There were plenty of tight games last night, most notably the Warriors-Thunder, Knicks-Clippers and Lakers-Pistons. The Celtics manhandled the Cavaliers, the Pacers had no trouble with the Wizards, and the Bobcats handed the Bucks yet another defeat. The Raptors fought all night but came up just short against the visiting Heat. Today, we conclude the first full month of NBA action. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Top performers
1) Jrue Holiday/NOP. Brilliant against his former team. 8 of 13 FGA, 3 of 4 FTA, 7 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 TO, 20 points.
2) Jamal Crawford/LAC. He ended up carrying the ball for the injured Chris Paul/LAC
3) Russell Westbrook/OKC. His great game is a hopeful sign for the Thunder.
4) Anthony Davis/NOP. Took some time to get in gear.
5) Josh Smith/DET. A great all around game in a losing cause.
Honorable mention: DeMarcus Cousins/SAC, DeAndre Jordan/LAC, Stephen Curry/GSW.
Top Sleepers
1) Jamal Crawford/LAC. Deserves a spot on this list as well. 12 of 22 FGA, 4 of 4 FTA, 7 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 TO, 31 points.
2) Shawne Williams/LAL.
3) Wes Johnson/LAL.
4) Mizra Teletovic/BKN. Lots of garbage time production.
5) Aaron Brooks/HOU. Another great fill in game.
6) Eric Gordon/NOP.
7) Francisco Garcia/HOU. Another testament to the Rockets’ great depth.
Biggest Busts
1) Shaun Livingston/BKN. 0 of 1 FGA, 0 TO, 0 points (11+ minutes)
2) Isaiah Thomas/SAC. His worst game of the year by far.
3) Andray Blatche/BKN. Somewhat expected due to the return of Brook Lopez/BKN.
4) John Wall/WAS. Put in a box by the Pacers defense.
5) Jordan Hill/LAL. Left early with an ankle injury.
My recommended lineup totaled 203.00 DraftStreet points, a mediocre overall result. Nikola Vucevic/ORL was shut down by the Spurs and his production was derailed by turnovers. Victor Oladipu/ORL performed admirably against one of the tightest defenses in the league and remains significantly undervalued at his current price. Ryan Anderson/NOP was solid against the Sixers and Goran Dragic/PHO was sensational until resting much of the second half. Serge Ibaka/OKC and Andrea Bargnani/NYK performed in line with expectations, but Channing Frye/PHO and Steve Blake/LAL were well below par. As far as Frye is concerned, the lesson I take away is : beware one-hit wonders.
Saturday NBA contests at DraftStreet
The top attraction among the NBA leagues at DraftStreet tonight is an $11/500 max entry GPP. There are also the usual other multi-entry and double up leagues.
Rockets and Spurs to Collide
A look at tonight’s action from a daily fantasy perspective. Dollar figures are DraftStreet salaries. An asterisk (*) indicates a team playing the second of back-to-back games.
Atlanta Hawks* at Washington Wizards* (7:00 pm EST), Over/Under 196.5; Wizards -3
I’m looking forward to a Jeff Teague/$13,110/ATL- John Wall/$19,715/WAS showdown. Conditions are much better for Martell Webster/$12,251/WAS tonight.
Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers* (7:30 pm EST), Over/Under 180.5; Bulls -4
The Bulls pulled together and scored an impressive win over the Pistons a few nights ago; they should be able to handle the reeling Cavaliers. It’s hard to tip anyone as a good value bet in what figures to be a low scoring game.
Brooklyn Nets* at Memphis Grizzlies (8:00 pm EST), Over/Under 185.5; Grizzlies -9
The Nets got Brook Lopez/BKN back but still got thrashed by the Rockets. Marc Gasol/MEM fill in Kosta Koufos/$11,363/ is a solid choice.
Houston Rockets* at San Antonio Spurs* (8:30 pm EST), Over/Under 205.5; Spurs -6.5
The Rockets are on fire and got a shot in the arm with James Harden’s/$17,778/HOU return, while the Spurs had enough to beat the upstart Orlando Magic even without Tony Parker/$12,501/SAS. The betting line is skewed towards the Spurs. We don’t know how well Harden will react to back-to-back games, so avoid him. Reserves Aaron Brooks/$8,925/HOU and Francisco Garcia/$6,348/HOU remain great bargain plays.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks*, (8:30 pm EST), Over/Under 208; Mavs -1
The Wolves are desperate for a win and have a new piece in their rotation, namely Luc Richard Mbah a Moute/$7,240/MIN. It’s not known yet how many minutes he’ll get and which Wolves will lose minutes. Dirk Nowitzki/$15,575/DAL is a good bet for a big game.
Utah Jazz* at Phoenix Suns* (9:00 pm EST), Over/Under 196 ; Suns -8.5
A next day return match and there is little prospect for a different outcome. Eric Bledsoe/$14,793/PHO came off the bench but played close to starters minutes and did well. I don’t know how many minutes he can handle tonight, but I expect Goran Dragic’s/$14,795/PHO playing time and touches to decrease slightly. Blowout conditions may apply here.
Boston Celtics* at Milwaukee Bucks* (9:00 pm EST), Over/Under 186; Celtics -2.5
The Celtics are looking better these days and I feel they have a legitimate shot at winning the ultra-weak Atlantic division. Celtics such as Jared Sullinger/$11,542/BOS, Jordan Crawford/$11,627/BOS, Brandon Bass/$9,004/BOS and Jeff Green/$9,975/BOS are undervalued and playable.
My recommended lineup in the $11/500 max entry at DraftStreet ($99,754 salary spent of $100,000 max):
Stars Worth Starting: Dirk Nowitzki/DAL, Goran Dragic/PHO
Bargain Plays: Brandon Bass/BOS, Jordan Crawford/BOS, Kosta Koufos/MEM
Speculative Plays: Martell Webster/WAS, Kevin Martin/MIN, Gordon Hayward/UTA
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.