Call them the Road Warriors. Stephen Curry $9800, Klay Thompson $7700 and Draymond Green $6800 are just 3-2 so far on this swing through the East. They fell behind the Celtics by 26 yesterday before rallying to win. Now they must play their fourth game in five nights. The Nets have had just one day to “recover” from their own long road trip — because of the all-star break, this is their first home game in over three weeks!
While I’m not expecting either team to be at their sharpest, Brooklyn is more affordable. Deron Williams $6600 has been healthy and productive lately, Joe Johnson $6100 is consistent and Mason Plumlee $4300 snapped out of a funk in his last two games. Thaddeus Young $5200 is contributing off the bench.
Plays of the Day
New to DraftKings? They match your initial deposit 100% ($5 to $600) with bonus funds that convert to cash as you play, plus you get a FREE entry (worth $3) for tonight’s $100K Sharpshooter — the top score earns $10,000 and 7,850 of 38,315 teams win cash prizes. For better odds, try the $100K Mega Pick & Roll, with an $8,000 first prize. That $10 buy-in is also FREE to first-time depositors; 2,405 of 11,500 teams will cash.
The Fantasy Basketball World Championship offers 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!
Schedule-related fatigue is a theme tonight. The Clippers won hard-fought battles in Memphis on Friday then in Chicago yesterday; a slight letdown in Minnesota would be no surprise. Chris Paul $9900 and DeAndre Jordan $8900 have been sensational, so I’m not going all the way out on the upset limb, just saying that the Timberwolves were much better in February (five wins and some narrow defeats) than in the first three months of the season. Ricky Rubio $7600 is not a scorer, but he piles up fantasy points with assists, rebounds and steals. Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins $6400 often defends the opponent’s #1 option and gets his own numbers. Nikola Pekovic (ankle) is out, which means extra run for Gorgui Dieng $5100.
It won’t be a classic in Philadelphia, either. The Raptors have lost five in a row, hitting bottom against the Knicks on Saturday. Kyle Lowry (rest) will sit out again, so Greivis Vasquez $4200 will get another start. Jonas Valanciunas $5200, James Johnson $4700 and long-time 76er Lou Williams $4300 are other reasonably-priced selections. The Isaiah Canaan $3900 experiment did not go well; Ish Smith $3000 may get the next chance to start at PG for a tanking team. Also keep an eye on Thomas Robinson $3000, whose minutes are on the rise.
One game after a huge effort to beat Oklahoma City, the Suns came out completely flat, setting a dubious team record with a 24-point first half. Only a meaningless late flurry by Marcus Morris $4000 (15 points in the fourth) got them above 70 for the game. Eric Bledsoe $8600 and Markieff Morris $6300 can only improve, but Brandon Knight $6000 (hip) is questionable. Tonight they visit former teammate Goran Dragic $6500 in Miami, who is also questionable with a sore back. Mario Chalmers $4500 would benefit if Dragic is scratched or ineffective. Hassan Whiteside $8200, Dwyane Wade $6900 and Luol Deng $6000 are all playable for the Heat. Recent additions Henry Walker $3600 — the artist formerly known as Bill — and Michael Beasley $3200 are very much in the rotation.
Speaking of exhausted teams, how ‘bout those Pelicans? No Anthony Davis (shoulder), no Jrue Holiday (leg) and no Ryan Anderson (knee) has meant a heavy workload for every healthy player. They have responded to that adversity by winning in a row, with a different leading scorer in each victory. Last night it was Tyreke Evans $7700 (22 PTS, 7 AST, 7 REB) taking over. Omer Asik $4900, Eric Gordon $6000 and Dante Cunningham $3400 are also playing well The Mavs are hurting too — Tyson Chandler (hip) and Chandler Parsons (ankle) will both miss another game. The public spat between Rajon Rondo $5800 and coach Rick Carlisle hasn’t helped; they lost in Atlanta when Rondo served a team-imposed suspension and lost at home to the Nets when he returned. Monta Ellis $7000 and Dirk Nowitzki $6200 can’t be dismissed at those prices.
We have the choice of paying big salaries for studs who might be tired, or playing it safe. My sample lineup and Short List reflects the latter approach.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Chris Paul $9900 | Ricky Rubio $7600 | Ish Smith $3000 |
| SG | Eric Bledsoe $8600 | Dwyane Wade $6900 | Mario Chalmers $4500 |
| SF | Andrew Wiggins $6400 | James Johnson $4700 | D. Cunningham $3400 |
| PF | Draymond Green $6800 | Dirk Nowitzki $6200 | Thomas Robinson $3000 |
| C | DeAndre Jordan $8900 | Hassan Whiteside $8200 | Spencer Hawes $3600 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.