It was an unusual Monday night in the NBA. Two games were postponed by a severe winter storm in New York, early enough in the day for DFS players to reset lineups. Kevin Durant (toe) sitting out made a bigger, last-minute impact at DraftKings. Scoring was low everywhere, except for Anthony Davis, who helped many of us win a few bucks.
Tonight’s biggest game, with perhaps the highest score, has the Bulls at Golden State. When these teams last met, Draymond Green $7500 hit seven triples for a career-high 31 points. Stephen Curry $10000 and Derrick Rose $7200 both had sub-par shooting nights, with Klay Thompson $8000 and Jimmy Butler $7800 picking up the slack. Pau Gasol $9200 (22 PTS, 20 REB) was outstanding in defeat. But that was eight weeks ago. While the Warriors have continued to toy with the league, Chicago is struggling — 4-6 in their last ten.
Plays of the Day
Open a new DK account and get a FREE entry for the $65K Layup — the top score earns $5,000 and 8,375 of 37,375 teams receive cash prizes. They will match your initial deposit 100% ($5 to $600) with bonus funds that convert to cash as you play. Also featured tonight is the $125K Crossover, with a $20,000 first prize. 1,450 of 7,090 teams will cash. That $20 buy-in is also offered FREE to new depositors if you’re willing to spend more to win more.
The Fantasy Basketball World Championship has a million dollar first prize, to be awarded March 23. There are only 40 seats in the Final; finish first in a Qualifier to win a spot, including a 5-day VIP trip to Las Vegas (worth $55,000) plus $7,000 in cash, even for last place! The $2.7 MILLION January Jam costs $100 per team, but you can win tickets for $5, $2 or even a quarter. Tonight is your last chance to qualify for tomorrow’s $500,000 NBA Slam Dunk, with a top prize of $100,000 for a $100 buy-in.
Cleveland should stomp the Pistons for their seventh straight win. D. J. Augustin $5800 was on fire (35 PTS, 8 AST) in his first start since the Brandon Jennings injury, but normally is no match for Kyrie Irving $8800. The PF matchup is interesting, with Greg Monroe $8500 and Kevin Love $9300 each a difficult cover for the other. Detroit has nobody capable of guarding LeBron James $10700, who has been extremely sharp since returning from an eight-game injury absence.
Dallas just won in Memphis eight days ago, only two games separate them in the standings and the Mavs will be determined to avoid losing three in a row. This is a back-to-back for the Grizzlies after taking care of business against Orlando. Marc Gasol $8400 and Zach Randolph $8100 both double-doubled, but if Mike Conley $7100 (wrist) has to sit out, Beno Udrih $3500 becomes a major factor. That would be a great matchup for Rajon Rondo $7100, as long as he doesn’t settle for jump shots. Dirk Nowitzki $6400 and Monta Ellis $7100 are also in a groove.
John Wall $9200 should destroy Jordan Clarkson $3700 although the Wizards can stay on cruise control and beat the Lakers. It’s worth noting that Kris Humphries $3800 is coming off a massive 21-point, 14-rebound performance in an OT win at Denver, while an ineffective Marcin Gortat $5500 watched the final 17 minutes from the bench. Bradley Beal $6200 and Nene Hilario $5400 are reasonably priced. Byron Scott is playing mind games with what’s left of his roster; the L.A. bench outscored the starters 49-38 in their latest debacle.
Milwaukee at Miami figures to be low-scoring, with Chris Bosh $8100 and Dwyane Wade $8100 leading the Heat. There’s no way Hassan Whiteside $5800 can repeat his monster triple-double — 12 blocks! — but he’s firmly established in the rotation and the Bucks are not overpowering in the paint. Kidd’s kids did win the first two meetings between these teams and that’s currently the difference between sixth and seventh place in the East. Brandon Knight $7500 is the safest play, and Khris Middleton $4900 may be the best value. In a deep, flexible rotation, bench guys like O.J. Mayo $4300 and Jerryd Bayless $3500 are possible bargains.
The Raptors have won three of four without playing particularly well. A more aggressive DeMar DeRozan $6500 and Jonas Valanciunas $5900 led the way against Detroit, though if the inconsistent Roy Hibbert $5800 is inspired, JV might have a long night. Kyle Lowry $8900 matches up very well against C.J. Watson $5000 and Greivis Vasquez $4000 has been starting at SG since Terrence Ross $3600 was demoted. For the Pacers, David West $6200 is playable and little-known Damjan Rudez $3000 is a recent blip on the radar. Other games are more attractive.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10000 | Brandon Knight $7500 | Beno Udrih $3500 |
| SG | Klay Thompson $8000 | Monta Ellis $7100 | O.J. Mayo $4300 |
| SF | LeBron James $10700 | Draymond Green $7500 | Khris Middleton $4900 |
| PF | Pau Gasol $9200 | David West $6200 | Kris Humphries $3800 |
| C | Chris Bosh$8100 | Hassan Whiteside $5800 | Andrew Bogut $4700 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.