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NBA Grind Down: Wednesday, April 5th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2017-04-06 03:11:00

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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

Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets – 7:00 PM ET

Miami Heat Charlotte Hornets
miaminba Vegas Total 205.5 charlottenba Vegas Total 205.5
Vegas Spread 2.5 Vegas Spread -2.5
Team Total 101.5 Team Total 104.0
Pace +/- -0.7 Pace +/- -1.2
Proj. Starter Goran Dragic Rodney McGruder Josh Richardson Luke Babbitt Hassan Whiteside 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 19 22 19 18 14 Adj. DvP 4 1 9 6 8
DRPM -0.93 -0.27 2.27 -0.07 3.22 DRPM -1.62 -0.83 -0.20 1.60 2.33

Miami Heat

The Heat have lost five of their last ten games and are now tied with the Bulls and Pacers with 40 losses a piece. There are only two spots left in the Eastern Conference playoff picture and there are four teams with a legitimate chance to punch their ticket. Tonight’s game is crucial for both teams. On paper, this is a mediocre matchup against the Hornets, who are ranked 12th in both points allowed per game and defensive efficiency. The Heat have an implied total of 101.5 points, which is slightly lower than their season average.

Even though this isn’t the most attackable defense, the Heat’s best players are all going to see extended minutes in what amounts to a must win game for both teams. Goran Dragic is a sneaky tournament play in a slate where everyone will be looking up to Isaiah Thomas or down to some of the cheaper options. Josh Richardson is averaging 34 minutes in his last five games and is still only $4,700 on FanDuel. He is an interesting pivot off of the more popular Eric Gordon ($4,600) and Lou Williams ($4,600). James Johnson should play close to 30 minutes tonight. He is getting expensive on both sides, but provides good upside in tournaments. Hassan Whiteside has not fared well in this matchup this season. He grades out as a nice play in my NBA model, but I will be looking elsewhere at center.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Goran Dragic $7,800 $7,300 $13,700 1.00 33.5 0.8 33.6 -1.0 29.3% 0.2% 19 -0.93
Rodney McGruder $3,500 $3,400 $6,700 0.55 25.3 0.3 13.9 3.6 12.7% 3.1% 22 -0.27
Josh Richardson $4,700 $5,400 $10,600 0.66 29.6 4.6 19.5 4.6 18.0% -1.5% 19 2.27
Luke Babbitt $3,500 $3,000 $6,000 0.55 15.7 -0.4 8.7 0.8 13.0% 0.4% 18 -0.07
Hassan Whiteside $8,400 $7,900 $14,700 1.17 32.7 -1.6 38.3 -2.4 21.0% -0.6% 14 3.22
Tyler Johnson $5,600 $5,500 $10,900 0.86 29.9 -1.1 25.7 -2.9 22.2% 1.7% 19 N/A
James Johnson $6,300 $6,000 $11,900 0.96 26.8 2.2 25.7 2.4 23.6% 2.8% 18 N/A

Elite Plays – Goran Dragic (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Goran Dragic (Cash), Josh Richardson (FD), James Johnson

Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets have won seven of their last ten games and now have a shot to make the playoffs. They need some help being two games back in the loss column, but will at least have a shot if they can win out. Tonight’s game against the Heat is a must win, as they will be all but eliminated if they lose. While I expect this game to be competitive, the Heat have been very tough defensively this season, ranking fifth in both points allowed per game and defensive efficiency. Miami has an implied total of only 104 points, which is lower than their season average.

Even though the Heat boast a top five defense, the Hornets are playing in a must win game at home. We could see Kemba Walker play upwards of 40 minutes, especially if the game stays close throughout. Walker is averaging 42 fantasy points in his last five games and is still priced below $8,000 on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Walker is one of my favorite point guard targets in the slate. The rest of the Hornets are secondary tournament plays at best.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Kemba Walker $7,600 $7,700 $14,300 1.06 34.6 1.3 36.7 4.1 30.5% 3.3% 4 -1.62
Nicolas Batum $6,300 $6,800 $12,700 0.93 34.3 -3.4 32.0 -5.3 24.1% -2.7% 1 -0.83
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist $4,600 $4,800 $9,500 0.79 29.2 -0.1 23.1 -2.2 14.2% 0.3% 9 -0.20
Marvin Williams $6,400 $6,100 $12,000 0.79 30.4 1.0 24.0 -1.2 15.9% -3.3% 6 1.60
Cody Zeller $4,900 $4,800 $9,500 0.85 27.8 1.5 23.6 -2.8 15.8% -3.9% 8 2.33
Frank Kaminsky $5,400 $5,200 $10,200 0.84 26.2 -0.8 22.0 2.6 21.5% 0.8% 6 N/A

