The Sixers came crashing down to earth as a talented and motivated bunch of Warriors dismantled them piece by piece. Minnesota suffered its first defeat after a frenzied comeback came up a bucket short. Chris Paul/LAC and J.J. Redick/LAC led the way in a 137-118 win over the Rockets. The Grizzlies had enough in the tank to top a surprisingly competitive Celtics team. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Top Fantasy Performers
1) Stephen Curry/GSW. The lone negative was Curry’s 3-point shooting (2 for 9). He took over the game in the third quarter and notched a triple-double in without playing the fourth quarter. 7 for 16 FGA, 2 for 2 FTA, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, 5 steals, 1 block and 2 turnovers, 18 points.
2) Chris Paul/LAC. The Rockets had no answer for CP3. 7 for 13 FGA, 8 of 8 FTA, 17 assists, 3 boards, 2 steals, 2 TO, 23 points.
3) Andre Iguodala/GSW. Iguodala dominated the first half, draining a string of 3-pointers in front of his former home crowd. 11 for 18 FGS (7 of 11, 3-pt), 3 of 4 FTA. 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 TO, 32 points.
4) J.J. Redick/LAC. A big reason the Clippers tied a franchise first half scoring record. 8 for 15 FGA, 8 of 8 FTA, 3 boards, 3 helpers, 2 steals, 1 block, 26 points.
5) Kevin Love/MIN. Love has been producing across all categories, but reduced minutes last night led to reduced scoring. 8 of 20 FGA, 1 of 1 FTA, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 3 TO, 17 points.
Honorable mention:
Anderson Varejao/CLE, Kyrie Irving/CLE, Evan Turner/PHI.
Top Sleepers
1) Omri Casspi/HOU. Casspi was the only reliable scorer for the Rockets. 6 of 12 FGA, 4 of 5 FTA, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 4 TO, 19 points (28 minutes played).
2) C.J. Miles/CLE. 8 of 13 FGA, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 1 TO, 19 points.
3) Jamal Crawford/LAC. 7 of 15 (including 6 of 11 threes) FGA, 1 of 1 FTA. 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 21 points (30 minutes).
4) Jordan Crawford/BOS. 4 of 7 FGA, 2 of 2 FTA, 4 assists, 3 steals, 2 rebounds, 1 block, 1 TO, 12 points (24+ minutes).
Biggest Busts
1) Dwight Howard/HOU. Early foul trouble forced Howard to the bench and curtailed his production. 4 of 9 FGA, 5 of 10 FTA, 9 rebounds, 1 block, 2 TO, 13 points.
2) James Harden/HOU. Harden couldn’t find the range on his outside shot. 6 for 16 FGA, 3 of 5 FTA, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 TO, 15 points.
3) Michael Carter-Williams/PHI. His drives to the bucket were cut off and his jump shots were contested. Kudos to Klay Thompson/GSW for shutting down MCW for three quarters. 4 of 17 FGA, 9 of 12 FTA, 4 assits, 6 rebounds, 6 TO, 18 points.
I had success in the $11 and $5 Double-Up leagues at DraftStreet last night, finishing 8th of 80 and 11th of 110. I deployed a relatively simple tactic: I assumed that Golden State was going to score 120-plus points and selected accordingly. My lineup had six Warriors, including eventual top performers Stephen Curry/GSW and Andre Iguodala/GSW. They were so good that it didn’t matter that my non-Warriors, Michael Carter-Williams/PHI and Brandon Bass/BOS, had disappointing nights.
This tactic (i.e. selecting a disproportionate number of players from one team) is called “stacking” and it can work in basketball (though it is more suited to baseball) provided there are few scheduled games and you can confidently select the high-scoring ones to focus on.
Tuesday NBA contests at DraftStreet
With no NFL games to distract sports fans until Thursday, I expect a bigger turnout for the NBA leagues at DraftStreet today. It’s a great time to play the NBA leagues, as DraftStreet’s incredible voucher promotion continues. All you have to do is enter NBA leagues through November 14th and work your way through vouchers of increasing value, the top one allowing entry to a $109 contest.
