Fantasy Spin: Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Can the Blazers Stop Durant?

Sacramento Kings at Cleveland Cavaliers (7:00 pm EST); over/under 204.5 ; Cavs-1.5. INJURIES: SAC: none ; CLE: Anderson Varejao (Q), C.J. Miles (Q) .
With Varejao/CLE below full strength, DeMarcus Cousins/SAC is one of my top candidates for a monster game. Cleveland has played with more determination since shuffling the front office. Dion Waiters/CLE is a decent speculative play, while my numbers say Isaiah Thomas/SAC is the top value play of the day by a wide margin.

Dallas Mavericks at Charlotte Bobcats (7:00 pm EST); over/under 197.5 ; Mavs-3. INJURIES: DAL: none ; CHA: none.
Al Jefferson/CHA has been a dominant force for over a month and I expect more of the same.

Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls (8:00 pm EST); over/under 185.5 ; Bulls -2. INJURIES: ATL: Pero Antic (OUT) ; CHI: Carlos Boozer (Q).
If Boozer/CHI can’t go, Mike Dunleavy/CHI becomes solid value. Joakim Noah/CHI should exploit the soft Atlanta interior. In what figures to be a defensive battle, none of the Hawks are more than fair value.

Washington Wizards at Memphis Grizzlies (8:00 pm EST); over/under 183.5; Grizzlies -4.5. INJURIES: WAS: Al Harrington (OUT) ; MEM: Mike Conley (OUT).

Miami Heat at Phoenix Suns (9:00 pm EST); over/under 208.5 ; Heat -4. INJURIES: MIA: none ; PNX: Eric Bledsoe (OUT) .

Oklahoma City Thunder at Portland Trail Blazers (7:00 pm EST); over/under 210 ; Blazers -1. INJURIES: OKC: Russell Westbrook (OUT) ; POR: Mo Williams (D).
In value for money terms, I like several Thunder players as value plays and only C.J. McColllum/POR on the other side. The latter is contingent on Mo Williams/POR being unavailable: in that case, McCollum slots in as the sixth man.

Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 pm EST); over/under 203 ; Lakers -1.5. INJURIES: UTA: Trey Burke (Q) ; LAL: Steve Nash (P), Pau Gasol, Nick Young, Jordan Farmar, Jodie Meeks, Kobe Bryant, Xavier Henry (all OUT)
Aside from Trey Burke/UTA, the Jazz are healthy and rate the talent edge over the current Lakers; home court should offset that. There are several Jazz players of good value in what figures to be a fast-paced game.

My Lineup at DraftStreet

The following is my recommended lineup, subject to change, for the $2/$5,000 standard payout GPP at DraftStreet (closing at 7 pm EST). You are required to have three guards, three forwards, one center and one wildcard/utility player for a legal eight-player lineup in DraftStreet NBA contests:

F-Kevin Durant/OKC-$23,037, G-Isaiah Thomas/SAC-$14,881, F-Gordon Hayward/UTA-$13,047, G-Steve Blake/LAL-$12,872, F-Marvin WIlliams/UTA-$11,920, G-Jimmy Butler/CHI-$10,845, G-C.J. McCollum-$6,715 (if Mo Williams/POR is scratched), C-Kendrick Perkins/OKC-$6.578.

Others to consider: DeMarcus Cousins/SAC, Al Jefferson/CHA, Joakim Noah/CHI, Kendall Marshall/LAL, Wes Johnson/LAL, Reggie Jackson/OKC, Nick Calathes/MEM, Enes Kanter/UTA.

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