Elite Plays – Kemba Walker

Secondary Plays – Nicolas Batum (FD GPP)

Toronto Raptors at Detroit Pistons – 7:30 PM ET

Toronto Raptors Detroit Pistons
torontonba Vegas Total 198.0 detroitnba Vegas Total 198.0
Vegas Spread 1.0 Vegas Spread -1.0
Team Total 98.5 Team Total 99.5
Pace +/- -1.8 Pace +/- -1.6
Proj. Starter Cory Joseph DeMar DeRozan DeMarre Carroll Serge Ibaka Jonas Valanciunas Proj. Starter Ish Smith Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Marcus Morris Jon Leuer Andre Drummond
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 14 4 25 11 6 Adj. DvP 11 3 3 5 9
DRPM 0.80 -1.06 0.82 0.93 1.13 DRPM -2.53 -1.99 1.15 0.69 0.27

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors have already secured home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, but are battling with the Wizards for the three seed in the East. It sounds like Kyle Lowry is close to making his return to the floor and he has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s game against the Pistons. If I had to rank the games in order of fantasy appeal tonight, this one would be near the very bottom. Both of these teams play at a slow pace and they are both ranked inside the top ten in points allowed per game. The Raptors have the third lowest implied total in the slate at 98.5 points. They also have the lowest projected point differential at -8.8. The only play on my radar here is Jonas Valanciunas. His minutes have been trending upward and he has scored at least 27 fantasy points in three of his last five meetings with Andre Drummond.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Cory Joseph $5,400 $5,200 $10,200 0.73 25.2 5.9 18.4 9.2 20.4% -1.0% 14 0.80
DeMar DeRozan $9,200 $8,300 $15,300 1.12 35.4 1.5 39.7 1.9 34.2% -0.5% 4 -1.06
DeMarre Carroll $3,800 $3,600 $7,100 0.67 26.6 -2.3 17.7 -3.1 15.2% 1.1% 25 0.82
Serge Ibaka $5,600 $6,000 $11,900 0.90 30.7 -1.2 27.7 1.1 20.3% 1.7% 11 0.93
Jonas Valanciunas $5,500 $5,900 $11,600 0.99 25.9 2.1 25.8 7.8 18.9% -3.1% 6 1.13

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Jonas Valanciunas (GPP)

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons fell apart in the second half of the season and are not going to make the playoffs. They have little to play for at this point, which makes their rotation tough to predict. Stan Van Gundy could play his starters a full complement of minutes, or he could decide to get his young players some run. When in doubt, we should fade these types of situations. A great example last night was the Mavericks. Even though they rested some of their veterans, Nerlens Noel, J.J. Barea, and Yogi Ferrell all played limited minutes. The Pistons’ matchup against the Raptors only helps the cause, as they have been the best defensive team in the NBA since the All-Star break. I’ve seen a few people talk up Ish Smith here, but I want guaranteed minutes from all of my players at this point in the season.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Ish Smith $5,500 $5,900 $11,600 0.88 23.7 5.4 20.9 5.9 24.1% 3.2% 11 -2.53
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $4,600 $5,100 $10,100 0.70 33.8 -0.7 23.7 -2.0 19.6% 5.2% 3 -1.99
Marcus Morris $5,300 $4,900 $9,800 0.72 33.0 -1.9 23.9 -1.8 20.0% 2.1% 3 1.15
Jon Leuer $3,900 $4,000 $7,800 0.76 26.5 -1.2 20.2 -3.5 17.4% -0.4% 5 0.69
Andre Drummond $7,300 $7,200 $13,600 1.19 30.1 -2.3 35.8 -6.3 21.6% -7.5% 9 0.27
Tobias Harris $5,300 $6,000 $11,900 0.83 31.5 -1.6 26.1 -1.2 21.5% -0.3% 5 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Ish Smith

Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies – 8:00 PM ET

Oklahoma City Thunder Memphis Grizzlies
oklahomacitynba Vegas Total 202.0 memphisnba Vegas Total 202.0
Vegas Spread 1.5 Vegas Spread -1.5
Team Total 100.3 Team Total 101.8
Pace +/- -3.8 Pace +/- 1.8
Proj. Starter Russell Westbrook Victor Oladipo Andre Roberson Taj Gibson Steven Adams Proj. Starter Mike Conley Vince Carter James Ennis JaMychal Green Marc Gasol
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 6 9 6 3 1 Adj. DvP 5 19 14 12 11
DRPM -0.81 -0.03 0.68 0.95 DRPM -0.41 1.09 2.22 1.89 1.29

