NBA Preseason: Saturday, October 8th

by Seth Yates (sethayates) Last Updated 2016-10-09 10:24:45

Greetings Grinders! We have an action-packed NBA slate today. There is a total of seven games if you include the 3:30 ET tip off. The other six games tip off at 7:30 ET or later. If you haven’t tried preseason NBA yet, don’t be scared to dive right in. You’ll notice that DraftKings and FanDuel have slightly reduced the price for superstars. At the same time, you’ll have to pay just a bit more for role players who could be in line for extended playing time. Just like in the regular season, we ideally want to create as much opportunity as possible in our lineups. We want everyone in our lineup playing 25+ minutes.

Let’s take a look at each game and see if we can determine the best plays based on projected playing time. I’m posting this early (with the last three games missing) so that people playing the all-day slate can lock in their teams. I’ll have the rest updated before the 7:30ET Main Slate. I don’t have over/under and team totals for each team yet either. I’ll update them as I see them posted. I’ll also come back throughout the day to update any late-breaking news. With that said, as things get closer to tip I may not be able to update this article quickly. The best way to get last-minute news is to follow me on Twitter. I’ll retweet any relevant news as well as confirmed starting lineups.

Charlotte at Boston (3:30 ET)

Charlotte
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	Kemba Walker	Nicolas Batum	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	Marvin Williams	Roy Hibbert

Injuries: Brian Roberts (Q), Cody Zeller (Q), Perry Ellis (O), Marco Belinelli (Q)

Points Per Game: 90 (26)
Offensive Rating: 90.4 (27)
Defensive Rating: 100.1 (17)
Pace: 100.24 (16)

The Hornets and Celtics meet for the second time this week. These two teams played last Thursday. The Celtics emerged victorious 107-92 in that game. The Hornets have played two preseason games thus far. In the first game they used 13 players and the second they used 14. As you can see above, the Hornets have struggled on offense, scoring just 90 points per game. They have an offensive rating of 90.4. That means they score 90.4 points per 100 possessions. The Hornets offensive rating ranks 27th through two games. They’ll face a really tough matchup against a Celtics team that has a defensive rating of 89.8.

Elite Plays

None, the Hornets minutes are too spread out and this is a difficult matchup

Secondary Plays

Marvin Williams ($5000 DK, $4800 FD) – In each of the first two games, Williams has played 23 minutes. He scored 17.5 FDP in the first and 20 FDP in the second (against the Celtics). The problem for Williams hasn’t been lack of involvement on offense. He took ten shots in the first game and nine in the second. If the shots start falling for Williams he has the upside to get you 30, I’m just not sure they will.

Jeremy Lamb ($4800 DK, $4000 FD) – Lamb has also played over 20 minutes in each of the Hornets’ preseason games. He had 10.6 FDP in the first and then busted out for 35 FDP against these same Celtics on Thursday. It’s worth noting that Lamb and Kaminsky were the only Hornets regulars still on the court in the fourth quarter. Lamb played until about seven minutes left in the game. That partially explains his higher-than-normal fantasy point total.

Boston
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	Isaiah Thomas	Avery Bradley	Jae Crowder	Amir Johnson	Al Horford

Injuries: Isaiah Thomas (Q), Gerald Green (Q), Jordan Mickey (Q), Kelly Olynk (O)
Points Per Game: 98 (19)
Offensive Rating: 94.9 (22)
Defensive Rating: 89.8 (5)
Pace: 102.9 (9)
The Celtics have played two games so far this preseason. The first was against the 76ers and the other was last Thursday against the Hornets. The Celtics used 14 players in each game. Most of the starters saw their minutes increase in the second game. The matchup here is still middle-of-the-road though. The Hornets are allowing just 100.1 points per 100 possessions. With that said, there are a few names that interest me.

Elite Plays

Terry Rozier ($4700 DK, $4000 FD) – Rozier played 26 minutes against Philadelphia and 22 against Charotte. He scored 20.6 FDP and 16.9 FDP in those games. Coach Stevens mentioned that Rozier will play even more on Saturday. If you are playing the all-day slate, it makes a lot of sense to go ahead and lock in Rozier. You know you’ll get 20+ minutes and hopefully more if Stevens isn’t lying.

