NBA Grind Down: Wednesday, April 15th
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 averages listed use FanDuel scoring. For more info on FanDuel’s NBA scoring system, check out the scoring systems section of our FanDuel review.
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San Antonio at New Orleans – 8:00 PM
- Vegas Line – San Antonio -5.5, 193 Over/Under
- San Antonio Proj. Starters – Parker-Green-Leonard-Duncan-Baynes
- New Orleans Proj. Starters – Evans-Gordon-Pondexter-Davis-Asik
| San Antonio | New Orleans | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 193 |  | Vegas Total | 193 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -5.5 | Vegas Sprd | 5.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 99.3 | Team Proj. | 93.8 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 95.93 | Team Pace | 93.67 | |||||||||
| 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 | Tim Duncan | Aron Baynes | Proj Starter | Tyreke Evans | Eric Gordon | Quincy Pondexter | Anthony Davis | Omer Asik | |
| Opp. Season | 13 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 20 | Opp. Season | 9 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 13 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 9 | 14 | 20 | 15 | 28 | Opp. Last 7 | 12 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 15 | |
San Antonio
The Spurs need a win to keep their spot in the three-seed in the Western Conference. If they lose tonight, they could lose homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The starters should all see their usual allotment of minutes and while this game has a lot total, there is motivation for the Spurs to play well, which can’t be said about most teams tonight.
Opponent Breakdown (New Orleans)
Record: 44-37
Points Allowed Per Game: 98.5 (Rank: 12)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 22
Rebounding Differential Rank: 7
Elite Plays
Kawhi Leonard (FD: $8400, DK: $8400 / MPG: 32 / Usage Rate: 23)
Once again, Leonard is the top target on the Spurs for daily fantasy. He has scored at least 32 fantasy points in eight of his last ten games. He has a high usage rate, he can fill up all areas of the stat sheet, and he is a consistent source of fantasy production. He is the top small forward on the board tonight, as he squares off against the Pelicans.
Secondary Plays
Tim Duncan (FD: $7500, DK: $6700 / MPG: 29 / Usage Rate: 22.4)
New Orleans
The Pelicans are basically in a win-or-go-home scenario tonight. They are tied with the Thunder, but they do hold the tiebreaker. With the Thunder all but guaranteed a win over the Wolves, the Pelicans need to win to get in the playoffs. They draw a very difficult matchup against the Spurs, who have won each of their last 11 games. This may not be the best matchup on the board, but I still like the two stars from the Pelicans in a must-win game at home.
Opponent Breakdown (San Antonio)
Record: 55-26
Points Allowed Per Game: 96.9 (Rank: 3)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 3
Rebounding Differential Rank: 10
Elite Plays
Anthony Davis (FD: $11800, DK: $11000 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 27.6)
While the Pelicans’ matchup against the Spurs is less than ideal, Davis should push for 40+ minutes of playing time tonight in a win-or-go home situation. He has as much upside as any player on the schedule tonight and with all of the value out there, it’s very easy to fit him into your lineups. Davis has scored at least 46 fantasy points in six of his last ten games and he has a good chance to reach that mark again tonight.
Secondary Plays
Tyreke Evans (FD: $7800, DK: $7700 / MPG: 34 / Usage Rate: 25.9)
Atlanta at Chicago – 8:00 PM
- Vegas Line – Chicago -6.5, 199 Over/Under
- Atlanta Proj. Starters – Teague-Korver-Carroll-Millsap-Horford
- Chicago Proj. Starters – Rose-Butler-Dunleavy-Gibson-Gasol
| Atlanta | Chicago | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 199 |  | Vegas Total | 199 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 6.5 | Vegas Sprd | -6.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 96.3 | Team Proj. | 102.8 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 96.18 | Team Pace | 95.27 | |||||||||
| 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 | Jeff Teague | Kyle Korver | DeMarre Carroll | Paul Millsap | Al Horford | Proj Starter | Derrick Rose | Jimmy Butler | Mike Dunleavy | Taj Gibson | Pau Gasol | |
| Opp. Season | 26 | 2 | 18 | 11 | 6 | Opp. Season | 15 | 18 | 11 | 15 | 9 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 14 | Opp. Last 7 | 23 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 12 | |
Atlanta
Paul Millsap is questionable to play tonight against the Bulls. The Hawks would like to get him some limited action before the playoffs start. The Hawks are locked into the one-seed in the Eastern Conference and have nothing to play for tonight. They will not risk any injuries tonight, so their starters will likely all see less than 30 minutes of playing time.