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder are basically locked into the six seed, but they still have something to play for. Well, one player has something to play for. Russell Westbrook has tied Oscar Robertson’s record of 41 triple-doubles in a single season. He only needs one more to break the record, but something tells me that he is going to want to beat it by a few games. The Grizzlies are one of the worst possible matchups for fantasy production though, as they are ranked 28th in pace of play and third in points allowed per game. The Thunder have an implied total of only 100.3 points, which is the fifth lowest in the slate and 6.6 points below their season average. Westbrook still has a high floor in this matchup, but he may not have the 70 fantasy point upside that we are looking for from a player at his price point.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Russell Westbrook $13,600 $12,700 $22,700 1.69 34.8 0.9 58.9 7.2 46.0% 1.5% 6 -0.81
Victor Oladipo $5,900 $5,600 $11,200 0.80 33.4 1.0 26.6 -1.9 21.5% 0.1% 9 -0.03
Andre Roberson $4,100 $3,800 $7,400 0.60 30.5 2.9 18.2 6.0 10.3% -1.8% 6
Taj Gibson $4,000 $3,500 $7,000 0.82 25.8 -5.5 21.2 -4.5 18.4% -2.2% 3 0.68
Steven Adams $4,800 $4,100 $8,100 0.82 30.1 -1.6 24.6 -5.9 16.2% -2.1% 1 0.95
Enes Kanter $5,700 $4,400 $8,700 1.13 21.5 -1.9 24.4 -7.1 26.2% 1.5% 3 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Russell Westbrook

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies have lost six of their last ten games and have very little to play for the rest of the season. They are already in the playoffs and they are basically locked into the seven seed in the Western Conference. At this point, they just want to be healthy heading into the playoffs, so I expect them to limit their starter’s minutes the rest of the way. Even if Mike Conley and Marc Gasol play a full complement of minutes tonight, it’s not like this is a great matchup. The Thunder are ranked ninth in defensive efficiency and second in rebounding differential. There are teams that absolutely have to win tonight and I will be putting my focus in their corner.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Mike Conley $8,000 $8,000 $14,700 1.05 33.6 2.6 35.4 6.9 29.7% 2.0% 5 -0.41
Vince Carter $3,900 $3,900 $7,700 0.68 24.6 5.3 16.7 2.9 15.5% -1.5% 19 1.09
James Ennis $3,600 $4,300 $8,400 0.60 23.7 6.5 14.3 4.9 13.1% -0.2% 14 2.22
JaMychal Green $4,100 $4,500 $8,800 0.75 27.7 -10.4 20.7 -9.8 14.3% 3.8% 12 1.89
Marc Gasol $7,600 $7,000 $13,200 1.06 34.6 -4.6 36.6 -7.9 27.9% -5.6% 11 1.29
Zach Randolph $5,600 $6,600 $12,300 1.08 24.5 6.1 26.4 8.1 28.3% 1.4% 12 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

Denver Nuggets at Houston Rockets – 8:00 PM ET

Denver Nuggets Houston Rockets
denvernba Vegas Total 239.0 houstonnba Vegas Total 239.0
Vegas Spread 8.5 Vegas Spread -8.5
Team Total 115.3 Team Total 123.8
Pace +/- 3.6 Pace +/- 1.6
Proj. Starter Jamal Murray Gary Harris Danilo Gallinari Wilson Chandler Nikola Jokic Proj. Starter Patrick Beverley James Harden Troy Williams Trevor Ariza Clint Capela
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 25 26 23 27 25 Adj. DvP 28 30 20 10 17
DRPM 1.93 -1.73 -0.33 1.55 1.22 DRPM -1.95 -2.34 0.33 -1.61 1.94

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets picked up a big win last night to keep pace with the Blazers for the eighth and final spot in the Western Conference playoffs. Both teams have 40 losses on the season, but the Blazers do hold the tiebreaker. The Nuggets basically need some help if they are going to sneak into the playoffs. They come into tonight’s game as 8.5-point underdogs against the Rockets, but something tells me that this game is going to come down to the wire. With so much on the line, I expect Denver to show up tonight. They have an implied total of 115.3 points, which is the second highest in the slate and 3.8 points above their season average.

