As predicted, Golden State was up 74-55 at halftime and rolled to a 21-point victory over the Lakers on Sunday. Stephen Curry and Marreese Speights were great to own, but my attempt to stack seven Warriors did not pay off. The shocker was Houston scoring just 69 points — and winning! That ruined the day of everyone who paid top dollar for James Harden and Dwight Howard.
Nine NBA games is a busy slate for a Monday. As always some offer more fantasy potential than others. We’re going to focus on the best probabilities for high scores, and ignore a few others involving strong defensive teams.
A day after losing in New York, the struggling Nuggets will be no match for the Cavs. LeBron James $11000 and Kyrie Irving $7900 are red hot. The slight concern is that both might be given a quick hook. Possible bargains if the score gets out of hand include Tristan Thompson $4500, Dion Waiters $3700 and Joe Harris $3300.
Plays of the Day
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Anthony Davis $10900 is worth his salary — LaMarcus Aldridge (illness) is questionable and Nicolas Batum remains doubtful, so other Pelicans like Tyreke Evans $7200, Ryan Anderson $5400 and Omer Asik $5400 may also thrive. Damian Lillard $8500 beat the Nets almost single-handedly on Saturday.
The Mavericks could be great value because the well-rested starters will finally be needed. Dallas used 13 players on both Thursday and Saturday in ridiculously easy wins over the hapless Sixers and unlucky Wolves. Combined, Dirk Nowitzki $7300 scored 36 points in just 43 minutes, Tyson Chandler $6300 had 21 (and 26 REB) in the same brief stints and Monta Ellis $6900 ran wild.
Rajon Rondo $8400 is worth more in the DK format than many PG thanks to his rebounding. Kelly Olynyk $6400 and Jared Sullinger $7100 match up well against the Suns. Jeff Green $6200, Avery Bradley $4700 or Evan Turner $3900 could all share in the numbers if the score is high. Phoenix is harder to figure. Gerald Green $4500 has big nights when they are well behind and disappears when it’s close. Isaiah Thomas $5500 shows a similar tendency. Facing the generous Boston D, starters Goran Dragic $5800, Eric Bledsoe $6400, Markieff Morris $6100, Miles Plumlee $4600 and Marcus Morris $4000 are all potential bargains.
It’s a road back-to-back for the Heat, not usually recommended, but if Dwyane Wade (hamstring) misses another start, Mario Chalmers $5300 and Shawne Williams $4400 are attractively priced. Note that using either James or Davis means compromises elsewhere.
I’m not exactly confident about Spencer Hawes $3500 continuing to improve, just needed a piece that size. There are some very interesting lineup combinations possible tonight without going above $8500 for anyone. Good luck!
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season.
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