Secondary Plays

Al Horford ($7200, $5800) – The price on FanDuel almost makes Horford an elite play. In fact, he might be anyways if we find out that he’ll see a few more minutes. Horford has only played 15 and 19 minutes in the first two games. He’s absolutely dominated though with 17.6 and 28.1 FDP. The 28.1 line was against this same Hornets team. I can’t pay $7200 on DK (unless we hear something like 25+ mins) but I could certainly live with $5800 on FD, even if Horford plays just 20.

Indiana at Chicago (7:30 ET)

Indiana
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	–	–	–	–	–

Injuries: Paul George (O), CJ Miles (Q), Aaron Brooks (Q), Rakeem Christmas (Q), Myles Turner (P), Jeremy Evans (Q)

Points Per Game: 114 (4)
Offensive Rating: 105.3 (7)
Defensive Rating: 93.8 (11)
Pace: 108.52 (1)

Through two games the Pacers are playing at the fastest pace in the league. That’s usually good news for DFS purposes. They’ll face a Bulls team that has played at a similarly-fast pace. These two teams actually played each other on Thursday so we have some idea how this game will go. The big difference on the Pacers side is that Myles Turner is expected to make his preseason debut tonight which should allow the Pacers to start their projected opening night lineup. The return of Myles Turner is a downgrade for Al Jefferson who played 18 and 26 minutes in the first two contests. I don’t have any interest in the Pacers’ center rotation as Turner, Jefferson, and Kevin Seraphin should split the minutes.

Update: Paul George is out, Myles Turner is expected to play 12-15 minutes.

Elite Plays

Thaddeus Young ($6600, $6000 FD) – There seems to be a lack of good options at PF and C on this slate. If you don’t play Porzingis you’re left gambling on an unsure number of minutes at PF. Since there are plenty of guard options that’s where I’ll look for value. That should leave me the money I need to get Thad Young. He’s played 19 and 27 minutes in the first two games and scored 26.5 and 32.6 FDP. Porzingis is still the top option at PF but if you find yourself playing two Young is the next best option.

Secondary Plays

Rodney Stuckey ($4500 DK, $4000 FD) – Stuckey has played 21 and 27 minutes in each of the Pacers two games. He scored 17.1 and 36.3 FDP in those games. The second was against this Bulls team. I’ll caution that the 27 minutes for Stuckey seems unlikely to happen again. The Pacers only used 12 players in that game. With that said, Stuckey has a specific role on this team. He’s the main scorer in several bench lineups. You’re basically paying the same price for Stuckey that should would for Kay Felder. Stuckey has proven he can sustain his production whereas we don’t know with younger unproven players.

Chicago
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	–	–	–	–	–

Injuries: Denzel Valentine (O)

Points Per Game: 99.5 (16)
Offensive Rating: 93.2 (23)
Defensive Rating: 100.7 (19)
Pace: 105.02 (7)

As I mentioned in the Pacers section above, the Bulls are playing at a much faster pace this preseason. Part of the reason for that is likely the addition of Rajon Rondo at point guard. The Bulls have played two games thus far, one of which was against this same Pacers team on Thursday. Prior to that game Hoiberg said Jimmy Butler was supposed to get a second half rotation and he never did.

Elite Plays

Doug McDermott ($4900 DK, $4000 FD) – As I mentioned above, small forward is a tough position to fill. You can’t use an entire lineup of superstars even in preseason. Through two games, Doug McDermott is leading the Bulls in minutes with 26 and 25. He’s scored 20.5 and 21 FDP in that time. I’ll caution that an increase in Jimmy Butler minutes would hurt McDermott a little but Denzel Valentine is out. Any minutes that McDermott loses to Butler he’ll end up taking away from Paul Zipser who played 14 on Thursday.

Secondary Plays

Jimmy Butler ($7400 DK, $7500 FD) – I’m mostly writing up Butler because I think many will be confused on what to do with him. Butler played 15 minutes in the first game and then just 12 in the second. He was still able to score 22.1 and 12 FDP in limited time. I’m sure Hoiberg will finally give Butler a second half rotation which should bump Jimmy up to 20-22 minutes. Butler has been good for a point per minute this preseason but I’m just not sure I can pay $7500 for a 20 points. I can get that from several cheap SG options I’ve already mentioned.

