There were several flip-flops in the NBA last night. The Bucks lost to the Bobcats, then returned home and upset the visiting Celtics. The Jazz lost at home to the Suns, then returned the favor in Phoenix. The Nets were thrashed by the Rockets two nights ago, but took advantage of Zach Randolph’s/MEM absence to beat the Grizzlies. In the feature matchup of the night, the Rockets built a big lead in San Antonio, saw it disappear, then rallied in the closing minutes to score an impressive win over the Spurs. Today, the action is split into three afternoon games and five evening games. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Top performers
1) John Wall/WAS. Conditions were ripe for a bounce back game and Wall came through with a dominating game. 9 of 18 FGA, 6 of 11 FTA, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, 5 steals, 3 TO, 26 points.
2) Andrew Bynum/CLE. The main reason for the Cavs upset victory over the Bulls.
3) James Harden/HOU. 10 of 19 FGA, 8 of 13 FTA, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 TO, 31 points.
4) Luol Deng/CHI. 12 of 20 FGA, 1 of 1 FTA, 4 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 TO, 27 points.
5) Monta Ellis/DAL. 9 of 15 FGA, 5 of 5 FTA, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 TO, 26 points.
Honorable mention: Joe Johnson/BKN, Tim Duncan/SAS, Paul Millsap/ATL.
Top Sleepers
1) Andrew Bynum/CLE. 8 of 14 FGA, 4 of 4 FTA, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 blocks, 1 TO, 20 points.
2) Brandon Knight/MIL. 7 of 14 FGA, 3 of 4 FTA, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 TO, 20 points.
3) Trey Burke/UTA. 6 of 15 FGA, 4 of 4 FTA, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 TO, 20 points.
4) Shelvin Mack/ATL. 4 of 9 FGA, 3 of 4 FTA, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, 2 tO, 11 points.
5) Patrick Beverley/HOU. 9 of 21 FGA, 3 of 4 FTA, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 TO, 25 points.
6) Giannis Antetokounmpo/MIL. 4 of 6 FGA, 0 of 2 FTA, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 2 TO, 10 points.
Biggest Busts
1) Eric Bledsoe/PHO. Came off the bench again and was perhaps affected by playing heavy minutes the night before. 4 of 9 FGA, 4 of 6 FTA, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 TO, 13 points.
2) Tayshaun Prince/MEM. 0 of 4 FGA, 1 rebound, 1 TO, 0 points.
3) Jeff Teague/ATL. 5 of 18 FGA, 5 of 5 FTA, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 TO, 15 points.
4) Tiago Splitter/SAS. 2 of 3 FGA, 2 of 4 FTA, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 3 TO, 6 points.
5) Shawn Marion/DAL. 3 of 11 FGA, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 3 TO, 6 points.
Sunday NBA contests at DraftStreet
The top attractions among the NBA leagues at DraftStreet tonight are the $11/300 max entry GPP and a $55/100 max entry GPP, both starting at 6 PM and including only the five evening NBA games. There are plenty of other multi-entry and double up leagues on offer.
Pacers Start their Western Swing
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.
Denver Nuggets at Toronto Raptors (1:00 pm EST), Over/Under 201.5; Raptors -1
The Raptors have suffered several narrow loses and should have a solid edge against the Nuggets if they can shoot the ball effectively.
Indiana Pacers at Los Angeles Clippers (3:30 pm EST), Over/Under 189.5; Pacers -1.5
Chris Paul’s/$20,522/LAC status is uncertain for this key game: if he doesn’t play the Clippers chances of winning will be slim. Paul George/$16,904/IND has established himself as one of the very best players in the game, but Indiana’s fantasy production is spread among its regulars in unpredictable ways.
Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons (3:30 pm EST), Over/Under 208; Pistons -8.5
Thaddeus Young/$12,674/PHI has returned from injury in impressive fashion and is still undervalued. I will pass on Michael Carter-Williams/$15,860/PHI this time. Greg Monroe/$12,803/DET and Josh Smith/$13,924/DET are good speculative plays.
Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings (6:00 pm EST), Over/Under 198.5 ; Warriors -4
You can count on Stephen Curry/$18,801/GSW to get and make many shots.
Charlotte Bobcats at Miami Heat (6:00 pm EST), Over/Under 189 ; Heat -11.5
The Heat aren’t blowing teams out, but they are grinding away in the second half to secure victories. Avoid LeBron James/$20,713/MIA due to blowout concerns.
Minnesota Timberwolves* at Oklahoma City Thunder (7:00 pm EST), Over/Under 209.5; Thunder -9
If Russell Westbrook/$14,452/OKC can play at the level of his last game indefinitely, then the Thunder are a favorite to make the NBA Finals. The Wolves got a much-needed win against the Mavericks but fatigue could be an issue for them.
New Orleans Pelicans at New York Knicks (7:30 pm EST), Over/Under 197.5; Pelicans -1
Jrue Holiday/$15,475/NOP won’t have the monster game he had in his homecoming, but the Pelicans seem to match up well against the Knicks. If you have room for a superstar, consider Anthony Davis/$20,134/NOP.
Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers (9:30 pm EST), Over/Under 207; Blazers -3.5
The Blazers were brought down to earth by the Suns and have had three days off to think about it. The Lakers have played competitive ball this year without their star player.
My recommended lineup in the $2/550 max entry, 1pm start at DraftStreet ($99,962 salary spent of $100,000 max):
Stars Worth Starting: Jrue Holiday/NOP, Russell Westbrook/OKC
Bargain Plays: Eric Gordon/NOP, James Anderson/PHI
Speculative Plays: Thaddeus Young/PHI, Andrea Bargnani/NYK, Kyle Lowry/TOR, Josh Smith/DET
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.