The Raptors fell behind the Trail Blazers in the third quarter before rallying to send the game to overtime. Portland eventually prevailed, on the strength of their three-point shooting. In the nightcap, the Pistons shooting turned from hot to cold in the second half and they could not keep up with the Lakers. We have six games on schedule tonight. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Top Fantasy Performers
1) Jordan Hill/LAL. Perhaps his best game of the year. He battled the Pistons’ big men and hit his mid-range jumper all night. 11 of 16 FGA, 2 of 2 FTA, 17 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 TO, 24 points.
2) Brandon Jennings/DET. A late flurry of threes after the game was out of reach boosted his stat line. 8 of 22 FGA, 3 of 3 FTA, 5 rebounds, 14 assists, 3 TO, 23 points.
3) LaMarcus Aldridge/POR. 11 of 27 FGA, 3 of 7 FTA, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 25 points.
4) Pau Gasol/LAL. 6 of 13 FGA, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 2 TO, 12 points.
5) Kyle Lowry/TOR. 3 of 11 FGA, 3 of 4 FTA, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals, 19 points.
Honorable mention: Marc Gasol/MEM, Steve Blake/LAL, Nicholas Batum/POR
Top Sleepers
1) Travis Outlaw/SAC. The Kings’ starters were awful, so the game was handed over to the reserves. 6 of 9 FGA, 4 of 4 FTA, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 TO, 18 points.
2) Jonas Valanciunas/TOR. Had a great start to the game, but was not in the game in crunch time. 8 of 11 FGA, 3 of 3 FTA, 9 rebounds, 1 block, 3 TO, 19 points.
3) Wes Johnson/LAL. Displayed great athleticism when the game’s tempo increased. 6 of 8 FGA, 1 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 0 TO, 13 points.
4) Tayshaun Prince/MEM. 3 of 8 FGA, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 TO, 6 points.
5) Mo Williams/POR. Plays heavy minutes when Portland goes with their small lineup. 4 of 7 FGA, 2 of 2 FTA, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 TO, 13 points.
Biggest Busts
1) DeMarcus Cousins/SAC. A disappointing performance at home by the struggling Kings. 4 of 11 FGA, 1 of 1 FTA, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 TO, 9 points.
2) Chris Kaman/LAL. Had limited minutes, as Hill starred and soaked up more playing time. 1 of 4 FGA, 1 rebound, 0 TO, 2 points.
3) Ed Davis/MEM. Played only two plus minutes. 0 for 1 FGA, 0 TO, 0 points.
4) Jason Thompson/SAC. 1 of 2 FGA, 1 of 2 FTA, 1 assist, 3 points.
I had some success in yesterday’s contests at DraftStreet. I cashed in one GPP, finishing 12th out of 275 entries, and was in the top half of the other three. My recommended lineup exceeded expectations, amassing 221.75 DraftStreet points, with no player having either an extraordinarily good or bad game.
Monday NBA contests at DraftStreet
For those interested in the standard payout contests, Monday at DraftStreet is business as usual. There are multi-entry contests of various sizes up to a $2/550-entry. Also, as I write, there are ten double-up guarantees on offer.
Additionally, today see the debut of the NBA Survivor leagues at DraftStreet. They are multi-day contests during which half the competitors are eliminated until the final day. There are still spots open in today’s $22/120-entry Survivor contest.
Nets Limp Home, Face Trail Blazers
A look at today’s games from a daily fantasy perspective. Dollar figures are DraftStreet prices. An asterisk (*) indicates that the team is playing the second of back-to-back games.
Portland Trail Blazers* at Brooklyn Nets (7:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=196.5; Nets -3
Brook Lopez/$15,468/BKN is likely to sit this one out and so Andray Blatche/$10,118/BKN becomes an excellent value play. Portland played early yesterday and won their game in overtime. Mo Williams/$7,778/POR is getting a lot of minutes off the bench, is shooting well, and is my top value play of the day.
Charlotte Bobcats at Chicago Bulls (8:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=181; Bulls -11.5
After a slow start to the season, the Bulls are in a good groove. I don’t think they will have too much trouble with the Bobcats. Garbage time alert and adjust the minutes for the Bulls starters accordingly.
Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder (8:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=210; Thunder -9
Ty Lawson/$17,453/DEN has been a fantasy stud of late and I expect nothing different tonight in what should be a shootout. Serge Ibaka/$15,373/OKC has been a rebounding force and I expect that to continue as well.
Philadelphia 76ers at Dallas Mavericks (8:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=214; Mavs -12
Coming off a mauling at the hands of the Pelicans, the 76ers continue their road trip against the disciplined Mavericks. Blowout conditions may apply.
Golden State Warriors at Utah Jazz (9:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=195.5; Warriors -9
The Jazz put up a good fight in Oakland, and I expect a tight game in the second leg of the home-and-home. The mercurial Klay Thompson/$13,644/GSW is an excellent speculative play in what figures to be a high scoring game.
Memphis Grizzlies* at Los Angeles Clippers (10:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=198; Clippers -8
The Grizzlies had no problem with the Kings in Sacramento, but the Clippers have a much deeper team and are fresher. Even though the prices for Memphis mainstays Zach Randolph/$13,240/MEM, Marc Gasol/$15,095/MEM and Mike Conley/$14,863/MEM are tempting, they carry risk due to possible fatigue.
My lineup in today’s $2/550-entry GPP at DraftStreet (subject to change; spent $99,874 of $100,000 max):
Stars Worth Starting: Ty Lawson/DEN, Dirk Nowitzki/DAL, Serge Ibaka/OKC
Bargain Plays: Mo Williams/POR, Tayshaun Prince/MEM
Speculative Plays: Andre Iguodala/GSW, Andray Blatche/BKN
Notes: Other Dallas snipers, such as Jose Calderon/$11,539/DAL, Monta Ellis/$14,711/DAL and Vince Carter/$10,370/DAL, are playable, as is interim Philadelphia point guard Tony Wroten/$12,666/PHI.
Expected DraftStreet points: 215.00 (+/40.00)
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.