Robin Lopez ($5100, $4600 FD) – It seems like I’ve barely mentioned any centers. We’ll get to one or two more in these next few games. That said, Robin Lopez makes sense as a punt option. He played 20 and 19 minutes and scored 21.1 and 17.6. He doesn’t necessarily have GPP-winning upside but he also shouldn’t crush you at this price.

Philadelphia at Cleveland (7:30 ET)

Philadelphia
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	T.J. McConnell	Gerald Henderon	Robert Covington	Dario Saric	Joel Embiid

Injuries: Nik Stauskas (Q), Anthony Barber (Q), Ben Simmons (O), Jerryd Bayless (Q), Jahlil Okafor (Q)

Points Per Game: 105.5 (10)
Offensive Rating: 96.8 (18)
Defensive Rating: 97.9 (14)
Pace: 100.24 (16)

The 76ers are one of the most intriguing teams to watch in the preseason. During the Sam Hinkie era the Sixers have always picked at the top of the draft and also traded away veterans for even more picks. That’s left them loaded with talented young players. The big issue is finding out how those players fit together. Perhaps more than any other team, the Sixers value preseason games just to get a look at different lineup combinations. With that said, these 76ers are no match for the defending Cavaliers but it remains to be seen how much Coach Lue will play the Cavaliers’ starters.

Elite Plays:

T.J. McConnell ($5200 DK, $4000 FD) – With 25 minutes the first game and 35 the second, T.J. McConnell has played the most minutes of any 76er this preseason. It’s worth noting that the second was a double-overtime game though. Either way, we know McConnel’s minutes are safe because the only other PG on the roster who is available is Sergio Rodriguez (Jerryd Bayless is hurt). McConnell is scoring .79 FDP per minute this preseason and projects for around 25 minutes again.

Secondary Plays:

Richaun Holmes ($4700 DK, $4000 FD) – It takes some serious guts to call the guy who just dropped 43.4 FDP a secondary play. I’m aware that everyone is going to be chasing points here. I might join them. I just need to point out that 1.) Holmes played just 12 minutes in the first preseason game 2.) The 43.4 FDP game was a double-overtime game 3.) Nerlens Noel did not play in the second game. If you look at Holmes’ and Noel’s stat lines, you’ll notice Holmes ended up soaking up the bulk of Noel’s minutes after Noel pulled his hamstring in practice and didn’t play. If Noel sits again, I’m happy to jump on the Holmes train (Elite play at that point) but if Noel plays Holmes is a secondary play.

Dario Saric ($5300 DK, $4000 FD) – I don’t really want to list Saric here as a secondary play, but I keep seeing his ownership rising. He’s played 18 minutes in each game and scored 18.2 and 18.8 FDP. I get it: he’s been a point-a-minute guy. The minutes just aren’t here right now. If we hear something about Saric getting more minutes, I’ll consider him. Otherwise I have almost no interest.

Cleveland
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	: Kyrie Irving	Iman Shumpert	Lebron James	Kevin Love	Chris Anderson

Injuries: Tristan Thompson (O)

Points Per Game: 117 (2)
Offensive Rating: 116.6 (2)
Defensive Rating: 100.6 (18)
Pace: 100.86 (13)

The Cavaliers have played just one preseason game. Coach Lue announced before Wednesday’s contest that the starters including LeBron James would play roughly 12 minutes. Lue stuck to his word as none of the starters played in the second half. I’ll certainly update this once we get more information on the Cavs’ planned rotation. We already know Tristan Thompson is out and we know the Kyrie Irving will make his debut. We just don’t know how long Irving will play. The 76ers present an excellent matchup which means the Cavs’ backups are sure to be Chalk City if they are looking at extended run.

Elite Plays:

Jordan McRae ($4500, $4000) – We might as well start with the guy who scored 35.9 FDP in just 24 minutes. Jordan McRae is exactly the type of guy you love in preseason. He scored 36 points while playing 47 minutes in the final game last season (after the Cavs had clinched). He also dropped 61 points in a D-League game last year. The kid can score! McRae attempted a team-high 13 shots on Wednesday.

Secondary Plays

Kay Felder ($4900, $4000) – If I’m wasting a roster spot on a backup during preseason I want a guy who shoots the ball. The above mentioned McRae shot the ball 13 times against Orlando but Felder was right behind him with 11 shots. He finished with 24.8 FDP in 23 minutes. Felder is a secondary play because Kyrie Irving is likely to soak up 10-12 minutes at PG. That will certainly take away a few minutes each from the backup guards.