The $2/550-entry GPP has already filled, but there is an enticing $5/550-entry with a first place prize of $500 and plenty of spots open. You will see “RobDudek” in several Double-Up leagues, including the $5/110-entry GPP.
Pacers Face Stiff Test in Quest to Stay Undefeated
A look at tonight’s games from a daily fantasy perspective. Dollar figures are DraftStreet prices. An asterisk (*) indicates a team is playing their second game on back-to-back nights.
Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors (7pm EST)- Over/Under Total=196; Heat -4.5
Chris Bosh/$13,435/MIA may miss this one for the birth of his daughter. If so, the Raptors will have a fighting chance, especially in the paint. In Bosh’s possible absence, Ray Allen/$8,469/MIA may be asked to do more.
Utah Jazz at Brooklyn Nets (7:30pm) – Over/Under Total= 188.5; Nets -10.5
John Lucas/$5,575/UTA shouldn’t be this bad. Unless there is a health issue lurking in the background, he is a bargain at this price as long as he’s getting over 30 minutes a game.
Charlotte Bobcats at New York Knicks (7:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total= 187.5; Knicks -9
The Knicks desperately need a blowout win to restore confidence. Without Al Jefferson/$16,835/CHA in the lineup, Tyson Chandler/$13,443/NYK is poised to dominate. As soon as Carmelo Anthony/$17,019/NYK finds his shooting touch, he will return to super-elite status.
Indiana Pacers at Detroit Pistons (7:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total= 186; Pacers -1.5
George Hill/$12,080/IND (hip) is questionable for tonight. If Hill does not play, Lance Stephenson/$10,541/IND gets a boost. The Pistons are poised for an upset on the strength of the home crowd and bruising frontcourt.
Phoenix Suns at New Orleans Pelicans (8:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total= 191; Pelicans -9
Anthony Davis/$19,373/NOP is in full beast mode. Without Goran Dragic/$13,500/PHO, Eric Bledsoe/$15,450/PHO will be asked to carry the load. Both should be key foundation pieces for your lineup tonight.
Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks (8:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total= 214; Mavericks -8.5
I predict a breakout game for Pau Gasol/LAL. Dirk Nowitzki/$13,593/DAL and Monta Ellis/$14,267/DAL are decent choices if you like the Mavs to score big.
San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets (9pm EST)- Over/Under Total= 201.5; Spurs -4
No one stands out as a “must-play”, but Boris Diaw/$7,459/SAS and Randy Foye/$6,075/DEN are undervalued.
Houston Rockets* at Portland Trail Blazers (7:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total= 207; Blazers -1.5
The silver lining for the Rockets last night is that Dwight Howard/$18,592/HOU and Omer Asik/$8,282/HOU should be well rested. James Harden/$17,727/HOU needs to bounce back for the Rockets to prevail. Omri Casspi/$4,865/HOU is still dirt cheap and fresh off a scintillating effort, while Jeremy Lin/$11,540/HOU is solid value personified.
Atlanta Hawks at Sacramento Kings (7:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total= 201.5; Kings -2.5
Nominal backup Isaiah Thomas/$8,976/SAC is still priced as a reserve even though he has averaged 30 minutes a game. The battle between Al Horford/$17,253/ATL and DeMarcus Cousins/$17,222/SAC will be a fun one to watch.
My entry in the DraftStreet $2/$550-entry GPP (cost =$99,540 of $100,000 max):
Stars Worth Starting: Anthony Davis/NOP, Pau Gasol/LAL, Eric Bledsoe/PHO
Bargain Plays: Omri Casspi/HOU, Isaiah Thomas/SAC, Lance Stephenson/IND
Speculative Plays: Tyson Chandler/NYK, Raymond Felton/NYK
The Fantasy Spin is here every day, around noon EST. Follow me @robdudek for breaking news and pre-game thoughts relevant to NBA daily fantasy.