If Jameer Nelson (questionable) is unable to suit up again tonight, Jamal Murray becomes an easy plug and play on FanDuel. He would play 30+ minutes in an uptempo game against the Rockets. Emmanual Mudiay would also see 25+ minutes off the bench. If Nelson is active, we can avoid all three point guards. The other injury to monitor here is Will Barton. If he is unable to suit up, Gary Harris and Danilo Gallinari would both see 35+ minutes in great matchups against the Rockets’ wings. Wilson Chandler is a sneaky tournament play tonight and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him play big minutes in a game where both teams will play small. Nikola Jokic is an elite play on DraftKings at a price of only $9,400. The Nuggets will need him to play 35+ minutes here and the Rockets are ranked 25th against centers this season. Jokic is a bit more expensive on FanDuel, but I’m willing to pay a slight premium for players that still have a lot to play for.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Jamal Murray $3,700 $4,500 $8,800 0.76 20.5 4.5 15.6 2.2 22.1% -2.8% 25 1.93
Gary Harris $6,100 $5,600 $11,200 0.78 30.8 5.0 23.9 2.6 19.1% -1.3% 26 -1.73
Danilo Gallinari $6,600 $6,300 $12,500 0.82 33.6 0.2 27.7 1.8 20.0% 0.9% 23 -0.33
Wilson Chandler $6,700 $5,900 $11,600 0.88 31.1 -3.6 27.4 -5.5 22.3% -2.4% 27 1.55
Nikola Jokic $10,000 $9,400 $17,300 1.31 27.6 4.3 36.1 5.1 25.4% -0.2% 25 1.22

Elite Plays – Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray (if Nelson is out), Gary Harris (if Barton is out), Danilo Gallinari (if Barton is out), Wilson Chandler (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Emmanuel Mudiay (if Nelson is out) Gary Harris (if Barton is active), Danilo Gallinari (if Barton is active), Wilson Chandler (Cash)

Houston Rockets

The Rockets are locked into the three seed in the Western Conference. Even though they don’t have a lot to play for, Mike D’Antoni isn’t really the type of coach that we have to worry about in terms of limiting his starter’s minutes. The Rockets also want to give James Harden the best chance possible to win the MVP, which might require a lot in the last few games with the numbers that Russell Westbrook is putting up. Houston comes into tonight’s game with the highest implied total in the slate at 123.8 points.

Ryan Anderson and Sam Dekker have already been ruled out of tonight’s game, which shortens the Rockets’ rotation quite a bit. We can expect 30+ minutes from Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Eric Gordon, and Trevor Ariza. All four are excellent plays tonight against the Nuggets, who are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. Williams and Gordon both stand out as elite plays on FanDuel at $4,600. James Harden isn’t my favorite superstar in the slate (LeBron James), but I prefer him over Westbrook. The matchup is much better for Harden and he would like to have another monster game or two before the season ends (for the recency bias of the MVP voters). Troy Williams played extremely well the other night, but I prefer the more proven players from the Rockets. Clint Capela should be one of the highest owned centers in this slate. I’m a little worried about foul trouble against Nikola Jokic, but he provides great value on both FanDuel ($5,500) and DraftKings ($5,800).

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Patrick Beverley $4,800 $5,700 $11,300 0.82 30.7 0.9 25.0 -3.4 16.3% 2.4% 28 -1.95
James Harden $12,100 $12,500 $22,400 1.47 36.5 -0.2 53.7 -9.9 38.7% 0.8% 30 -2.34
Troy Williams $3,500 $4,100 $8,100 0.62 18.3 20.3 11.4 21.2 17.4% -1.7% 20 0.33
Trevor Ariza $5,800 $5,900 $11,600 0.73 34.5 3.3 25.3 9.4 14.4% 1.0% 10 -1.61
Clint Capela $5,500 $5,800 $11,500 1.08 23.8 1.8 25.6 1.0 19.0% 0.2% 17 1.94
Lou Williams $4,600 $6,200 $12,300 1.05 24.5 6.6 25.7 1.7 29.1% -3.6% 30 N/A
Nene Hilario $4,600 $4,100 $8,100 0.96 17.9 4.7 17.2 6.3 19.4% 2.7% 17 N/A

Elite Plays – James Harden, Eric Gordon (FD), Lou Williams (FD), Clint Capela

Secondary Plays – Patrick Beverley, Eric Gordon (DK), Lou William (DK), Trevor Ariza

Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics – 8:00 PM ET

Cleveland Cavaliers Boston Celtics
clevelandnba Vegas Total 219.0 bostonnba Vegas Total 219.0
Vegas Spread 4.0 Vegas Spread -4.0
Team Total 107.5 Team Total 111.5
Pace +/- 0.4 Pace +/- -0.4
Proj. Starter Kyrie Irving J.R. Smith LeBron James Channing Frye Kevin Love Proj. Starter Isaiah Thomas Avery Bradley Jae Crowder Amir Johnson Al Horford
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 18 11 13 24 21 Adj. DvP 23 29 26 9 16
DRPM -4.17 -1.17 1.18 3.96 1.66 DRPM -2.18 -0.99 1.20 -0.40 2.02

Cleveland Cavaliers

This is the game that we have all been waiting for. The Cavaliers typically don’t have a lot to play for at this point of the season, but they certainly do this year. The winner of this game will have a clear edge on the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. If anyone is going to dethrone the Cavaliers in the East, they will likely need home-court advantage to do so. Cleveland comes into tonight’s game as 4-point underdogs. While their implied total is lower than their season average, it is still the sixth highest in the slate.

