SAC @ CHA: Who knows what lurks in the mind of Mr. Cousins? He could go crazy figuratively with 30 PTS and 20 REB, or literally, with technical and/or flagrant fouls. The Kings were badly beaten on the road last night, while the Bobcats sprung an upset in Orlando. It doesn’t seem right to predict Charlotte will win back-to-back, but they should be inspired and have home-court advantage.
MEM @ CHI: The Bulls had to work very hard to win in Boston and it gets no easier tonight. Deng may not be able to play and they face a stifling Memphis defense. Of course, if Z-Bo doesn’t play, the Grizzlies may have trouble stopping Boozer. It looks more like a low-scoring affair and a test of both teams’ resilience than an opportunity for fantasy numbers.
CLE @ UTA: The Jazz are very well rested, always play well at home and have Al Jefferson going up against rookie Tyler Zeller. While Kyrie Irving might have a big statistical night, his team is a big underdog. There’s a lot of buzz about trading either Big Al or Paul Millsap, which would be a tremendous boost for Derrick Favors in both reality and fantasy. The buy-low window might close soon.
HOU @ MIN: It’s simply ridiculous how many injuries the Timberwolves have suffered. Nikola Pekovic was briefly the go-to guy after Kevin Love broke his hand for the second time; now Pek is sidelined with a quad contusion. It means little-used Greg Stiemsma becomes relevant in certain fantasy leagues, and Dante Cunningham will play more. Andrei Kirilenko will need a scorer’s mentality and Luke Ridnour looks like the #1 SG. This patchwork crew might have trouble keeping up with the Runnin’ Rockets.
MIL @ POR: The logical assumption is that the slumping Blazers are fatigued, as they rely more on five players than any other team. Those starters are wonderful to own, particularly LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. However, 38 minutes per night is a big workload for rookie Damian Lillard, who is just 12-for-38 from the floor in his last three, and Wesley Matthews often plays through injuries that limit his production. Off two rest days, they get the slight edge, though the Bucks are playing well, particularly Larry Sanders.
WAS @ LAC: This might be the toughest back-to-back there is. High altitude in Denver, late check-in, then the powerful Clippers. It will be almost impossible for the Wizards to win again, but they are playing with some swagger and might make this entertaining. It’s possible that Chris Paul will return from a bruised kneecap that has cost him three games; if not, Eric Bledsoe will start and Jamal Crawford should have another big game.
The Fantasy Spin is here by 9:00 Eastern, every morning, and my DraftStreet Diary is published a bit later, with daily league advice. Follow me on Twitter — @SheridanFantasy — for updates, retweets of breaking news and more.