LeBron James ($8200 DK, $9000 FD) – This is a secondary play based on ownership percentage. If you’ve filled out the rest of your roster with value plays that you love, you’re going to end up with a bunch of salary left. At that point, you have to ask yourself, “Should I go with Justin Anderson or “(player-popup)LeBron James”:/players/lebron-james-1227?” If price doesn’t matter, the answer is Lebron. He’s scored close to a point per minute his whole career. Even in 13 minutes on Wednesday, LeBron scored 18.4. If we hear that LeBron will get close to 20 minutes against Philadelphia, it makes sense to work him in.

Brooklyn at New York (7:30 ET)

Brooklyn
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	Yogi Ferrell	Randy Foye	Bojan Bogdanovic	Trevor Booker	Brook Lopez

Injuries: Jeremy Lin (O), Luis Scola (O), Caris LeVert (O)

Points Per Game: 101 (14)
Offensive Rating: 102.5 (10)
Defensive Rating: 91.6 (8)
Pace: 100.58 (14)

The Nets draw a sneaky good matchup but it’s hard to trust any of them. The Knicks played just one game but it was at the second-fastest pace this preseason. They also have the second-worst defensive rating thanks to an inability to stop James Harden. They are allowing 119.9 points per 100 possessions. Sadly, the Nets don’t have anyone like James Harden on their team. In fact, there’s pretty much just Jeremy Lin (who is out), Brook Lopez and a bunch of guys on this team. They’ve played one preseason game so far where they used 14 players anywhere from 10-21 minutes.

Elite Plays

Trevor Booker ($4700 DK , $4000 FD) – Previously, I had Jeremy Lin chalked up as an elite play. it appears he will set out tonight’s game along with Luis Scola not as excited about Lin sitting as the beneficiary isn’t clear. Who I am interested in is Trevor Book with Luis Scola sitting. Booker had 18.5 FDP in 18 minutes on Thursday. Scola played 17 minutes which should be divided up between the other bigs. I can now see a path to 25 minutes for Booker which puts him firmly in play.

Secondary Plays

There are a bunch of guys on the Nets who played 18-20 minutes and scored 15+ FDP. They were: Joe Harris (17.8), Luis Scola (15.8) (Update: Luis Scola is out), and Justin Hamilton (17). I don’t have much interest in any of them though unless I can get 24+ minutes. I’d also love to play Brook Lopez with Joakim Noah out but he scored just 10.4 in 13 minutes. I need to hear his minutes will be over 20 before I’m interested in spending on him.

New York
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	Brandon Jennings	Courtney Lee	Carmelo Anthony	Kristaps Porzingis	Kyle O’Quinn

Injuries: Lou Amundson (Q), Joakim Noah (O), Derrick rose (Q)

Points Per Game: 103 (13)
Offensive Rating: 96.3 (20)
Defensive Rating: 119.9 (29)
Pace: 107.68 (2)

If you haven’t heard already, Derrick Rose is involved in a civil lawsuit in California for allegedly raping a woman. He’s been in the courtroom most of the week but hasn’t been ruled out yet. Jeff Hornacek said, It’s up to Rose if he wants to fly across the country to play. I’m going to go ahead and rule out Rose here and assume Jennings starts. The Knicks have also more-or-less rules out Joakim Noah which should open some minutes at Center for Porzingis. In the first game, Rose played 25 minutes that will end up going to the other guards if he sits. The other two PGs are Brandon Jennings and Chasson Randle. They played 18 and 8 minutes in the first game.

Elite Plays

Kristaps Porzingis ($7300 DK, $5700 FD) – As I mentioned above, the absence of Joakim Noah opens up some minutes at Center for Porzingis. In the first preseason game (Noah was out of that one too) Porzingis played 27 minutes and scored 32.8 FDP. Since Porzingis is one of the younger members of this Knicks team limiting his preseason minutes isn’t a concern.

Secondary Plays

Brandon Jennings ($4900 DK, $4000 FD) – This recommendation changes slightly if we learn that Rose made the cross country trip in order to play. Jennings played 18 minutes in the first game while Rose played 25. Since Chasson Randle is the only other PG I’d expect Jennings to see something close to the 25 minutes Rose saw. I’m not overly excited about this play even at 25 minutes though. Jennings only scored 13.2 in 18 minutes so an extra seven minutes isn’t a massive bump.

