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NBA Grind Down: Wednesday, February 8th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2017-02-09 04:02:50

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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

San Antonio Spurs at Philadelphia 76ers – 7:00 PM ET

San Antonio Spurs Philadelphia 76ers
sanantonionba Vegas Total 210.5 philadelphianba Vegas Total 210.5
Vegas Spread -8.5 Vegas Spread 8.5
Team Total 109.5 Team Total 101.0
Pace +/- 1.4 Pace +/- -1.8
Proj. Starter Tony Parker Danny Green Kawhi Leonard LaMarcus Aldridge Dewayne Dedmon Proj. Starter T.J. McConnell Nik Stauskas Robert Covington Ersan Ilyasova Jahlil Okafor
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 10 25 14 4 30 Adj. DvP 7 15 2 7 2
DRPM 0.46 -0.96 3.42 0.68 -0.82 DRPM -1.57 1.48 0.45 1.14 3.15

San Antonio Spurs

Before we get into the games, I wanted to plug the new video RotoAcademy courses that feature myself and JMtoWin. We have one that covers bankroll management, cash game strategy, and tournament strategy and another one that is devoted to breaking down matchups and what statistics you should be looking at. The videos have gotten some great feedback, so make sure to give them a look.

The Spurs are expected to have Kawhi Leonard in the lineup tonight, after he was originally listed as questionable. This should a fairly easy win for San Antonio, as they head to Philadelphia to take on a Joel Embiid-less Sixers team. The Spurs have an implied total of 109.5 points, which is the ninth highest in the slate and 1.9 points above their season average. The issue with the Spurs is that they are fairly risky when big favorites. Greg Popovich doesn’t like to play his starters more than necessary, especially at this point in the season. There is really only one fantasy option on my radar here. Kawhi Leonard is priced at a discount at $8,300 on DraftKings. In the nine games that Pau Gasol has missed this season, Leonard is averaging 42.6 fantasy points. Tony Parker and LaMarcus Aldridge are in decent matchups, but there are better plays at their respective positions in a 12 game slate.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Tony Parker $4,400 $4,300 0.79 25.7 0.3 20.2 -1.1 23.8% -4.4% 10 0.46
Danny Green $3,900 $4,000 0.63 26.5 0.6 16.8 4.1 13.2% 4.4% 25 -0.96
Kawhi Leonard $9,600 $8,300 1.21 33.4 -4.9 40.3 -0.4 30.0% 2.8% 14 3.42
LaMarcus Aldridge $7,600 $7,100 0.97 32.2 -1.5 31.3 -3.6 23.9% 3.2% 4 0.68
Dewayne Dedmon $3,800 $3,800 0.93 16.1 5.0 15.1 3.1 12.2% 0.2% 30 -0.82
David Lee $5,300 $5,500 0.92 18.6 -0.5 17.1 5.7 17.4% 5.1% 4 N/A
Kyle Anderson $3,500 $3,600 0.67 13.8 5.6 9.3 7.0 11.8% 4.0% 14 N/A

Elite Plays – Kawhi Leonard (DK)

Secondary Plays – Kawhi Leonard (FD)

Philadelphia 76ers

There was some hope that Joel Embiid would be able to return to the lineup tonight, but he has already been ruled out. He has only played one time in the last ten games, which helps explain why the Sixers are only 3-7 during that stretch. They draw one of the worst possible matchups tonight, as they square off against the Spurs, who are ranked second in points allowed per game and first in defensive efficiency. The Sixers have an implied total of 101 points, but that seems a bit high given the matchup. We know that Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Ersan Ilyasova, and Dario Saric all see fantasy boosts with Embiid out, but do we really want to target any of them against the Spurs in a 12 game slate? Robert Covington is cheap on DraftKings at $5,200, but Kawhi Leonard is one of the best defenders in the NBA. All in all, this looks like an easy game to fade, especially on the Sixers’ side of the ball.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
T.J. McConnell $5,400 $4,400 0.81 24.2 4.1 19.6 0.7 19.5% -0.4% 7 -1.57
Nik Stauskas $3,600 $3,400 0.56 26.9 5.1 15.2 2.9 16.2% 0.7% 15 1.48
Robert Covington $6,300 $5,200 0.79 30.9 -1.8 24.3 -2.0 18.0% 2.4% 2 0.45
Ersan Ilyasova $5,700 $5,500 0.90 27.4 1.2 24.8 1.8 22.4% 3.2% 7 1.14
Jahlil Okafor $4,600 $4,100 0.87 23.1 2.4 20.2 2.3 22.3% 1.1% 2 3.15
Nerlens Noel $5,400 $4,800 1.05 17.9 0.0 18.9 -2.7 17.7% -1.2% 7 N/A
Dario Saric $4,300 $4,000 0.80 24.1 6.0 19.3 -0.6 21.9% 2.5% 7 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – Jahlil Okafor

Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers – 7:00 PM ET

Cleveland Cavaliers Indiana Pacers
clevelandnba Vegas Total 216.0 indiananba Vegas Total 216.0
Vegas Spread -2.5 Vegas Spread 2.5
Team Total 109.3 Team Total 106.8
Pace +/- 0.9 Pace +/- 0.3
Proj. Starter Kyrie Irving DeAndre Liggins LeBron James Kevin Love Tristan Thompson Proj. Starter Jeff Teague C.J. Miles Paul George Lavoy Allen Myles Turner
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 6 10 12 20 19 Adj. DvP 24 17 29 14 11
DRPM -0.16 -0.74 -0.15 -0.78 2.51 DRPM -1.23 0.92 0.67 1.67 2.55

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers need to work on their defensive leaks, but their offense is rolling right now. They should be able to keep that going against a Pacers’ team that is ranked 19th in points allowed per game. The Cavaliers come into the contest as 2.5-point favorites and the over/under is set at 216 points. We’ve seen the Cavaliers get into a number of shootouts recently and as long as it stays close, I’m expecting it to be one of the highest scoring games in the slate. Cleveland has an implied total of 109.3 points, which is nearly identical to their season average.

Kyrie Irving is a player that I get wrong more often than I get right. He is priced at a discount right now on DraftKings ($7,700), but is a little too expensive for my tastes on FanDuel ($8,400). I don’t mind his matchup against Jeff Teague, although I prefer Teague over Irving at their respective price points. Iman Shumpert has been ruled out of tonight’s game, which means DeAndre Liggins will draw the start at shooting guard. He carries some appeal as a min-salary punt, but the bigger boost may go to Kyle Korver off the bench. LeBron James had a huge outing the other night against the Wizards in what was one of the best games of the season. His price is a bit steep on FanDuel ($11,500), but he is certainly in play on DraftKings ($10,600) with all of the value in play tonight. Kevin Love is my favorite target from Cleveland. His minute upside is somewhat limited, but he is averaging 50 fantasy points in his last three games and the Pacers are ranked 26th in rebounding differential this season.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Kyrie Irving $8,400 $7,700 1.05 35.2 2.3 37.1 -2.6 31.5% -0.9% 6 -0.16
DeAndre Liggins $3,500 $3,000 0.53 14.7 -4.8 7.7 -1.0 11.7% 2.6% 10 -0.74
LeBron James $11,500 $10,600 1.29 37.6 1.1 48.4 9.8 32.9% -2.3% 12 -0.15
Kevin Love $8,200 $8,500 1.16 31.8 6.8 36.8 13.5 25.9% 0.8% 20 -0.78
Tristan Thompson $5,600 $4,900 0.79 29.5 8.0 23.4 9.5 11.0% 3.1% 19 2.51
Kyle Korver $3,700 $4,000 0.61 27.1 1.5 16.4 3.4 14.8% 2.8% 10 N/A

Elite Plays – LeBron James (DK), Kevin Love, Kyle Korver (FD)

Secondary Plays – LeBron James (FD), Kyrie Irving, Kyle Korver (DK), Tristan Thompson (DK)

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have won seven games in a row and are quickly making their way up the standings in the Eastern Conference. As I mentioned earlier, the Cavaliers’ defense has sprung some leaks over the last few weeks. They are now ranked between 13th and 15th in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and rebounding differential. The Pacers have an implied total of 106.8 points, which is slightly higher than their season average.

