Nearly every game was tightly contested, and all of them saw 200+ points scored. That meant the starters played major minutes and accumulated excellent fantasy numbers. Golden State held off a hungry Pelicans squad for a one-point win. The Nets almost blew a double-digit lead with minutes remaining, holding on for a 102-100 victory. The Wizards out gunned the Lakers 116-111 to defend their home court, as John Wall/WAS showed why he might be the most exciting player in the NBA. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Top Fantasy Performers
1) John Wall/WAS. Wall is challenging Paul and Curry for the top of the point guard hierarchy. 10 of 18 FGA, 11 of 12 FTA, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, 3 TO, 31 points.
2) Martell Webster/WAS. With Bradley Beal’s/WAS injury, Webster keeps a spot in the starting lineup.
3) Stephen Curry/GSW. A slow start but had an excellent all-around game.
4) Nene Hilario/WAS. There aren’t a lot of power forwards with his touch around the rim.
5) Nikola Vucevic/ORL. Can’t be considered a surprise any longer, Vucevic is one of the more skilled big men in the league.
Honorable Mention: Klay Thompson/GSW, DeMar DeRozan/TOR
Top Sleepers
1) Jordan Farmar/LAL. There’s a dozen teams that would love him as their starting point guard. 9 of 11 FGA, 1 of 2 FTA, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 1 TO, 22 points.
2) E’Twaun Moore/ORL.
3) Andray Blatche/BKN. He was the difference for the Nets last night.
4) Andre Nicholson/ORL. One of the top bench players in the NBA right now.
5) Jermaine O’Neal/GSW. We knew he would be filling in for Bogut, but the ailing vet exceeded expectations.
Biggest Busts
1) Rudy Gay/TOR. Not unexpected, since we knew he was under the weather. 3 of 12 FGA, 2 of 2 FTA, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 7 TO, 9 points.
2) Paul Millsap/ATL. Inconsistent performances this year. At times he completely disappears from the Hawks’ offense.
3) Kyle Korver/ATL.
4) Amir Johnson/TOR. Another sick Raptor.
5) Shawne Williams/LAL. His minutes are in decline due to ineffectiveness.
Another day when my guys simply didn’t do enough. Even though there were only four games on the schedule, many prominent players came through with great games and this resulted in high scoring lineups in every DraftStreet contest.
Wednesday NBA contests at DraftStreet
On the eve of Thanksgiving Day, almost every team is taking to the hardwood tonight. DraftStreet has filled its lobby with mouth-watering contests. To start things off, there is the mega $5 multi-entry GPP with room for 2200 players and a $10,000 prize pool. For the high rollers, there is a juicy $109/300 entry, $30,000 GPP. The DraftStreet Basketball Championship returns with Qualifier #4, a $22 buy-in event. In addition to the three marquee contests, there is no lack of variety among the multi-entry and double-up contests on offer. Look for “RobDudek” in the $5 monster GPP, hopefully near the top of the leaderboard.
Don’t forgot our weekly freeroll this Friday. Simply click on any DraftStreet text link to register and select your lineup.
Top Rookies MCW and Oladipo Face-Off
A look at today’s games from a daily fantasy perspective. An asterisk (*) indicates that the team is playing the second of back-to-back games.
Indiana Pacers at Charlotte Bobcats (7:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=180; Pacers -8
Indiana should have no trouble with Charlotte, but it is difficult to predict a blowout where the defensive-minded Pacers are concerned.
Philadelphia 76ers at Orlando Magic* (7:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=208.5; Magic -4
With the likely absence of Spencer Hawes/PHI and Thaddeus Young/PHI, Michael Carter-Williams/PHI and Evan Turner/PHI carry the Sixers’ hopes of victory. They visit the improving Orlando Magic. I like Orlando here, but Philadelphia will stay close until the final minutes. Victor Oladipo/ORL is among the very best and safest value plays, as he does not rely on shooting to accumulate fantasy points.
Memphis Grizzlies at Boston Celtics (7:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=182; Grizzlies -3
Among the teams in the sad-sack Atlantic Division, the Celtics are the best at the moment. Moving Jordan Crawford/BOS into the point guard role has paid off. Grizzly Kosta Koufos/MEM is an excellent sleeper play today.
Los Angeles Lakers* at Brooklyn Nets* (7:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=199; Nets -2.5
Brooklyn pulled off a surprise road win in Toronto, while the Lakers lost a close one to the Wizards last night. With the Nets injury woes, the Lakers’ depth should prevail tonight. Jordan Farmar/LAL could continue to see major minutes off the bench, considering his string of excellent games.
Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers (7:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=196.5; Heat -9
LeBron/MIA returns home. The Cavs will be motivated, but their lineup is very thin and the Heat should have no trouble grinding them into dust. Some of the Heat bench players, most notably Chris Andersen/MIA, are worth a look as bargain plays.
Chicago Bulls at Detroit Pistons (7:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=185.5; Pistons -4
The Bulls have looked awful since Derrick Rose/CHI went down with a season-ending knee injury and I expect more of the same here. Rodney Stuckey/DET has been an effective player for Detroit coming off the bench and he’ll get plenty of action tonight.
Atlanta Hawks* at Houston Rockets (8:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=207; Rockets -8.5
The Hawks had a disappointing game against the Magic last night. Even without James Harden/HOU, the deep Rockets should handle the tired Hawks.
Washington Wizards* at Milwaukee Bucks (8:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=190; Wizards -3.5
The Bucks are the current “worst team in the league”. The Wizards starters have logged heavy minutes, which suggests that if they have the game comfortably in hand, John Wall/WAS and company will get some extra rest.
Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves (8:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=211.5; Wolves -6
This is favored to be the highest scoring game of the night. Investing in frontline players on both teams is a decent tactic.
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (8:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=201.5; Thunder -2.5
The toughest test for the Spurs so far this season. Is there a way to contain Kevin Durant/OKC?
Golden State Warriors* at Dallas Mavericks (8:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=207.5; Mavs -4.5
The Warriors won in New Orleans when an open three attempt by the Pelicans in the closing seconds did everything but go in. Golden State will get Andrew Bogut/GSW back tonight, and I give them the edge in talent against the Mavs.
Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns (9:00pm EST)- Over/Under Total=200; Blazers -3.5
Goran Dragic/PHO has stepped up his game with the continued absence of Eric Bledsoe/PHO. The Suns don’t have enough to stop Portland. Mo Williams/POR returns from his one-game suspension.
New York Knicks at Los Angeles Clippers (10:30pm EST)- Over/Under Total=203.5; Clippers -10
I’m all set for another episode of the Carmelo Anthony/NYK show and a Clippers victory. I think this one will be closer than the betting line suggests.
My lineup in today’s $5/2,200 entry GPP at DraftStreet (subject to change; $99,891 of $100,000 spent):
Stars Worth Starting: Carmelo Anthony/NYK, John Wall/WAS
Bargain Plays: Victor Oladipo/ORL, George Hill/IND, Martell Webster/WAS
Speculative Plays: Jordan Hill/LAL, Robin Lopez/POR, Tayshaun Prince/MEM
Estimated DraftStreet points: 225.00 (+/- 40.00)
Other good value plays: Ricky Rubio/MIN, Andray Blatche/BKN, Kosta Koufos/MEM, Ty Lawson/DEN, and Evan Turner/PHI.
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.
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