Atlanta at San Antonio (8:30 ET)

Atlanta
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	–	–	–	–	–

Probable Starters: Dennis Schroder, Kyle Korver, Kent Bazemore, Mike Muscala, Dwight Howard

Injuries: Mike Scott (O), Paul Millsap (O), Jarrett Jack (O), Tiago Splitter (O)

Points Per Game: 104 (11)
Offensive Rating: 104.9 (8)
Defensive Rating: 86.9 (4)
Pace: 97.32 (25)

The Hawks draw a tough matchup against a Spurs team that we usually avoid during regular season DFS. The Spurs have played just one game but their defensive rating is 86.1 points per 100 possessions. Assuming the Spurs play their usual starters tonight this is a tough matchup for the Hawks. On top of that, the Hawks used 15 players in their first game and the highest minute total was Walter Tavares at 21.

Elite Plays

Mike Muscala ($4300 DK, $4000 FD) – This probably isn’t an elite play but it’s the closest thing there is on the Hawks. Muscala lets you fill your Center spot for cheap and he has a decent shot to get you 20 minutes and maybe 20 fantasy points. He played 18 against Memphis on Thursday and had 14.5 points. Again, that’s nothing special, but it does fill your center spot for cheap.

Secondary Plays

Dennis Schroder ($6700, $4000 FD) – I wouldn’t use Schroder at $6700 on DK, especially not in this matchup. If you are looking for a cheap PG on FD Schroder is an option though. He kicked in 18.1 FDP in 17 minutes on Thursday. Most teams have shown a trend of playing their starters just a few more minutes in the second game. That could get Schroder close to the 23-25 minutes we would want.

San Antonio
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	–	–	–	–	–

Probable Starters: Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol

Injuries: Danny Green (Q), LaMarcus Aldridge (Q)

Points Per Game: 86 (29)
Offensive Rating: 76.9 (29)
Defensive Rating: 86.1 (3)
Pace: 106.88 (4)

The Spurs have only played one game so far this preseason and we pretty much have to ignore it since none of their veterans traveled with the team. That left Kawhi Leonard starting with Kyle Anderson and a bunch of guys that aren’t household names. Tonight the Spurs should sue their normal starters but it’s tough to get an idea for how long. I wouldn’t project anyone for over 20 minutes in this game.

Elite Plays

Kawhi Leonard ($8300 DK, $7600 FD) – The one Spur we can always count on is Kawhi Leonard. In 20 minutes on Monday Leonard scored 26.8 FDP. Of course, it helped that Leonard was the main contributor on offense He gets a slight downgrade with the other starters back.

Secondary Plays

Pau Gasol ($6900 DK, $6200 FD) – Let me be clear that I don’t love this play. The Spurs are a really difficult team to predict. They brought in Pau Gasol this offseason to fill Tim Duncan’s role. Assuming Gasol plays somewhere between 18-20 minutes He’s in play at Center.

Dallas at Milwaukee (8:30 ET)

Dallas
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	–	–	–	–	–

Injuries: Deron Williams (O), Devin Harris (O), Salah Mejri (Q), Dirk Nowitzki (O)

Points Per Game: 98.5 (18)
Offensive Rating: 104 (9)
Defensive Rating: 106.6 (24)
Pace: 95.18 (29)

The Mavericks have yet to use their projected opening night starters together this preseason. Dirk Nowitzki and Deron Williams have sat out every single game. Andrew Bogut has also yet to play but he will make his Mavericks debut tonight. As far as the matchup goes the Bucks are playing decent defense and at a slower pace than we would like. We should still be able to find some usable players in this game though.

Elite Plays

Seth Curry ($6300 DK, $5100 FD) – The price is better for Curry on FD that DK but you can use him on both if you would like. Curry has played 18 and 22 minutes in Dallas two games and has 26.3 and 24.8 FDP. Curry was the top fantasy scorer for Dallas in their most recent game while he was second in their first game.

Secondary Plays

J.J Barea ($4800 DK, $5200 FD) – With Devin Harris and Deron Williams out the minutes for Barea have not been an issue. He played 17 and 19 minute while chipping in 12.7 and 19.8 FDP. The reason Barea is a secondary plays is that it is hard to see him getting over 20 minutes so he needs to be very efficient when he’s on the floor.