Jeff Teague is one of my top point guard targets in this slate, which is strange considering how little I have played him in cash games this season. The best way to attack the Cavaliers is with opposing point guards and small forwards, as they are ranked 24th and 29th against those two positions. Teague should play 35+ minutes in this one and he won’t have to deal with the defense of Iman Shumpert, who has already been ruled out. Paul George has scored at least 44 fantasy points in three of his last five games against the Cavaliers and makes a great tournament play on FanDuel. He is $800 cheaper on DraftKings and is worth a look in all formats. Thaddeus Young has been ruled out of tonight’s contest, which means Lavoy Allen will draw another start at power forward. Allen has scored 40 and 15 fantasy points in his last two spot starts. We typically like to target Myles Turner at home, but I’m not a fan of his matchup against Tristan Thompson and the Cavaliers.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Jeff Teague $7,400 $7,100 1.04 32.7 0.6 34.0 -0.7 26.6% 0.9% 24 -1.23
C.J. Miles $4,000 $4,000 0.73 22.7 3.0 16.6 0.4 17.6% -1.4% 17 0.92
Paul George $8,600 $7,800 1.01 35.5 -1.5 35.9 3.4 27.5% 2.4% 29 0.67
Lavoy Allen $3,900 $4,000 0.57 13.4 14.5 7.6 12.7 10.6% 3.2% 14 1.67
Myles Turner $6,500 $6,200 1.01 30.5 1.0 30.8 -4.2 19.4% -2.0% 11 2.55
Al Jefferson $3,700 $3,100 1.07 14.8 -1.2 15.9 0.7 25.0% 6.3% 11 N/A

Elite Plays – Jeff Teague, Paul George (DK), Lavoy Allen

Secondary Plays – Paul George (FD), Myles Turner (GPP)

Los Angeles Lakers at Detroit Pistons – 7:30 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers Detroit Pistons
lalakersnba Vegas Total 216.5 detroitnba Vegas Total 216.5
Vegas Spread 7.5 Vegas Spread -7.5
Team Total 104.5 Team Total 112.0
Pace +/- -2.1 Pace +/- 1.5
Proj. Starter D’Angelo Russell Nick Young Brandon Ingram Julius Randle Timofey Mozgov Proj. Starter Reggie Jackson 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 25 7 11 5 16 Adj. DvP 28 24 21 29 29
DRPM -2.36 0.24 0.79 1.19 1.62 DRPM -0.93 -2.03 -2.66 0.17 0.03

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers got off to that quick start this season and have been a disappointment ever since. They are now 18-36 overall, which is the second worst record in the Western Conference. They draw a difficult matchup tonight against the Pistons, who are ranked sixth in points allowed per game and ninth in rebounding differential. The only position that Detroit has struggled with this season has been opposing point guards. They have allowed the sixth most fantasy points to the position, which brings D’Angelo Russell into play. He struggled in a blowout loss to the Knicks the other night, but had scored at least 38 fantasy points in each of his previous three games. Russell is one of my favorite tournament options in the slate, I’m just a little worried about his floor for cash games. Brandon Ingram could also be worth a look here. He started for the struggling Luol Deng the other night and should be a safe bet to play 30+ minutes tonight.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
D’Angelo Russell $6,200 $6,200 1.01 26.6 1.1 26.8 4.9 29.6% -0.5% 25 -2.36
Nick Young $4,400 $4,100 0.73 26.6 -0.2 19.5 1.6 19.0% 2.3% 7 0.24
Brandon Ingram $4,000 $4,400 0.59 27.8 1.0 16.4 5.5 16.2% 0.0% 11 0.79
Julius Randle $5,800 $5,400 0.98 28.4 -17.1 28.0 -15.6 23.6% 18.4% 5 1.19
Timofey Mozgov $3,500 $3,000 0.73 20.7 -4.7 15.1 -7.4 16.7% -3.0% 16 1.62
Lou Williams $6,300 $5,500 1.09 24.3 -0.4 26.5 0.6 31.1% 1.9% 7 N/A

Elite Plays – D’Angelo Russell (GPP)

Secondary Plays – D’Angelo Russell (Cash), Brandon Ingram

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons are one of the many teams that seem to be underperforming given their roster and coaching talent. They would sneak into the playoffs as an eight seed if the regular season ended today. They draw a pace-up matchup against the Lakers at home tonight. This is one of the best possible matchups for fantasy production, as the Lakers are ranked 27th in points allowed per game and 29th in defensive efficiency. The Pistons have an implied total of 112 points, which is the fourth highest in the slate. They also have a projected point differential of +10.9, which is the best of all 24 teams in action tonight.

