After a busy Monday night, there are only two games in the Association this evening. In daily fantasy, the extreme of ‘too many’ PG (congrats if you backed Damian Lillard) swings all the way to ‘not enough’. Most teams will have at least one guy named Brandon. Because players are eligible only at one position in DraftKings contests, there’s quite a shortage at SF, where the two best players are sidelined. Everyone has a big decision to make on the Greek Freak.
There’s no fallout from last night’s three-team trade in Tuesday DFS action, but J.R. Smith will have a short-term impact in Cleveland, beginning as soon as tomorrow. In traditional formats, when LeBron James and Iman Shumpert return from injuries, Smith can be an explosive sixth man. I’m always positive about a player leaving a mess for a contender, even one whose attitude can be toxic.
Plays of the Day
Open a new account at DK and get a FREE entry for tonight’s $50K Layup — the winner earns $5,000 and 5,750 of 28,750 teams receive cash prizes. Your initial deposit ($5 or more) is matched 100% up to $600 with bonus money, earned a dollar at a time as you play. Compete for higher stakes in the $65K Crossover — $27 to enter, maximum 2,730 teams, top 570 get paid and top score wins $10,000.
The 6-sport, $2.7 MILLION January Jam costs $100 to enter, but you can win tickets in Satellite contests for $5, $2 or even a quarter. Those tickets let you choose which sport’s Jam final(s) to enter, like the $2 Million NFL Millionaire Maker this coming Saturday, January 10, where someone will win a million bucks. My target is the $500,000 NBA Slam Dunk on January 28. Top prize in that one is $100,000, enough incentive to contribute $2 a day.
Detroit has won five in a row thanks to better ball movement, the inside dominance of Andre Drummond $9500 and gunner Jodie Meeks $4500 getting healthy. Brandon Jennings $7600 just played his best game of the season (35 PTS, 7 AST) and has scored 25+ in three of his last four. The subtraction of Josh Smith has also been a boost to Greg Monroe $7100 with starter’s minutes again, and it’s created opportunities at SF and in the second unit, where Caron Butler $3300, D.J. Augustin $3800 and Jonas Jerebko $3400 are taking advantage at ultra-cheap prices. All of a sudden they are thinking playoffs.
Hot or not, the Pistons are no match for the Spurs, fully rested — if not fully healthy — and at home. Tim Duncan $9100 had a rare quiet night on Saturday, but Tiago Splitter $4100 and Boris Diaw $4500 picked him up as they handled the Wizards. That depth has helped them survive without Tony Parker $6300 (hamstring) — Cory Joseph $6000 has filled in nicely — and the return of Patty Mills $3400 adds another dimension to the backcourt. Danny Green $5400 gets a $1000 salary cut and is due to get hot. Marco Belinelli $4300 and Manu Ginobili $5200 are inexpensive. It’s never easy to read the mind of Gregg Popovich; picking the right guys can really pay off.
You can stack seven Spurs with the most expensive SF on the board and have an amazing $4800 left over. I’m using four in tonight’s sample lineup.
Phoenix at Milwaukee is a bit easier to figure. Both teams played very well on Sunday but there’s a big difference between scoring 95 points to beat the woeful Knicks and putting up 125 in regulation against a pretty good Raptors teamt. Goran Dragic $7500 and Eric Bledsoe $9300 are way more experienced than Brandon Knight $7500 and Giannis Antetokounmpo $6800, with a fast pace expected. Markieff Morris $6500 and P.J. Tucker $4600 can outplay Khris Middleton $4800 and Johnny O’Bryant $3200. Neither team has a beast at center but Zaza Pachulia $6000 is crafty and gets 30+ minutes.
In addition to the starters’ presumed edge, the Suns have Isaiah Thomas $5600 and Gerald Green $4700 scoring off the bench in a variety of ways, while Marcus Morris $4000 adds threes and rebounds. The Bucks’ second unit of O.J. Mayo $4200, Kendall Marshall $3500, Jared Dudley $4300 and John Henson $3900 isn’t nearly as dangerous.
In my line of work, typing (knee) or (hamstring) a few hundred times a week does get old, but it’s kind of an industry standard. A clever Twitter account has fun reporting useful information (while mocking whatever is supposed to be inside the brackets) in every update:
Larry Sanders (in love with adopted sister, getting job on ocean liner) has told Bucks officials he doesn’t want to play basketball anymore.
— NBA Injury Report (@NBAInjuryR3port) January 5, 2015
A few of the jokes are air balls but many are highlight-reel dunks. Recommended if your fantasy hoops feed needs more laughs.
The Short List today is aptly named. I’m keying on the Big Fundamental, hoping the Spurs slow down Drummond and Jennings. Also need the Bucks to play well enough — win or lose — that everyone from both teams gets their numbers. Good luck; see you on the leaderboard.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Brandon Knight $7500 | Cory Joseph $6000 | Isaiah Thomas $5600 |
| SG | Eric Bledsoe $9300 | Danny Green $5400 | Marco Belinelli $4300 |
| SF | G. Antetokounmpo $6800 | Khris Middleton $4800 | P.J. Tucker $4600 |
| PF | Tim Duncan $9100 | Markieff Morris $6500 | Boris Diaw $4300 |
| C | Andre Drummond $9500 | Zaza Pachulia $6000 | Tiago Splitter $4100 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.