Opponent Breakdown (Chicago)
Record: 49-32
Points Allowed Per Game: 98 (Rank: 10)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 11
Rebounding Differential Rank: 5
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Mike Muscala (FD: $4200, DK: $4300 / MPG: 11 / Usage Rate: 17.4)
Chicago
The Bulls are still fighting for the three-seed in the Eastern Conference. If the Raptors win and the Bulls lose, Chicago would drop down to the four-seed. They draw a difficult matchup against the Hawks, but at least they are playing them at a time when it doesn’t mean anything to Atlanta. The Bulls will try to win this game, which means the starters are all in play.
Opponent Breakdown (Atlanta)
Record: 60-21
Points Allowed Per Game: 97.2 (Rank: 5)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 7
Rebounding Differential Rank: 27
Elite Plays
Taj Gibson (FD: $5200, DK: $5300 / MPG: 27 / Usage Rate: 17.9)
With Joakim Noah out, Gibson will draw another start at power forward. Gibson played well in his start on Monday night, finishing the game with 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He is not priced as a starter and he’ll likely see somewhere in the range of 35 minutes tonight against the Hawks.
Secondary Plays
Pau Gasol (FD: $8900, DK: $8500 / MPG: 34 / Usage Rate: 24.4)
Jimmy Butler (FD: $8300, DK: $7400 / MPG: 39 / Usage Rate: 21.7)
Nikola Mirotic (FD: $6600, DK: $6000 / MPG: 20 / Usage Rate: 23.1)
Washington at Cleveland – 8:00 PM
- Vegas Line – Cleveland -9, 195 Over/Under
- Washington Proj. Starters – Wall-Beal-Pierce-Hilario-Gortat
- Cleveland Proj. Starters – Irving-Smith-James-Love-Mozgov
| Washington | Cleveland | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 195 |  | Vegas Total | 195 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 9.0 | Vegas Sprd | -9.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 93.0 | Team Proj. | 102.0 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 96.02 | Team Pace | 94.79 | |||||||||
| 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 | John Wall | Bradley Beal | Paul Pierce | Nene Hilario | Marcin Gortat | Proj Starter | Kyrie Irving | J.R. Smith | LeBron James | Kevin Love | Timofey Mozgov | |
| Opp. Season | 11 | 21 | 22 | 10 | 14 | Opp. Season | 14 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 17 | 8 | 28 | 4 | 25 | Opp. Last 7 | 20 | 21 | 1 | 18 | 17 | |
Washington
Editor’s Note: Wall, Beal, Nene, and Pierce all out tonight for rest. Gortat will play limited minutes
The Wizards are locked into the five-seed and they are facing a Cavaliers’ team that is locked into the two-seed. Neither team has anything to play for tonight, which means we could see extended action from both team’s benches. The Wizards are risky fantasy options for cash games, as their rotation is extremely difficult to predict.
Opponent Breakdown (Cleveland)
Record: 52-29
Points Allowed Per Game: 98.5 (Rank: 12)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 20
Rebounding Differential Rank: 8
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
John Wall (FD: $9500, DK: $8400 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 25.4)
Bradley Beal (FD: $6400, DK: $6500 / MPG: 33 / Usage Rate: 22.2)
Cleveland
As mentioned above, the Cavaliers are locked into the two-seed, regardless of what happens tonight. Their starters will likely be in the lineup, but predicting their rotation will prove difficult. Most teams in this situation typically give their starters playing time, but with the playoffs right around the corner, there is no need to risk any injuries.
Opponent Breakdown (Washington)
Record: 46-35
Points Allowed Per Game: 97.6 (Rank: 9)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 5
Rebounding Differential Rank: 4
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
LeBron James (FD: $10800, DK: $10000 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 32.5)
Portland at Dallas – 8:00 PM
- Vegas Line – Dallas -7, 208 Over/Under
- Portland Proj. Starters – Lillard-Crabbe-Gee-Aldridge-Lopez
- Dallas Proj. Starters – Rondo-Ellis-Jefferson-Nowitzki-Chandler
| Portland | Dallas | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 208 |  | Vegas Total | 208 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 7.0 | Vegas Sprd | -7.0 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 100.5 | Team Proj. | 107.5 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 96.35 | Team Pace | 97.33 | |||||||||
| 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 | Allen Crabbe | Alonzo Gee | LaMarcus Aldridge | Robin Lopez | Proj Starter | Rajon Rondo | Monta Ellis | Richard Jefferson | Dirk Nowitzki | Tyson Chandler | |
| Opp. Season | 19 | 11 | 25 | 17 | 18 | Opp. Season | 28 | 22 | 13 | 1 | 5 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 7 | 10 | 26 | 14 | 29 | Opp. Last 7 | 21 | 24 | 18 | 9 | 9 | |
Portland
The Blazers are locked into the four-seed in the Western Conference, so they are yet another team with nothing to play for tonight. C.J. McCollum and Nicolas Batum have been ruled out of tonight’s game, so we can expect big minutes for Allen Crabbe and Alonzo Gee. LaMarcus Aldridge will be back in the lineup and he expects to play his usual allotment of minutes.
