WAS @ DET: Two of the league’s worst teams begin a home-and-home for bragging rights. Jordan Crawford is a one-man offense for the Wizards, whose guards lead the league in injuries. Bradley Beal (back) is questionable, A.J. Price (hand) remains out and nobody knows when John Wall (leg) might come back. In his limited minutes off the bench, Nene has been productive lately. Detroit should win tonight, if not both games. Brandon Knight had been on a scoring roll until a lousy 1-for-10 game in Toronto; I like him to bounce back. Greg Monroe is coming off a career-high 35-point game and will be prominent again.
IND @ CLE: This one comes down to Anderson Varejao and his bruised right knee. If the big Brazilian can go, he and Kyrie Irving are terrific fantasy plays. If not, rookie Tyler Zeller will get another start, and the Cavs’ chances of winning will be reduced. Either way, Paul George is the go-to guy for the Pacers and David West matches up well against sophomore Tristan Thompson. Nobody mentions George Hill among the league’s best PG, but he’s having a great December and should be considered a must-start.
DAL @ MEM: It’s a difficult doubleheader for Dallas. One night after playing the Heat, they visit the league’s toughest defense, and as mentioned above, they are hurting at multiple positions. You might think O.J. Mayo will be psyched against his former team; I think Tony Allen will bother him all night. Use Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph as you normally would, just be aware that early garbage time is a possibility. The same applies to Mike Conley and Rudy Gay. The way the Grizzlies shut down opponents, benching all your Mavericks is not the worst idea.
NOH @ SAS: After losing four straight on the road, the Spurs are back home against the staggering Hornets. Kawhi Leonard is expected to play after missing 18 games with an injury that’s been described as both knee tendinitis and a quad problem. That could reduce the minutes of Danny Green, who’s mired in a shooting slump anyway. New Orleans has lost nine straight games, and Ryan Anderson misplaced his shot in the latest defeat. They will turn things around eventually, just not tonight.
SAC @ LAC: The Kings finally won a game on Wednesday. They should return to normal chaos against a Clippers team that will set an all-time franchise record with a 12th straight victory. The only downside for fantasy owners of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin is, they are often so dominant that they aren’t needed in the fourth quarter. The second unit is so good — led by Jamal Crawford’s 16.6 PPG and the defense of Matt Barnes — that the starters get plenty of rest. Feel free to gamble on DeMarcus Cousins against DeAndre Jordan, just don’t cry to me if Cuz plays like the immature brat he is. If wasted talent was a category, he’d be the MVP of fantasy hoops.
CHA @ GWS: Although they lost a shootout in Sacramento on Wednesday, the Warriors are playing extremely well and should have no difficulty with the road-weary Bobcats, losers of 13 in a row. Kemba Walker is the safest play for Charlotte, and rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is coming off his best game as a pro. They can’t stop David Lee or Stephen Curry, who are the backbone of my Freeroll team. Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry are both worth owning in standard-sized leagues despite coming off the bench. Rookie starters Festus Ezeli and Harrison Barnes don’t usually play nearly as much (or as well) as the second unit.
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