LeBron James $11000 scored 41 to lead a great comeback in Boston last night, after the Cavs surrendered 42 points in the third quarter. That’s three in a row for Cleveland, with an average score of 117-111. Kyrie Irving $7800 is pushing the tempo. Tonight they host the Hawks, who had a slightly easier time defeating the Heat. Paul Millsap $8300 is the hot hand for Atlanta.
Of the nine other Saturday games, the most lopsided could be in Dallas, where the weary, undermanned Timberwolves are in trouble after losing by 48 last night. The kids got extra run, with Andrew Wiggins $4600 scoring 20 and Gorgui Dieng $4200 starting for the grieving Thaddeus Young. The Mavs just destroyed the Sixers by 53 on Thursday and once again, could spread the minutes among 13 players, reducing everyone’s daily fantasy value.
Plays of the Day
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The Pacers got thumped at home last night and it figures to be worse in Chicago. However, Derrick Rose $7100 is questionable with a sore hamstring, so watch those news bulletins. Pau Gasol $8500 and Jimmy Butler $6800 will pick up the scoring slack, and Aaron Brooks $3000 has had a couple of big games before in this situation.
All four of the west coast games could be high-scoring. DK offers Late contests (closing at 10:00 ET) that are particularly interesting tonight, but our sample lineup is for 7:00 action.
The Clippers are a strong play at home, though you have to play retail for Blake Griffin $9600 and Chris Paul $10200. It’s similar for the Warriors, where Stephen Curry $10300 is about due for a heat check. Draymond Green $6800, Andrew Bogut $6400 and/or Klay Thompson might provide more bang for the buck.
With LaMarcus Aldridge (illness) doubtful and Nicolas Batum (knee) out, who knows how the Blazers will respond? Chris Kaman $4300 is on a roll and will get all the minutes he can handle. That’s hard to ignore. Damian Lillard $7900, Wesley Matthews $6000 and Robin Lopez $5700 might play 40+ if the score is close. C.J. McCollum $3300 is a live longshot. The Nets lost narrowly in a back-to-back with Phoenix and Golden State. Prices are good if you like Deron Williams $7600, Joe Johnson $6700 or Brook Lopez $6700 to win the battle with his twin brother.
We are only guessing who will be on the court for the Spurs in a road back-to-back. None of the starters played more than 31 minutes in an easy win over the Lakers. DeMarcus Cousins $9800 might dominate, with Rudy Gay $8000 and Darren Collison also playable.
Raptors got a wake-up call on Thursday and are home to the tired Jazz. Kyle Lowry $8300 is Toronto’s MVP, and DeMar DeRozan $7100 must atone for that horrible 3-17 vs. the Bulls. It’s also his lowest salary of the year. I’m a huge fan of James Johnson $3800, who deserves more run and will stuff the box score if he gets a chance.
I liked the Magic a lot last night at home, not so much 24 hours later in DC, though Tobias Harris $6800 has been great. My fuzzy crystal ball says John Wall $9000 is going to shred them. Marcin Gortat $6600 is steady and Nene Hilario $5700 (shoulder) is expected to play.
On Thursday, the Grizzlies fell way behind and made a miraculous comeback. Still unbeaten at home, look for Mike Conley $7200 and Marc Gasol $7900 to keep it going. For some reason, Courtney Lee $5000 came off the bench, but still played 36 productive minutes.
With ten games, there are billions of possible combinations for an 8-man roster. Lineup construction takes skill, and it never hurts to have a bit of luck. See you at DraftKings!
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season.
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