I predicted a Timberwolves upset over the Pacers, but it was not to be. Paul George/IND and George Hill/IND were brilliant and a suffocating Indiana defense effectively cut off the Wolves’ outside shooting. It’s tough to win in the modern game if you can’t reliably make threes. Elsewhere , the Spurs and Pistons had no trouble with the Pelicans and Bucks respectively, while the Jazz came through with an overtime win over the visiting Bulls (visions of contention in Chicago are rapidly fading). The Nuggets surprised me by securing a convincing road win over the Mavericks and the Trail Blazers keep on rolling with another decisive win, this time over the Knicks. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Top Fantasy Performers
1) Carmelo Anthony/NYK. Melo must be getting frustrated at the lack of help from teammates. 13 of 25 FGA, 7 of 10 FTA, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 TO, 34 points.
2) George Hill/IND. If he plays anywhere near this level consistently, the Pacers will be very hard to beat.
3) LeBron James/MIA. Closing in on the form that has made him the undisputed number one in NBA fantasy.
4) Paul George/IND.
5) Carlos Boozer/CHI.
Honorable Mention: Nicolas Batum/POR, Dwayne Wade/MIA, Goran Dragic/PHO
Top Sleepers
1) J.J. Hickson/DEN. Very volatile for a rebound-oriented player. 8 of 11 FGA, 6 of 8 FTA, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block, 2 TO, 22 points.
2) Gerald Wallace/BOS. Wallace is part of the impressive depth the Celtics are developing.
3) Gordon Hayward/UTA. A bounce back game helped the Jazz earn their second win.
4) Phil Pressey/BOS.
5) Kemba Walker/CHA.
Biggest Busts
1) Iman Shumpert/NYK. Reduced to an NBA fantasy afterthought now. 0 of 3 FGA, 0 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 TO, 0 points (23 minutes!)
2) Eric Gordon/NOP. Becoming less important in the Pelican’s offensive scheme.
3) Roy Hibbert/IND. Somewhat predictable as he had a poor matchup against the Wolves’ interior players.
4) Corey Brewer/MIN.
5) Dwight Howard/HOU.
Not a great day for me in my double-up leagues, as Lance Stephenson/IND got into first half foul trouble and LaMarcus Aldridge/POR was slow to get his shooting going. With only four NBA games on the schedule, today’s DraftStreet leagues are right in my wheelhouse.
Tuesday NBA contests at DraftStreet
There is limited action on the NBA hardwood,but DraftStreet has plenty of standard and double-up GPPs, including a $2/825 multi-entry contest. If you click on any Draftstreet text link in this article, you can register for out weekly freeroll, taking place on Friday.
Surging Lakers travel East
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.
Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors (7:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=190; Raptors -7
The Nets are still ailing and they come up against an athletic Raptors bunch. Brook Lopez/$15,468/BKN would be a great help in this one but he’s not ready to return. Kyle Lowry/$15,172/TOR and DeMar DeRozan/$13,317/TOR have been the backbone of the Toronto attack. If you are looking for a cheap sleeper, Terrence Ross/$5,695/TOR has seen increased minutes and could produce a bonanza of stats if there are blowout conditions.
Los Angeles Lakers at Washington Wizards (7:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=197.5; Wizards -4.5
This one should be the most exciting game of the night. The Lakers have surging on the strength of Steve Blake’s/$13,487/LAL playmaking and Jordan Hill’s/$13,215/LAL rebounding. The Wizards will get Trevor Ariza/$10,060/WAS back so Martell Webster/$10,933/WAS returns to his role as the sixth man. Washington has the personnel to blunt the Lakers’ perimeter game.
Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks (7:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=199; Hawks -7.5
As I’ve mentioned before, the return of Glen Davis/$9,970/ORL and the development of Victor Oladipo/$10,210/ORL has put the Magic on the edge of playoff contention. Look for this game to be decided in the final minutes.
Golden State Warriors at New Orleans Pelicans (8:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=203.5; Warriors -2.5
This will be a battle between the Warriors’ outside shooting prowess and the Pelicans’ strength in the paint. For New Orleans to win, Jrue Holiday/$14,094/NOP must play well. Look for Anthony Davis/$21,583/NOP to bounce back after being contained by the Spurs last night. The Warrior offense will run through Stephen Curry/$16,842/GSW, who is my top pick for a monster game tonight.
My lineup in today’s $2/110-entry Double-Up at DraftStreet (subject to change; $99,776 of $100,000 spent):
Stars Worth Starting: Stephen Curry/GSW, John Wall/WAS
Bargain Plays: Joe Johnson/BKN, DeMarre Carroll/ATL, Victor Oladipo/ORL
Speculative Plays: Jonas Valanciunas/TOR, Tyreke Evans/NOP, Jordan Hill/LAL
Estimated DraftStreet points: 210.00 (+/- 40.00)
Notes: Other playables include Arron Afflalo/ORL, DeMar DeRozan/TOR, David Lee/GSW, Steve Blake/LAL, Terrence Ross/TOR, Kyle Lowry/TOR, Paul Pierce/BKN and Pau Gasol/LAL
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.