Monday was a strange night in the NBA. The lowly Nuggets, blown out the day before, shocked the previously red-hot Cavs in Cleveland. Pau Gasol (calf) and Derrick Rose (hamstring) didn’t play, but the Bulls beat the Clippers anyway, thanks to Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler.
LaMarcus Aldridge returned from an illness, but Chris Kaman still double-doubled. Something’s wrong with the Rockets, who got trounced in Memphis. Houston is still 9-2, but have scored an average of just 83.3 points in their last three, somehow taking two ugly ones.
With all that unpredictability going on, I feel pretty good about winning a few dollars at DraftKings. Thanks to Anthony Davis, Rajon Rondo, Mario Chalmers and Dion Waiters for performing well enough to get my teams in the money despite whiffing on the other four lineup spots.
That was so much fun, let’s do it again. While Tuesday’s four-game slate may not feature any championship contenders, it offers plenty of opportunity for daily fantasy investors.
Plays of the Day
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The Lakers visit Atlanta and one thing is certain — Kobe Bryant $8800 will score. So will Jeff Teague $7000 and Paul Millsap $8700. There are rumblings about Ed Davis $4400 replacing Carlos Boozer $6400 in the L.A. starting lineup, not that it will do much good. DeMarre Carroll $5100 (groin) is doubtful but Kyle Korver $5700 might be angry after a scoreless 14 minutes in Cleveland on Saturday. Al Horford $7200 is a great buy-low candidate in traditional fantasy leagues; his slow start was understandable after last year’s serious injury and he’s beginning to look more confident.
The Knicks won a home game against a weak opponent on Sunday and will try to build on that in Milwaukee. Brandon Knight $7500 is the best PG on the court and Carmelo Anthony $9500 can be unstoppable. The young Bucks are in flux. Giannis Antetekounmpo $5200 keeps improving, Larry Sanders $4500 can surprise but the rotation is too deep and inconsistent for confident daily speculation. Jabari Parker $5200 looked pretty good in Miami, though the rookie is on a short leash.
It’s understandable that the Thunder, missing Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, are not even close to the same team. Reggie Jackson $8500 and Serge Ibaka $7500 appear to be exhausted from carrying them. The Jazz are led by Gordon Hayward $7700 — who is feeling better after playing through an illness on Saturday — and Derrick Favors $7300. If (like me) you expect a big win for the rested home team, Enes Kanter $5100, Alec Burks $5300 and Trey Burke $5200 are inexpensive.
It’s back-to-back for the Pelicans, on the road, with Omer Asik iffy again due to back pain. That’s a difficult assignment against the well-rested Kings, who have been overachieving so far this season. DeMarcus Cousins $9900 can take over any game, Darren Collison $7000 is doing a nice job but Rudy Gay $8000 — who apparently likes it in Sacramento, signing a 3-year extension — is questionable with Achilles soreness. If he doesn’t play, there’s no single beneficiary. Jason Thompson (quad) may also be less than 100%, so Carl Landry $3600 and Omri Casspi $3000 will gain minutes. The great Anthony Davis $11000 will do everything he can to keep it close.
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season.
Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.