Reggie Jackson has struggled with consistency all season and comes into tonight’s game in bad form. He hasn’t topped the 30 fantasy point mark one time in his last five games. I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict that he gets over the hump tonight against the Lakers, who are ranked 28th against point guards. Jackson is right there with D’Angelo Russell as one of my favorite tournament plays in the slate. If I had to choose one of these two for cash games, I would go with Jackson, solely due to the facts that he is on the favored team and is playing at home. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has struggled from the field recently, but the defense of Nick Young is often a cure for the common shooting cold. Marcus Morris is averaging 38 fantasy points over his last three games. While the price is a bit steep, I’m more than willing to pay a slight premium for a matchup against the Lakers. Dollar for dollar, I prefer Jon Leuer over Tobias Harris. His minutes and fantasy production are both trending upward. Andre Drummond has massive upside in this spot. I’m not going to predict another 20/20 game from him, but I am calling for a 20-point and 15-rebound effort.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Reggie Jackson $5,900 $5,900 0.91 28.9 -1.7 26.4 -3.0 30.3% -4.1% 28 -0.93
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $5,300 $5,700 0.73 33.7 -1.4 24.6 -9.4 19.9% -4.2% 24 -2.03
Marcus Morris $5,800 $6,000 0.72 33.0 4.0 23.7 14.5 20.0% 3.1% 21 -2.66
Jon Leuer $4,800 $4,700 0.81 26.6 1.8 21.7 2.7 17.1% 4.8% 29 0.17
Andre Drummond $8,300 $8,600 1.19 30.6 -1.9 36.4 0.1 22.1% 1.8% 29 0.03
Tobias Harris $5,400 $5,500 0.81 32.1 -7.9 26.1 -10.4 21.4% 4.2% 29 N/A

Elite Plays – Reggie Jackson (GPP), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (FD), Marcus Morris, Andre Drummond (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Reggie Jackson (Cash), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (DK), Andre Drummond (Cash), Jon Leuer

Denver Nuggets at Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 PM ET

Denver Nuggets Atlanta Hawks
denvernba Vegas Total 224.0 atlantanba Vegas Total 224.0
Vegas Spread 4.0 Vegas Spread -4.0
Team Total 110.0 Team Total 114.0
Pace +/- 1.0 Pace +/- 2.0
Proj. Starter Jameer Nelson Gary Harris Wilson Chandler Kenneth Faried Nikola Jokic Proj. Starter Dennis Schroder Tim Hardaway Kent Bazemore Paul Millsap Dwight Howard
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 15 26 20 9 5 Adj. DvP 29 30 15 12 14
DRPM -2.94 -1.61 -0.88 3.97 2.15 DRPM -1.06 -1.28 -1.45 -0.60 0.96

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets head to Atlanta a bit short-handed, as they will be without Emmanuel Mudiay and Danilo Gallinari. This isn’t a great matchup on paper, as the Hawks are ranked eighth in points allowed per game and fourth in defensive efficiency. With that said, Vegas is expecting this to turn into a shootout, which is always what we like to see from a DFS perspective. The Nuggets are listed as 4-point underdogs in a game with an over/under of 224 points. Denver has an implied total of 110 points, which is nearly identical to their season average.

