It was an odd day in NBA fantasy leagues, as three of the four games were blowouts. Only a handful of starters played significant minutes in the fourth quarter, resulting in a dearth of high stat totals. The only game that was reasonably in doubt with a few minutes left was Washington-Dallas. Today we will have much more action and bigger fantasy numbers will be generated. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Top Fantasy Performers
1) Andre Drummond/DET. He might be the NBA’s most underrated player. 8 of 10 FGA, 14 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks, 0 TO, 16 points.
2) Jordan Hill/LAL. Started over Chris Kaman/LAL and gave the Lakers much-needed rebounding and surprising scoring touch. 7 of 12 FGA, 7 of 8 FTA, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 TO, 21 points.
3) Stephen Curry/GSW. Would have been number one if he had played the fourth quarter. 7 of 10 FGA, 9 of 9 FTA, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 2 TO, 25 points.
4) Trevor Ariza/WAS. One of the few Wizards who was on target last night. 10 of 17 FGA, 2 of 3 FTA, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, 4 TO, 27 points.
5) Marcin Gortat/WAS. Had a solid rebounding game as usual. 6 of 11 FGA, 12 rebounds, 1 steal, 4 blocks, 2 TO, 12 points.
Honorable mention: Dirk Nowitzki/DAL, Pau Gasol/LAL, David Lee/GSW, LeBron James/MIA
Top Sleepers
1) Mario Chalmers/MIA. Perhaps the best Heat player last night. 4 of 6 FGA, 6 of 8 FTA, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 0 TO, 15 points.
2) Jordan Farmar/LAL. Played well in the first half and was a garbage time hero in the second. 4 of 9 FGA, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 block, 2 TO, 9 points.
3) Will Bynum/DET. Took full advantage of extra minutes. 4 of 8 FGA, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 TO, 14 points.
4) Jeff Withey/NOP. Who? 2 of 2 FGA, 5 of 6 FTA, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist, 1 TO, 9 points.
5) Michael Beasley/MIA. Took advantage of the extra minutes due to Ray Allen’s/MIA absence. 8 of 12 FGA, 1 of 4 FTA, 1 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 TO, 19 points.
6) Chris Andersen/MIA. The bird man was one of my tips for solid production. 4 of 6 FGA, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 2 TO, 8 points.
Biggest Busts
1) Anthony Davis/NOP. Outplayed by Jordan Hill/LAL and his minutes were limited because of foul trouble. 6 of 11 FGA, 3 of 4 FTA, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 TO, 15 points.
2) Josh Smith/DET. I figured many some of the Pistons would struggle due to fatigue. 1 of 6 FGA, 2 assists, 1 steal, 0 TO, 2 points.
3) Brandon Jennings/DET. Made too many mistakes. 5 of 14 FGA, 3 of 4 FTA, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 TO, 13 points.
4) Zaza Pachulia/MIL. Better off the bench, it seems. 1 of 4 FGA, 1 of 1 FTA, 5 rebounds, 3 TO, 3 points.
5) Trevor Booker/WAS. Played less than five minutes. 0 of 1 FGA, 0 TO, O points.
My recommended lineup for DraftStreet last night scored 181.75 points – quite a bit below expectation. The same problems afflicting me were suffered by the majority of DraftStreet NBA contestants: popular selections Anthony Davis/NOP and Brandon Jennings/DET played poorly, and other players had their minutes limited due to blowout conditions. The shining exception was Jordan Hill/LAL, who put in a remarkable performance. Here are some median scores from the contests I entered yesterday: 164.83 in the $5/330-entry, 162.00 in the $2/550-entry, and 170.13 in the $5/110-entry double-up.
It was one of my better days this season, as two of my four entries in the large-field GPPs cashed, and two of three double-up leagues did the same (I missed the third by one spot).
Wednesday NBA contests at DraftStreet
A full slate of games usually means DraftStreet expands its field sizes – and today is no different. The $2 multi GPP balloons to a 1,100 entry and the $5 multi GPP rises to a 550- entry. This increases the ratio between first prize and the buy-in and that is a good thing.
