is out), Nik Stauskas (GPP – if Rodriguez is out), Robert Covington (GPP), Richaun Holmes (FD)

Secondary Plays – T.J. McConnell (Cash), Nik Stauskas (Cash), Robert Covington (Cash), Richaun Holmes (DK)

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are a team that we love to target players against, but it’s been hard to rely on them for fantasy production. It’s not that they don’t play at a fast enough pace or score enough points, it’s that their rotation is so deep that none of their players average 30 minutes per game on the season. They draw an exploitable matchup tonight against the Sixers, who are ranked 23rd in points allowed per game and 22nd in rebounding differential. The Nets have an implied total of 112.8 points, which is 6.8 points above their season average.

Even though none of their players have 35-minute upside, the Nets are still intriguing tonight at home. Jeremy Lin played 28 minutes the other night against the Hawks and put up 38 fantasy points. While his upside is somewhat capped by the minute restriction, he can certainly put up 35+ fantasy points in this matchup. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been very productive on a per-minute basis, but is only averaging 24 minutes in his last five games. I see him as a sneaky tournament play on FanDuel at a price of only $4,700. My favorite play here is Brook Lopez, who has been playing 30+ minutes on a regular basis recently. The Sixers are ranked dead last against centers this season and Lopez is priced below $7,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jeremy Lin $5,800 $5,900 1.10 23.0 -3.6 25.4 -4.8 29.0% 3.9% 16
Randy Foye $3,600 $3,300 0.60 19.2 2.4 11.6 0.6 16.2% -1.9% 16 0.30
Caris LeVert $4,000 $3,800 0.71 21.3 1.7 15.2 -1.3 16.2% -0.5% 16 4.21
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson $4,700 $5,200 0.89 21.9 1.9 19.5 5.6 19.0% 1.3% 19 -0.80
Brook Lopez $6,700 $6,900 1.08 29.6 -1.0 32.1 -4.1 28.1% 2.7% 30 0.47
Spencer Dinwiddie $3,500 $3,900 0.70 22.6 2.6 15.7 5.8 16.3% 1.3% 16 N/A

Elite Plays – Brook Lopez

Secondary Plays – Jeremy Lin, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (FD GPP)

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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 Twitter – @RG_Notorious