With Emmanuel Mudiay out, Jameer Nelson will draw another start at point guard. In the seven games that Mudiay has missed this season, Nelson is averaging 34 minutes and 24 fantasy points per contest. He is certainly a viable punt play tonight, as his price is down to $4,400 on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Jamal Murray will also see a nice boost in playing time off the bench, although the Nuggets have been reluctant to play him more than 25 minutes most nights. With Danilo Gallinari also out, we can expect major minutes from Wilson Chandler, Gary Harris, and Will Barton. Chandler is my favorite play of the three, but you can make a case for each. Harris is a safe cash game target with a high floor, while Barton is a nice upside play off the bench. There is a massive difference in Kenneth Faried salaries on FanDuel and DraftKings, but I will likely be avoiding him on both in such a big slate. Nikola Jokic is one of my favorite players in the NBA and his price is down to $8,700 on DraftKings. I will certainly have some shares of the Joker in tournaments, even in a difficult matchup against Dwight Howard.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Jameer Nelson $4,400 $4,400 0.69 25.5 2.6 17.7 -5.0 19.8% -4.0% 15 -2.94
Gary Harris $5,200 $4,900 0.79 27.8 2.0 22.1 2.1 19.5% 0.2% 26 -1.61
Wilson Chandler $6,000 $6,600 0.89 30.6 5.2 27.3 3.8 22.6% -1.9% 20 -0.88
Kenneth Faried $6,500 $4,800 1.03 22.6 -2.8 23.4 -1.6 17.2% 2.0% 9 3.97
Nikola Jokic $9,800 $8,700 1.28 25.9 -1.9 33.1 -1.8 24.3% 3.4% 5 2.15
Will Barton $5,500 $5,800 0.85 28.3 0.7 24.1 3.9 21.8% 3.0% 26 N/A
Jamal Murray $4,000 $4,000 0.75 19.9 0.9 14.9 6.2 21.4% 5.6% 15 N/A

Elite Plays – Jameer Nelson, Gary Harris (Cash), Will Barton (GPP), Wilson Chandler, Nikola Jokic (DK)

Secondary Plays – Gary Harris (GPP), Will Barton (Cash), Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic (FD)

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have won six of their last ten games and are only a few games out of the two seed in the Eastern Conference. They draw a pace-up matchup at home against the Nuggets, which is nearly a perfect recipe for fantasy production. The Nuggets are ranked 28th in points allowed per game and dead last in defensive efficiency. As long as this game stays close, the Hawks’ players should have a field day. Atlanta has an implied total of 114 points, which is the third highest in the slate and 10.1 points above their season average.

Dennis Schroder is a lot like Reggie Jackson and D’Angelo Russell in that he provides a ton of upside tonight, but also carries some risk. His form has not been good at all, but he does get to face a Nuggets’ team that is ranked 29th against point guards. My plan is to have a lot of tournament exposure to all three. The jury is still out on whether or not I will roster any of them in a cash game setting. Tim Hardaway is expensive these days, but he still grades out as one of the top shooting guard options. With Thabo Sefolosha out, he should see 30+ minutes against the Nuggets. In his last three games, Hardaway is averaging 33 fantasy points. Kent Bazemore is also worth a look tonight, especially on DraftKings ($4,400). He hasn’t taken advantage of Sefolosha’s absence the same way that Hardaway has, but he should see around 30 minutes in a pace-up game at home. Paul Millsap is a strong play tonight in all formats. His recent form may scare some people off of him, but we have to like the spot against the Nuggets. At first glance, I didn’t want to have any exposure to Dwight Howard against Nikola Jokic, but after doing my projections, he graded out as the best point-per-dollar center in the slate (behind Willie Cauley-Stein on DraftKings).

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Dennis Schroder $6,200 $6,000 0.95 30.6 -5.2 29.0 -5.6 30.0% 3.2% 29 -1.06
Tim Hardaway $5,600 $5,700 0.78 24.2 5.5 19.0 13.7 22.5% 3.5% 30 -1.28
Kent Bazemore $4,700 $4,400 0.76 27.5 1.5 20.8 -2.5 20.6% -6.0% 15 -1.45
Paul Millsap $7,700 $7,400 1.05 33.9 -2.8 35.7 -6.9 25.0% 0.4% 12 -0.60
Dwight Howard $7,100 $6,800 1.13 29.5 -0.6 33.4 3.9 18.2% -0.7% 14 0.96

Elite Plays – Dennis Schroder (GPP), Tim Hardaway, Kent Bazemore (DK), Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard (GPP)

Secondary Plays – Dennis Schroder (Cash), Kent Bazemore (FD), Dwight Howard (Cash)

Washington Wizards at Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 PM ET

Washington Wizards Brooklyn Nets
washingtonnba Vegas Total 221.0 brooklynnba Vegas Total 221.0
Vegas Spread -10.0 Vegas Spread 10.0
Team Total 115.5 Team Total 105.5
Pace +/- 5.2 Pace +/- 0.3
Proj. Starter John Wall Bradley Beal Otto Porter Markieff Morris Marcin Gortat Proj. Starter Isaiah Whitehead Randy Foye Bojan Bogdanovic Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Brook Lopez
Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C Opponent Rank PG SG SF PF C
Adj. DvP 30 29 30 30 27 Adj. DvP 5 2 7 27 4
DRPM -0.72 -1.86 -3.11 0.26 -0.05 DRPM -0.21 -0.55 1.22 1.57 1.64