There are only two days left in DraftStreet’s voucher promotion. If you ever thought about increasing your participation in DraftStreet NBA contests, this is the time to do it. 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 an entry to a $109 contest.
Clippers Host another Conference Rival
A look at today’s games from a daily fantasy perspective. Dollar figures are DraftStreet prices. An asterisk (*) indicates a team is playing the their second game on back-to-back nights.
Milwaukee Bucks* at Orlando Magic (7:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=195.5; Magic -6
Victor Oladipu/$9,510/ORL should be starting (but likely won’t). The Bucks will have trouble generating offense. Garbage time alert.
Houston Rockets at Philadelphia 76ers (7:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=209; Rockets -6.5
If Michael Carter-Williams/$15,333/PHI is in full health, I’m calling an upset. The main Sixers worry is that they have no one that can stop Dwight Howard/$18,720/HOU.
Charlotte Bobcats at Boston Celics (7:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=192.5; Celtics -5.5
New Celtics point guard Jordan Crawford/$8,425/BOS is the best value play of the night.
Toronto Raptors at Memphis Grizzlies (8:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=186.5; Grizzlies -6
The Raptors are athletic but they can’t shoot. The Grizzlies should win, but I anticipate a close game. Mike Conley/$13,863/MEM is a safe play.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Minnesota Timberwolves (8:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=202.5; Wolves -8
The Cavs are unlikely to quit, so we should see the Wolves’ starting five get plenty of minutes. Kevin Love/$22,414/MIN would be a tremendous anchor for your double-up lineups.
New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks (8:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=199.5; Hawks -4.5
Because of the Knicks interior weakness, Al Horford/$17,868/ATL is primed for a great game. I also like the Hawks’ consistent point guard Jeff Teague/$14,338/ATL. My only concern is possible blowout conditions.
Washington Wizards* at San Antonio Spurs (8:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=197.5; Spurs =10
The Wizards shot poorly last night and unless they change that they will get wiped out today. Tim Duncan/$14,315/SAS is doubtful – if he sits out, Danny Green/$9,265/SAS becomes a very good value play. Marco Belinelli/$5,973/SAS is a cheap productive bench player.
Los Angeles Lakers* at Denver Nuggets (9:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=207.5; Nuggets -9.5
A tough road assignment after a solid Lakers win. Presumably, Jordan Hill/$8,100/LAL will no doubt start again and that makes him a great value play. This one should be be decided in the final minutes.
New Orleans Pelicans* at Utah Jazz (9:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=190.5; Pelicans -2
The Pelicans will bounce back because Anthony Davis/$21,423/NOP will have a good day, but they need offense from more sources. Jrue Holiday/$13,155/NOP had been awful. Keep an eye on backup point guard Anthony Morrow/$6,195/NOP. Derrick Favors/$13,965/UTA and Gordon Hayward/$13,015/UTA will lead the Jazz offense.
Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers (10:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=201; Blazers -6.5
With Goran Dragic/$13,113/PHO on the mend and Eric Bledsoe/$15,058/PHO showing signs of becoming a franchise player, the Suns are one of the surprise teams of the year so far. The betting line should probably be Blazers -2.
Brooklyn Nets at Sacramento Kings (10:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=195.5; Nets -3.5
The Kings’ chances of winning are directly proportional to the minutes Isaiah Thomas/$10,230/SAC gets.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers (7:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=208.5; Clippers -4
This should be the most exciting contest of the night. I expect big nights from Kevin Durant/$21,870/OKC and DeAndre Jordan/$13,853/LAC.
My lineup in today’s $2/$1,100-entry at DraftStreet (subject to change; $98,705 spent of $100,000 max):
Stars Worth Starting: Kevin Love/MIN, Eric Bledsoe/PHO, DeAndre Jordan/LAC
Bargain Plays: Jordan Hill/LAL, Jordan Crawford/BOS
Speculative Plays: Kevin Martin/MIN, Danny Green/SAS, DeMarre Carroll/ATL
Expected DraftStreet points: 230.00 (+/- 35.00).
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.