One of the great things about fantasy basketball is that you don’t have to worry about the weather. in baseball, rainout can wreak havoc on your lineups; in football, bad weather can limit scoring. But in basketball, the weather is not a factor; we don’t have to worry about games being cancelled… whoops. That rarest of events, an NBA game cancelled right as it was scheduled to start, threw a wrench into the works. Anyone who had Spurs or Timberwolves in their lineups was dealt a heavy blow in daily fantasy leagues. The other games went off without issue. The highlight of the night was the Blazers claiming “best team in basketball” rights for the moment with a victory over the undoubtedly tired Thunder. Thursday night sees a light schedule of three games. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Top performers
1) LaMarcus Aldridge/POR. Quietly moving towards the top of the overall fantasy rankings. 17 of 28 FGA, 4 of 4 FTA, 13 rebounds, 5 assists,2 steals, 0 TO, 38 points.
2) Andre Drummond/DET. Might be the best rebounder in the game.
3) Paul Millsap/ATL. Led the Hawks to an impressive win over the Clippers.
4) Anderson Varejao/CLE, A brilliant game off the bench.
5) Tristan Thompson/CLE. 21 boards, 3 blocks in 34+ minutes – where did that come from?
Honorable mention: Greg Monroe/DET
Top Sleepers
1) Al-Farouq Aminu/NOP. The Pelicans needed someone to step up on the board and Aminu has answered the call. 8 of 17 FGA, 21 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 3 TO, 16 points.
2) P.J. Tucker/PHO
3) Giannis Antetokounmpo/MIL. Word is that he’s still growing and will eventually be a seven-footer.
4) Aaron Brooks/HOU.
5) Luke Ridnour/MIL.
Biggest Busts
1) James Harden/HOU. As he goes, so go the Rockets. 3 of 17 FGA, 8 of 8 FTA, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 5 TO, 14 points.
2) Jeff Teague/ATL.
3) Rodney Stuckey/DET. Cooling off after a good run.
4) Gerald Green/PHO. Back on the bench.
5) Mike Scott/ATL.
Thursday NBA contests at DraftStreet
The marquee contest tonight at DraftStreet is the $22/$6,000 GPP. For those on a tighter budget, there are two $2 multi-entry contests with room for 500 and 330 entries respectively, the latter being a “pick’em” format.
Don’t forget our weekly freeroll, taking place tomorrow night. Click on any DraftStreet text link to register and remember to submit your lineup before the NBA games begin on Friday night. There are plenty of vouchers to be won with no risk to you.
Battle of New York to Avoid the Basement
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:
New York Knicks at Brooklyn Nets (7:00 pm EST), Over/Under 189; Knicks -1
The line should favor the Knicks much more than it does. The Knicks may not be playing well, but they are not in disarray. Carmelo Anthony/$20,521/NYK and Andrea Bargnani/$13,460/NYK have been producing for the Knicks and that should continue. The Nets need offense from Joe Johnson/$13,479/BKN to stay in this game.
Los Angeles Clippers* at Memphis Grizzlies (8:00 pm EST), Over/Under 195; Grizzlies -1
The Clippers didn’t play their A game against he Hawks and now visit the surprisingly tough Grizzlies. Kosta Koufos/$14,216/MEM continues to fill in admirably for injured star Marc Gasol/MEM, and Ed Davis/$11,235/MEM is getting things going offensively. The outcome of Koufos’ battle with DeAndre Jordan/$14,705/LAC could determine the winner tonight. Blake Griffin/$17,308/LAC and Mike Conley/$14,211/MEM are decent speculative plays tonight, while Chris Paul/$20,810/LAC is as safe a pick as there is.
Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls (9:30 pm EST), Over/Under 188.5; Heat -5
Many thought this would be a preview of the Eastern Conference championship, but the Bulls have not looked good without Derrick Rose/CHI. The Heat are solid favorites if Dwayne Wade/$15,895/MIA is able to play, if not it is a virtual coin flip. The Bulls share similarities with the Pistons, who just beat the Heat. Given the prime time qualities of this contest, I expect a great game from LeBron James/$21,576/MIA (a needed anchor on a night of relatively few good daily fantasy choices) , while Taj Gibson/$11,710/CHI, Joakim Noah/$13,510/CHI and Carlos Boozer/$12,655/CHI try to produce inside.
My recommended lineup in the $2/550 max entry at DraftStreet ($99,512 salary spent of $100,000 max):
Stars Worth Starting: LeBron James/MIA, Andrea Bargnani/NYK, Joakim Noah/CHI
Bargain Plays: Jerryd Bayless/MEM, J.R. Smith/NYK,
Speculative Plays: Ed Davis/MEM, Joe Johnson/BKN, Taj Gibson/CHI,
Expected DraftStreet points: 205 (+- 45 points)
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.