On paper, Kyrie Irving draws a tremendous matchup against Isaiah Thomas. However, the Celtics may opt to move Avery Bradley to Irving and try to hide Thomas on J.R. Smith. If that’s the case, the matchup isn’t nearly as generous for Uncle Drew. He still has a ton of GPP appeal in a game where he could play 40 minutes, but I’d rather target the other starting point guard from this game. J.R. Smith is averaging 23 fantasy points in his last five games if you need a cheap shooting guard on FanDuel ($3,600). This is common sense, but do not fade LeBron James. He may end up playing 42 minutes in a must win game against the Cavaliers. He is the top superstar in the slate and I can’t think of another time this whole season where I’ve been more confident about a player. Kevin Love is also in that must play range for me and he should have a much lower ownership than James. Love could play 33-35 minutes against one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA. With Tristan Thompson out, we could see more Channing Frye, but I’d rather just load up on James and Love.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Kyrie Irving $8,600 $8,100 $15,000 1.08 35.1 -0.9 38.0 -5.3 32.2% -4.3% 18 -4.17
J.R. Smith $3,600 $4,200 $8,300 0.55 28.4 4.8 15.7 7.5 14.4% -0.4% 11 -1.17
LeBron James $10,700 $10,200 $18,300 1.30 37.6 -0.1 49.1 4.5 33.1% 1.4% 13 1.18
Channing Frye $3,700 $4,400 $8,700 0.83 18.8 0.1 15.6 -1.5 18.2% -4.1% 24 3.96
Kevin Love $7,300 $7,400 $14,000 1.14 31.1 -2.4 35.3 -0.7 25.3% -0.5% 21 1.66

Elite Plays – LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Kyrie Irving (Cash), J.R. Smith (FD), Channing Frye (FD)

Boston Celtics

The Celtics have a huge opportunity tonight. If they can beat the Cavaliers, they will control their own destiny for the one seed in the Eastern Conference. If they lose, they will be essentially two games back, as Cleveland holds the tiebreaker. All we can hope for is that this game lives up to the hype. Boston comes into the game as 4-point favorites with an implied total of 111.5 points. The Cavaliers have not been good defensively this season and this game has the feeling of a shootout. I plan to have a ton of exposure to this game as a whole.

Isaiah Thomas is my favorite point guard target in the slate. He only averages 34 minutes per game on the season, but that number could creep up to the 36-38 minute range tonight. He draws an excellent matchup against Kyrie Irving, who has a DRPM of -2.18 this season. Avery Bradley is also an intriguing play here, as the Celtics will need him to play as many minutes as possible. Irving stands out as a nice value on DraftKings at $5,900. Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart are low-owned tournament plays, especially if you are considering stacking this game. Al Horford has had some massive games this season. He also has a fair share of duds. On a night where he will get overlooked, he makes an excellent tournament play.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FDFT Salary FP/Min Minutes L5 +/- FP/Game L5 +/- True Usage L5 +/- DvP DRPM
Isaiah Thomas $8,500 $8,500 $15,600 1.19 34.0 -1.1 40.4 0.3 34.8% -0.1% 23 -2.18
Avery Bradley $6,200 $5,900 $11,600 0.86 33.4 0.1 28.8 -8.7 21.9% -2.8% 29 -0.99
Jae Crowder $5,900 $5,800 $11,600 0.78 32.4 -0.1 25.2 -0.4 16.9% 3.0% 26 1.20
Amir Johnson $4,000 $4,000 $7,800 0.81 20.2 2.6 16.4 5.6 14.3% -0.3% 9 -0.40
Al Horford $7,100 $6,500 $12,300 1.00 32.5 -1.0 32.4 -1.6 21.7% -2.5% 16 2.02
Marcus Smart $5,900 $5,200 $10,200 0.79 30.4 -0.5 23.9 1.0 21.0% 1.4% 29 N/A

Elite Plays – Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley (DK), Al Horford (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Avery Bradley (FD), Al Horford (Cash), Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart

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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