Milwaukee
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	–	–	–	–	–

Injuries: Khris Middleton (O)

Points Per Game: 93 (24)
Offensive Rating: 96.4 (19)
Defensive Rating: 92.9 (9)
Pace: 97.26 (26)

The Bucks have only played one game this preseason. It was last Monday at Chicago. They used 13 players in that game anywhere from 3-29 minutes. They are playing at the 26th-fastest pace in the league which isn’t ideal for DFS but that’s based on one game.

Elite Plays

Michael Carter-Williams ($5600 DK, $5100 FD) – The Bucks are apparently trying to showcase Carter-Williams for a trade this preseason. He played 29 minutes last Monday off the bench. In that time, he scored 30.3 FDP. Even if Carter-Williams’ minutes come down 25 or so I still like his chances against the Dallas backups.

Secondary Plays

Thon Maker ($4000 DK, $4000 FD) – Bucks’ rookie Thon Maker is expected to make his debut tonight. He’s “expected to play 20-25 minutes”:https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/784816585710051328. Priced at the stone cold minimum on both sites, I love the upside Thon Maker provides tonight.

Greg Monroe ($5900 FD, $5900 DK) – I’ve never been a fan of chasing points but I’m not sure that’s what this is. The Bucks seem intent on bringing Monroe off the bench this season. That’s a bummer for Monroe’s future earning potential but it’s great for DFS. Monroe is a starting-caliber player who gets to face backups. He chipped in 36.3 FDP in 17 minutes on Monday.

Minnesota at Miami (8:30)

Minnesota
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	–	–	–	–	–

Injuries: Nikola Pekovic (O)

Points Per Game: N/A
Offensive Rating: N/A
Defensive Rating: N/A
Pace: N/A

The Timberwolves are the only team in the league who has yet to play a preseason game. That makes things rather difficult for DFS players. From what I’m hearing, the expected starting five will be Rubio, LaVine, Wiggins, Dieng, and Towns, with a second unit of Dunn, Rush, Muhammad, Bjelica, and Aldrich. Coach Thibs also noted that although he wants to give his primary units playing time to build chemistry together, he also wants to get a look at everybody. That probably means we won’t see anyone play over 20 minutes.

Elite Plays

Given that this is the Timberwolves’ first game I’m exercising caution here. With the rest of the teams playing tonight we have an idea how they will rotate. The only guy I want to play on the Timberwolves is Karl-Anthony Towns but I can’t pay his inflated price with a 20 minute expectation.

Secondary Plays

Jordan Hill ($4300 DK) – I’m not sure why but this game is missing from FanDuel. That’s probably a good thing for us as we can avoid it over there. I am hearing some rumblings that Jordan Hill needs to earn a roster spot and he could be in for an extended look. He’s really the only Minnesota player I like tonight.

Miami
			Vegas Total		–
			Vegas Spread		–
			Team Total		–
			Team Pace		–
	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
Projected Starters	–	–	–	–	–

Injuries: Beno Udrih (Q), Tyler Johnson (Q), Goran Dragic (Q), Josh McRoberts (O), Josh Richardson (O), Chris Bosh (O)

Points Per Game: 106 (8)
Offensive Rating: 110.9 (3)
Defensive Rating: 95.8 (12)
Pace: 100.86 (13)

The Heat have played one game so far this preseason. With Wade leaving town and Bosh sidelined with health issues the Heat are looking to rebuild around a young core. On Tuesday the Heat played Washington. They used 15 players anywhere from 6-23 minutes. The top-scorer is also the person who played the most minutes. That was Hassan Whiteside.

Elite Plays

Hassan Whiteside ($7200 DK) – As I mentioned before this game isn’t on FD. If you are looking to pay up at C on DK Whiteside is the guy though. He dropped 41.75 DK points not even counting the double-double bonus in just 23 minutes.

Justise Winslow ($5300 DK) – The other layer that you can target without worry is Justice Winslow. The Heat payed Winslow 23 minutes on Tuesday and he dropped 19.5 DK points. Because Winslow is a younger player his preseason minutes don’t need to be limited. He’s never ben known for his scoring but he did have 12 points Tuesday. Small Forward is pretty ugly and Winslow provides relative safety in the mid-range.