Hope you were able to navigate all those late lineup changes and turn a profit at DraftKings on a low-scoring Saturday full of surprises. The Hawks rested four players and still won in Miami — Coach Bud learned a lot from Coach Pop over the years. The Nets beat the Mavericks in Dallas and the Suns, fresh off a huge victory over Oklahoma City, were crushed by the exhausted Spurs.
Today we have multiple opportunities to win. There’s a fascinating 1:00 ET game between the Clippers and Bulls, a big 3:30 start — Cleveland at Houston — and six NBA games in the evening. You can enter All-Day or Early-Only contests to use players from the matinees, or stick to 6:00 action.
Plays of the Day
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LeBron James $10200 (back) is expected to return after sitting out Friday’s game, but Kyrie Irving (shoulder) is out. Matthew Dellavedova $3800 will start at PG, with Iman Shumpert $3700 getting extra minutes and J.R. Smith $5500 more touches, but it’s mostly up to LBJ and Kevin Love $8100 to get the Cavs back in the W column. James Harden $10500 (ankle) may be less than 100%, so Terrence Jones $6800 and Trevor Ariza $5900 will be important again for the Rockets.
Chris Paul $9900 and DeAndre Jordan $8900 will be tough to stop in Chicago, where Aaron Brooks $4500 is now the PG, off 27.8% shooting in February. Pau Gasol $9700 is feeling better and Jimmy Butler $8400 is terrific at both ends of the floor. Joakim Noah $6800 will need to be great against DJ, and Mike Dunleavy $3600 is a potential bargain after his best game of 2015 (including five 3-pointers) on Friday.
My early sample lineup uses three of the seven best players and cheap fill-ins at the other five spots, because there’s no depth in the middle salary range. All-Day events offer more flexibility, but the biggest guaranteed contests close at 6:00, so that’s our focus.
In their last game, the Warriors were up 27-11 after one quarter, led 54-20 at the half, then dominated the third to lead by 41 before letting the Raptors’ scrubs close the gap. Stephen Curry $9800 and Klay Thompson $7700 were needed for just 25 and 28 minutes, respectively. The Celtics might also be overwhelmed tonight, though their bench scored 60 points in a comeback victory on Friday. Isaiah Thomas $6000 looks good in green and at least until Kelly Olynyk (ankle) returns, Jonas Jerebko $4000 is thriving as the stretch four.
Russell Westbrook (face) joins Kevin Durant (foot) on the sidelines and Enes Kanter (thigh) is doubtful, leaving OKC with D.J. Augustin $4100 and Serge Ibaka $7600 as the main offensive threats against the Lakers. Less-costly players like Dion Waiters $3900, Kyle Singler $3000, Mitch McGary $4200 and Nick Collison $3300 will also get extra minutes. The entire L.A. roster is inexpensive but it’s not easy to predict the rotation. Six guys scored in double figures as they beat the Bucks on Friday; Wayne Ellington $4400 was the hero and Jordan Clarkson $4900 had a team-high 16 points.
With three of their most important players injured, including Anthony Davis (shoulder), the Pelicans have somehow won four straight games. Eric Gordon $6000, Luke Babbitt $3300, Quincy Pondexter $3600 and Alexis Ajinca $4900 have taken turns as the team’s leading scorer, but Tyreke Evans $7700, Omer Asik $4900 and Dante Cunningham $3400 are also contributing. The Nuggets have apparently quit. An unhappy Ty Lawson $7500 is going through the motions; the only guys trying hard are newcomers Will Barton $3600 and Joffrey Lauvergne $3800.
The Trail Blazers are simply too good for the Kings, especially with DeMarcus Cousins $9800 (ankle, hip) banged up and doubtful. Portland’s addition of Arron Afflalo $3700 is paying dividends, as he scored 18 points (11 in the fourth) to spark a win over OKC on Friday. Damian Lillard $7900 and LaMarcus Aldridge $8900 are the safest plays, though Nicolas Batum $5600 looks refreshed and healthier since the break. Rudy Gay $7300 is Sacramento’s best player, which means he’ll be doubled. You could try Jason Thompson $4000, Ben McLemore $3600 or Ray McCallum $3400 if you need a cheap Util guy.
Mo Williams $6400 and Al Jefferson $7400 are the best Hornets in daily fantasy, with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist $5800 and Gerald Henderson $5100 also contributing as Charlotte remains one of six teams in the East battling for two playoff spots. The Magic are young, relaxed and capable of an upset behind Victor Oladipo $6600 and Nikola Vucevic $8600.
Indiana, very much alive in the postseason hunt, should dissect the Sixers. Rodney Stuckey $5300 led the upset of the Cavaliers’ B team (without Kyrie and LeBron) by scoring 19 off the bench, while George Hill $5800 triple-doubled — 15 PTS, 12 AST, 10 REB — in another solid start. The experience of David West $6100 vs. the athleticism of Nerlens Noel $6200 is interesting. So far, Thomas Robinson $3000 has been productive for Philly in just 13 minutes per game; if he gets more run, the forrmer #5 overall pick could become a DFS bargain.
Today’s Short List is for 6:00 contests only. It reflects a weak SF position; PG and PF are loaded by comparison. My sample lineup (above right) keys on the Splash Brothers, hoping that Boston makes them work.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $9800 | Damian Lillard $7900 | D.J. Augustin $4100 |
| SG | Klay Thompson $7700 | Rodney Stuckey $5300 | Will Barton $3600 |
| SF | Rudy Gay $7300 | M. Kidd-Gilchrist $5800 | Jonas Jerebko $4000 |
| PF | L. Aldridge $8900 | Serge Ibaka $7600 | Jason Thompson $4000 |
| C | Nikola Vucevic $8600 | Al Jefferson $7400 | Alexis Ajinca $4900 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.