Finally! There are two NBA games tonight that actually count in the standings, with contests at DraftKings closing at 8:00 Eastern. It’s also trade deadline day, and Arron Afflalo has been dealt to Portland in the first significant deal.
The Nuggets included Alonzo Gee; they get Will Barton, Victor Claver, Thomas Robinson and a first-round pick from the Blazers. Denver also dumped JaVale McGee and the $23 million he’s owed — sweetening the deal with a first-rounder — to the 76ers, where McGee could actually become a fantasy factor. Stranger things have happened.
In a minor move of backup point guards, Ramon Sessions gets a fresh start in Washington while Andre Miller is reunited with George Karl in Sacramento. Both players could gain a bit of value if you play in an extremely deep Roto or H2H format.
Be very careful about your lineups tonight; one of the hottest rumors has OKC and the Nets revisiting a Brook Lopez trade, so Reggie Jackson $3200 — a likely target for Brooklyn — is a very risky play. The smart move is to enter before the best contests are full, then check breaking news and adjust your lineups (if necessary) near the deadline.
Plays of the Day
New to DK? They match your initial deposit 100% ($5 to $600) with bonus funds, converted to cash as you play, plus you get a FREE entry for tonight’s $60K Layup — the top score earns $5,000 and 7,600 of 34,500 teams receive cash prizes. Or try the $115K Crossover, with a $12,000 first prize. 1,335 of 6,535 teams will cash. That $20 buy-in is also FREE to first-time depositors 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 a minimum of $7,000 in cash!
Kevin Durant $10600 and Russell Westbrook $10600 are the highest-salaried players this evening for good reason. A win over Dallas will put the Thunder in a tie for the final playoff spot in the West, so there is plenty of motivation. If Jackson is traded, Dion Waiters $3500 might take on a larger role at a bargain price. Steven Adams (hand) is out and Kendrick Perkins $3000 is not a fantasy asset, so Mitch McGary $3800 and/or Nick Collison $3000 should get plenty of minutes.
Tyson Chandler $6700 will be the best big man on the floor — if he’s fully recovered from a Feb. 9 ankle sprain. Rajon Rondo $6600 (facial fracture) is also expected to play, possibly masked. His shooting was horrible even before the injury, but he contributes in other categories. Dirk Nowitzki $6700, Monta Ellis $7400 and Chandler Parsons $6600 are the best Mavericks to use; J.J. Barea $4800 and Devin Harris $4600 are overpriced now that Rondo is back. Amar’e Stoudemire won’t play until the weekend, and we haven’t heard much about the Mavericks making any other moves.
With Blake Griffin recovering from elbow surgery, DeAndre Jordan $7800 has become a two-way force, with consecutive 20-20 games. He earned 65.25 FPTS in Dallas Feb. 9 and 62.5 against the Rockets last Thursday. Houston tried the “hack” approach (Jordan was 12-26 from the line) but he still scored 24 PTS, with 20 REB, 2 BLK, 3 STL and most importantly, a W. Chris Paul $9800 has also stepped up his offensive game in Blake’s absence. Other Clippers to consider are Jamal Crawford $5400, J.J. Redick $3300 and possibly Spencer Hawes $3900, if he can avoid foul trouble.
Tim Duncan $7400 should be able to feast on Hawes, Kawhi Leonard $7500 is capable of big numbers and Tony Parker $4900 is a tempting price. In the final game before the break, Danny Green $4700 hit five 3-pointers, grabbed eight boards, blocked two shots and dropped four dimes. He could be a difference-maker in a wide-open affair. Manu Ginobili $4600 leads the deep second unit but it’s never easy to predict the Spurs’ rotation. For example, if Aron Baynes $3000 starts at C, Tiago Splitter $3000 might be asked to score off the bench. Boris Diaw $3000 is the wild-card; he played 27 minutes when these teams last met.
Today’s sample lineup (above left) is an extreme stars-and-scrubs approach, using the most expensive players at three positions. In the Short List below, the six players in bold are the ones I like best. Dirk is my choice over Serge Ibaka $6600 at PF, and Green is a hunch against the L.A. shooting guards, known more for scoring than defense. Keying on those five leaves only $9600 to fill the remaining three roster spots. Even with only four teams in action, there are many possible 8-man combinations that could pay off. Good luck!
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | R. Westbrook $10600 | Chris Paul $9800 | Tony Parker $4900 |
| SG | Monta Ellis $7400 | Danny Green $4700 | J.J. Redick $3300 |
| SF | Kevin Durant $10600 | Kawhi Leonard $7500 | Matt Barnes $4300 |
| PF | Tim Duncan $7400 | Dirk Nowitzki $6700 | Boris Diaw $3000 |
| C | DeAndre Jordan $7800 | Tyson Chandler $6700 | Nick Collison $3000 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.