Opponent Breakdown (Dallas)
Record: 49-32
Points Allowed Per Game: 102.4 (Rank: 25)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 18
Rebounding Differential Rank: 30
Elite Plays
Alonzo Gee (FD: $3500, DK: $3000 / MPG: 12 / Usage Rate: 16.2)
It sounds like the Blazers may play LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard close to their usual allotment of minutes, but I still see them as better tournament plays than cash game options. Gee is worth a look at minimum salary, as he will draw the start at small forward and push for 30+ minutes tonight against the Mavericks. He should reach and exceed value with ease.
Secondary Plays
LaMarcus Aldridge (FD: $9100, DK: $8700 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 29.9)
Damian Lillard (FD: $8000, DK: $8000 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 26.6)
Allen Crabbe (FD: $3500, DK: $3000 / MPG: 12 / Usage Rate: 10.7)
Dallas
The Mavericks rested four of their starters on Monday night, as they gear up for the playoffs. It would shock me if the starters play more than 30 minutes tonight, as this is a veteran ball club that needs to get healthy before the playoffs start. With a difficult matchup against the Blazers, the Mavericks are an easy team to avoid tonight.
Opponent Breakdown (Portland)
Record: 51-30
Points Allowed Per Game: 98.4 (Rank: 11)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 10
Rebounding Differential Rank: 8
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
Al-Farouq Aminu (FD: $4500, DK: $4200 / MPG: 18 / Usage Rate: 15.2)
Utah at Houston – 8:00 PM
- Vegas Line – Houston -11.5, 196 Over/Under
- Utah Proj. Starters – Exum-Hood-Ingles-Booker-Gobert
- Houston Proj. Starters – Terry-Harden-Ariza-Jones-Howard
| Utah | Houston | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 196 |  | Vegas Total | 196 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | 11.5 | Vegas Sprd | -11.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 92.3 | Team Proj. | 103.8 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 92.59 | Team Pace | 99.14 | |||||||||
| 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 | Dante Exum | Rodney Hood | Joe Ingles | Trevor Booker | Rudy Gobert | Proj Starter | Jason Terry | James Harden | Trevor Ariza | Terrence Jones | Dwight Howard | |
| Opp. Season | 3 | 19 | 19 | 27 | 21 | Opp. Season | 5 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 1 | |
| Opp. Last 7 | 15 | 7 | 22 | 23 | 22 | Opp. Last 7 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 4 | |
Utah
The Jazz finished the season strong and they will look to pick up one final win tonight against the Rockets. Gordon Hayward is doubtful for tonight’s game, while Derrick Favors is listed as questionable. This game does have the potential to turn into a blowout, but the Jazz starters should see their usual allotment of minutes regardless of the game’s outcome.
Opponent Breakdown (Houston)
Record: 55-26
Points Allowed Per Game: 100.6 (Rank: 17)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 6
Rebounding Differential Rank: 16
Elite Plays
Rodney Hood (FD: $4700, DK: $5500 / MPG: 20 / Usage Rate: 19)
Hood struggled against the Mavericks on Monday night, but that isn’t too concerning. He has still averaged 29 fantasy points per game over his last six games and he should see a sizable fantasy boost with Gordon Hayward listed as doubtful for tonight’s game against the Rockets. Hood is very affordable on FanDuel at a price of only $4,700 and he’s still playable on DraftKings at a price of $5,500.
Secondary Plays
Rudy Gobert (FD: $9100, DK: $8000 / MPG: 26 / Usage Rate: 13.7)
Trevor Booker (FD: $4100, DK: $5000 / MPG: 19 / Usage Rate: 17.9)
Joe Ingles (FD: $3600, DK: $3300 / MPG: 21 / Usage Rate: 12.6)
Houston
The two, three, five, and six seeds are all up for grabs in the Western Conference, so the Rockets are still fighting for playoff positioning. Their starters should see their usual allotment of minutes, but their matchup against the Jazz may be the worst matchup on the board. The Jazz are ranked first in points allowed per game and first in rebounding differential this season.
Opponent Breakdown (Utah)
Record: 38-43
Points Allowed Per Game: 94.6 (Rank: 1)
Defensive Efficiency Rank: 12
Rebounding Differential Rank: 1
Elite Plays
None
Secondary Plays
James Harden (FD: $11000, DK: $10500 / MPG: 37 / Usage Rate: 31.3)
Trevor Ariza (FD: $6400, DK: $6200 / MPG: 36 / Usage Rate: 16.8)