Washington Wizards

The Wizards finally lost a game, but they are still 8-2 in their last ten and have jumped all the way up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference. They draw an excellent matchup tonight against the Nets, who are ranked first in pace of play and dead last in points allowed per game. I have been stacking teams against the Nets all season and there is no reason to stop that trend tonight. Brooklyn has been on the losing end of a ton of blowouts recently, but at least they will be playing this game at home. The Wizards are listed as 10-point favorites with an implied total of 115.5 points, which is the second highest in the slate.

John Wall appears to be one of the safest cash game targets on the board. He has shown an incredibly high floor this season and he is averaging 51 fantasy points in his two meetings against the Nets this season. Brooklyn is ranked dead last against point guards and Wall has 38+ minute upside if the Nets are somehow able to keep the game within striking distance. Bradley Beal had one of his best games of the season on Monday night, scoring 59 fantasy points against the Cavaliers. He is firmly in play again tonight against the Nets, who just so happen to be the worst defensive team in the NBA. Otto Porter is also an intriguing play here. His minutes and production have both been trending in the right direction. I love targeting bigs against Brooklyn, as they are ranked in the bottom three in rebounding differential and in blocked shots allowed per game. Basically, the entire starting lineup for the Wizards is in play tonight against the Nets.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
John Wall $10,500 $10,700 1.24 36.5 4.4 45.1 6.3 34.5% -1.0% 30 -0.72
Bradley Beal $7,400 $7,100 0.92 34.5 4.2 31.8 6.3 26.4% -2.4% 29 -1.86
Otto Porter $6,600 $6,300 0.83 33.9 5.2 28.2 2.9 15.0% -1.7% 30 -3.11
Markieff Morris $6,900 $6,600 0.83 32.1 2.3 26.8 1.4 20.6% 2.0% 30 0.26
Marcin Gortat $6,900 $6,300 0.86 34.6 0.8 29.7 7.7 14.3% 2.7% 27 -0.05
Kelly Oubre $3,700 $3,700 0.64 20.7 4.1 13.2 1.6 14.0% 0.0% 30 N/A

Elite Plays – John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Markieff Morris

Secondary Plays – Marcin Gortat

Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are playing in the second half of a back-to-back, after losing to the Hornets in Charlotte last night. They draw a fairly difficult matchup against the Wizards, who have really turned up their defensive play over the last few weeks. They are now ranked above the league average in points allowed per game, defensive efficiency, and rebounding differential. I’m bearish on the Nets tonight, especially since they played last night. Brook Lopez would typically be a nice target in a spot like this, but I could see them limiting his minutes or even resting him. The guards have been too inconsistent to trust in any format and we don’t need to take any unnecessary risks in a 12 game slate. Unless Lopez is a late scratch, the Nets can be avoided tonight.

Notable Fantasy Players

Player FD Salary DK Salary FP/Min Minutes L3 +/- FP/Game L3 +/- True Usage L3 +/- DvP DRPM
Isaiah Whitehead $3,500 $3,200 0.67 22.2 -4.0 14.8 -4.0 19.5% 0.7% 5 -0.21
Randy Foye $3,500 $3,000 0.60 18.7 3.9 11.3 0.3 17.0% -5.8% 2 -0.55
Bojan Bogdanovic $4,200 $4,400 0.75 26.7 2.0 20.1 0.5 21.6% 3.9% 7 1.22
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson $4,200 $4,400 0.85 21.6 -1.0 18.4 -0.7 18.4% -4.1% 27 1.57
Brook Lopez $7,200 $6,900 1.11 29.4 0.3 32.5 -0.2 28.2% 4.2% 4 1.64
Sean Kilpatrick $4,000 $4,600 0.82 26.5 -1.1 21.6 -3.4 23.7% -3.8% 2 N/A
Trevor Booker $5,200 $5,400 0.96 26.2 -2.6 25.3 2.5 18.0% 5.9% 27 N/A

Elite Plays – NONE

Secondary Plays – NONE

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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