The frenzied second evening of the young NBA season produced a shock for the ages. The neophyte Philadelphia 76ers built a 22-point lead in the first quarter over the Miami Heat, lost most of it by half-time, fell behind by double digits, then stormed back to defeat the champs. Incredible!
Sixers shock the world, Lakers are blown out
There was so much action last night that a full review would eat up too much space in this column, so instead I offer a selection of key developments from a fantasy perspective.
The sluggish Miami Heat suffer a stunning defeat to the Sixers. One could argue the Heat left LeBron James/MIA on the bench too long in the fourth quarter, but Philly had a momentum that might not have been stopped in any case. The revelation of the night was the ridiculous debut of Michael Carter-Williams/PHI. The new arrival filled the box score with 22 points, 12 assists, 9 steals and 7 boards (and only 1 turnover in 36 minutes). Has anyone come closer to a quadruple-double in their first NBA game? The Sixers are not going to be the worst team in a decade: they are raw and will therefore make tons of mistakes, but they are athletic and have likely uncovered a new star.
Paul George/IND had another great day, producing 32 points, 6 boards, 5 helpers. The fact that he did it in the second of a back-to-back games solidifies him as an elite fantasy player in my book. Lance Stephenson/IND played heavy minutes and produced 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
Kevin Love/MIN showed no signs of rust in his return, totaling 31 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Timberwolves almost blew this one, with the Magic overcoming a huge first half deficit to take the lead late. Only a made three-pointer in the final minute by Love forced the game into overtime. That was a bonus for fantasy devotees, as both Love and Ricky Rubio/MIN (13 points, 11 assists, 3 steals) piled on the stats in the extra frame.
Kevin Durant/OKC carried the Thunder on his shoulders to a narrow win over Utah. The Jazz could not stop Durant from heading to the charity stripe, where he was a brilliant 22 of 24. Ho hum, another 40+ point night.
Unheralded big man Miles Plumlee/PHO got a start and dominated the first half, ending up with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Greg Monroe/DET and Dwight Howard/HOU dominated the boards in their games, amassing 16 vs. the Wizards and 26 against the Bobcats, respectively.
Tim Duncan/SAS was having a relatively quiet game until an errant elbow resulted in chest spasms, forcing him out of the game. The Spurs led by 21 at halftime and cruised home for the win over the Grizzlies. It was an all-around effort, as no Spur scored more than 14 or rebounded more that 8.
Even granting that it was extended garbage time, Xavier Henry/LAL getting huge minutes (35+) is telling. True, he didn’t stuff the stat sheet, but the heavy work load indicates the Lakers are looking to use him in a key role going forward.
In yesterday’s Fantasy Spin, I discussed the $22/$20,000 GPP contest with a 1,000-spot capacity at DraftStreet. I hope you took advantage of the massive overlay as the contest ended up more than one-third unfilled. I entered two teams and even though I fell short of the money, I’m happy the overlay provided me a share of the “virtual” money that DraftStreet added to the prize pool.
With lots of players to choose from, DraftStreet team scores were bound to be much higher than opening night. It took a score of around 255.00 to reach the money last night; a similar score would have had you in contention for the top spots Tuesday, when there were just three games.
James Harden/$18,055/HOU was the wrong choice from among Rockets stars as Dwight Howard/$19,150/HOU went rebound crazy to book his place among the top DraftStreet performers with 48.00 points. Harden settled for a pedestrian 24.75. I missed out on the right cheap player as bargain of the night Miles Plumlee/$3,500/PHO totalled 38.75 DraftStreet points. Still, I was solidly in the top half of entries – and that builds confidence.
Even though there are only two games on the schedule, DraftStreet is running a plentiful assortment of NBA contests. Days like this are right up my alley: With fewer players available, I can delve deeper into each one to make the best decisions I’m capable of. I recommend the $5/$1,000 GPP, with room for 220 entries and the $5 Double-Up, guaranteeing a pool of $500. Look for “RobDudek” in the standings, hopefully near the top.
Most of the NBA goes Trick-or-Treating
A look at each game from a daily fantasy perspective. Dollar figures are DraftStreet prices. An asterisk (*) indicates the team is playing on the second of back-to-back nights.
New York Knicks* at Chicago Bulls (8pm EDT)- Over/Under Total= 188.5; Bulls -8.5
Chicago has had time to lick its wounds, while the Knicks barely held off a mediocre Milwaukee team in their home opener Wednesday night. G Derrick Rose/$17,933/CHI will play better, but I would hold off until I see the shooting accuracy return. F Carlos Boozer/$13,575/CHI is a “must start” based on his dominant performance against the Heat. G Jimmy Butler/$10,290/CHI is not quite there but a solid play.
There is a serious lack of decent forwards to fill three slots, so I am considering F Carmelo Anthony/$16,830/NYK against my better judgment. Anthony looked slow against Milwaukee, and if he is tired, the athletic Bulls will limit his effectiveness. None of the Knicks are particularly appealing in this matchup, except perhaps G Pablo Prigioni/$5,570/NYK due to the low cost.
Golden State Warriors* at LA Clippers (10:30pm EDT)- Over/Under Total= 203.5; Clippers -6
While many will focus on the battle between perhaps the two best point guards in the league – G Stephen Curry/$17,500/GSW and G Chris Paul/$19,395/LAC – the frontcourt battle is of greater import from a daily fantasy perspective. The Clippers are fresher and feature rising star C DeAndre Jordan/$12,820/LAC and established star F Blake Griffin/$16,600/LAC. The Warriors will counter with C Andrew Bogut/$12,150/GSW, C David Lee/$15,365/GSW and C Jermaine O’Neal/$6,805/GSW in their back pocket.
Bogut is well-rested and will concentrate on rebounding, limiting his fantasy usefulness. Jordan is the best value for money, as I don’t think Griffin or Lee can put up the big numbers necessary to justify their salaries in this matchup.
Curry’s minutes were limited last night due to blowout conditions, so rest should not be an issue. Paul has a slightly more rounded game, but Curry is the closest thing to an unstoppable shooter when he gets hot. If you scrimp and save elsewhere, you can use them both; otherwise, toss a coin. G Klay Thompson/$11,330/GSW went off for 38 points on 15 for 19 shooting and is a “must-start” at his now obviously low DraftStreet salary.
My DraftStreet team in the $5/$500 Double-Up (subject to change) ($98,355 salary of $100,000 max):
Stars worth starting: Stephen Curry/GSW, Carlos Boozer/CHI, David Lee/GSW
Top Bargain Plays: Klay Thompson/GSW, DeAndre Jordan/LAC
Speculative Plays of the Day: Taj Gibson/CHI, Matt Barnes/LAC, Jimmy Butler/CHI
The Fantasy Spin is here every morning, around noon EDT. Follow me @robdudek for breaking news relevant to NBA daily fantasy.