Despite a number of key injuries, the Pelicans played valiantly. Anthony Davis/NOP and the supporting cast gave the Spurs all they could handle, but Tony Parker/SAS couldn’t be stopped and San Antonio posted another set of back to back wins. The Raptors might be the hottest team in the East at the moment; they easily dismantled the Milwaukee Bucks. As good as the Nuggets are at home, they have struggled on the road and last night they lost a winnable game in Utah. The Rockets had a big lead and held on despite things getting interesting in Boston in the closing minutes. The sad sack Magic lost another one on their long road trip, falling to the Mavericks 107-88. Tuesday sees a light schedule on the NBA hardwood floors. Here is today’s Fantasy Spin.
Fantasy Boom and Bust
Top Performers:
Carmelo Anthony/NYK. 9 of 24 FGA, 8 of 9 FTA, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 5 TO, 29 points.
Alec Burks/UTA. A tremendous athletic talent and with Gordon Hayward/UTA out he got the start and took full advantage.
Kyle Lowry/TOR. A remarkable first quarter set the tone for the streaking Raptors.
Honorable Mention: Ersan Ilyasova/MIL, Dwight Howard/HOU, Anthony Davis/NOP.
Sleepers:
Ersan Illyasova/MIL. When he’s on his game he’s the best player on the struggling Bucks. 11 of 16 FGA, 4 of 4 FTA, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 0 TO, 29 points.
Alec Burks/UTA, Avery Bradley/BOS, Jae Crowder/DAL. Jeremy Lin/HOU. J.J. Hickson/DEN.
Disappointments:
Jeff Green/BOS. He didn’t have his usual shooting touch and was a non-factor in the second half. 2 of 10 FGA, 6 rebounds, 4 TO, 4 points.
Timofey Mozgov/DEN, Trevor Booker/WAS.
DraftStreet NBA Leagues
If I had to choose an optimal buy in for DraftStreet NBA contests, it would be $11: affordable, yet enough to build large prize pools without the need for thousands of players. Tuesday night features a $6,000 GPP with an $11 buy in and $1,200 for first place.There are also many double up leagues of various sizes and buy in level for almost any taste.
If you are eager to qualify for the DraftStreet Basketball Championship and a shot at $100,000, you will have to wait until the $22 qualifier tomorrow. It’s simple: win the qualifier and earn one of 30 places in the final round.
Hot Kings visit League Leading Pacers
New York Knicks* at Charlotte Bobcats (7:00 pm EST); over/under 187; Bobcats -1. INJURIES: NYK: Tyson Chandler (Q), Pablo Prigioni (OUT) ; CHA: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (P) .
Tonight features the probable return of Kidd-Gilchrist to provide a boost to the Bobcats’ offense. Amare Stoudamire/NYK would normally be a great value play, but the Knicks are playing the second of back to back games, so his playing time should be eased down. Carmelo Anthony/NYK is a decent lineup anchor for double up format contests.
Sacramento Kings at Indiana Pacers (7:00 pm EST); over/under 194.5; Pacers -10.5. INJURIES: SAC: Carl Landry (OUT) ; IND: none.
The feature match of the night. My belief is that the play of Rudy Gay/SAC will determine if the Kings can compete on Indiana’s home court. DeMarcus Cousins/SAC will be in tough against Roy Hibbert/IND. Lance Stephenson/IND is the best value play in this game: he provides the
Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies (8:00 pm EST); over/under 195; pick’em. INJURIES: OKC: Kevin Durant (Q), Russell Westbrook (OUT) ; MEM: Tony Allen (OUT), Marc Gasol (OUT).
There is some concern that Kevin Durant/OKC will be ready and healthy to play his normal game. That suggests Serge Ibaka/OKC will be asked to fill in, and Reggie Jackson/OKC becomes a high upside play.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 pm EST); over/under 202.5 ; Cavs -3.5. INJURIES: CLE: none ; LAL: Pau Gasol (Q), Xavier Henry, Kobe Bryant, Steve Blake, Jordan Farmar, Steve Nash (OUT) .
Kyrie Irving/CLE and Anderson Varejao/CLE are great upside plays tonight against the porous Lakers defense. On the Lakers’ side Kendall Marshall/LAL and Jodie Meeks/LAL will get many touches especially if Gasol sits out.
My Lineup
The following is my recommended lineup, subject to change, for the $5/$1,000 double up payout GPP at DraftStreet ($99,182 spent of $100,000 max):
Stars Worth Starting: Zach Randolph/MEM, Mike Conley/MEM, Serge Ibaka/OKC
Bargain Plays: Jason Thompson/SAC, J.R. Smith/NYK
Speculative Plays: Kendall Marshall/LAL, Lance Stephenson/IND, Andrea Bargnani/NYK.
Estimated DraftStreet Points: 210 (+- 65).
Others Deserving of Consideration: Thabo Sefolosha/OKC, C.J. Miles/CLE, Gerald Henderson/CHA, Kemba Walker/CHA, Kyrie Irving/CLE, Anderson Varejao/CLE
The Fantasy Spin is up at Sheridan Hoops every day, around 1 PM EST. Follow me @robdudek for breaking news and pre-game thoughts relevant to NBA daily fantasy.