Maybe the Rockets were overconfident. Maybe the Spurs were desperate and determined. For reasons no doubt more complex than that, Houston lost a game I thought they would win fairly easily. Now they return home for a back-to-back against the 21-8 Wizards in the best of six Monday night NBA games.
James Harden $11500 might not have to carry the team by himself quite as often. Josh Smith $7300 has landed in an ideal spot, but foul trouble last night limited him to 26 minutes. Corey Brewer $4900 was on fire (six 3-pointers, 25 points) in just 24 minutes off the bench. Though he was strong in defeat (24 PTS, 17 REB) Dwight Howard $8900 is always a candidate to be rested; whenever that happens Donatas Motiejunas $5100 (a SF if you are looking for him at DraftKings) will start at C. Patrick Beverley $5400 will try to slow down John Wall $10200, but a couple of other Washington players are worth a look. Ex-Celtics Paul Pierce $5300 and Kris Humphries $4000 were very sharp in Boston on Saturday and may keep it up.
Plays of the Day
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Upset at home by the Raptors on Saturday, Chris Paul $10500 and the Clippers will be determined to make amends, though CP3, Blake Griffin $11100 and DeAndre Jordan $8100 do not come cheap. Jamal Crawford $5000 leads the second unit. The Jazz are in trouble without Alec Burks (shoulder) in a potentially lopsided game. I’m ignoring them tonight and not too keen on them tomorrow.
DeMarcus Cousins $10900 can feast on Mason Plumlee $8000 and sadly for his owners in traditional leagues, Brook Lopez $6900 has become a non-factor. I call DMC, Rudy Gay $8300 and Darren Collison $6400 the Three Kings; nobody else is worth using. Jarrett Jack $5300 has been excellent recently for Brooklyn, with Deron Williams $6500 limited to 20 minutes in his first two games back from a calf injury. Joe Johnson $6500 will need to score early and often to keep the Nets in this one.
You never know what to expect from Milwaukee. They clobbered the Hawks in Atlanta on Friday and played tough in the rematch the following night, a defensive struggle where neither team shot 40%. Charlotte is vulnerable unless Al Jefferson $9100 has fully recovered from a groin strain. Kemba Walker $8400 tried to beat the Magic all by himself on Saturday (42 PTS, 7 AST) but with Big Al a step slow and Lance Stephenson (pelvis) out, the Hornets don’t have much sting. While yhe over/under suggests “pass,” I’m adding a couple of Bucks to the Short List. Zaza Pachulia $4000 is getting close to 30 minutes a game and Jared Dudley $4300 has a permanently green light off the bench.
When the Bulls are healthy, they can beat anyone. Pau Gasol $9200, Jimmy Butler $8500 and Derrick Rose $7100 are arguably worth those salaries but the Pacers might slow this one down, so I’m leaning toward other games. If you do like Indiana to keep it close, the price is right on Rodney Stuckey $5800 and David West $6300.
The Battle of Florida doesn’t mean much at first glance — a 12-21 team visits one that’s 14-17 and 6-11 at home — but the East is so weak, Miami is holding down a playoff spot and Orlando is just three games behind them. Dwyane Wade $8600 has been superb while Chris Bosh $7900 (calf) has missed the last eight games. If Bosh returns tonight — he’s a true game-time decision — that will affect Wade’s usage but make the Heat a better team. Nikola Vucevic $9000 will be hard for them to stop no matter what, and Tobias Harris $7200 is coming off a great effort. Possible bargains from this one if Bosh does not return include Chris Andersen $4300 and almost-forgotten Danny Granger $3700, off a season-high in minutes (28) and points (18) against Memphis.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Chris Paul $10500 | Derrick Rose $7100 | Jarrett Jack $5300 |
| SG | James Harden $11500 | Joe Johnson $6500 | Jamal Crawford $5000 |
| SF | Rudy Gay $8300 | Josh Smith $7300 | Jared Dudley $4300 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $11100 | David West $6300 | Kris Humphries $4000 |
| C | DeMarcus Cousins $10900 | DeAndre Jordan $8100 | Zaza Pachulia $4000 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.