Tuesday’s best of six NBA games is the Cavaliers in Dallas. LeBron James $10500 was relatively quiet in an easy win on Saturday, one night after getting smothered by great defence in a loss to the soaring Hawks. The King seems about ready to break out with a triple-double. Kevin Love $7600 could also go off for the visitors. The Mavs have lost four of six and other than Monta Ellis $6900, did not look like world-beaters against the Lakers.
Anthony Davis $10700 was magnificent in Milwaukee — 43 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST, 2 BLK — but he really is only human and tonight leads a tired team into Brooklyn. It’s the fourth game in five nights for the Pelicans, making them ripe for an upset. The Nets made a couple of lineup changes on Sunday, with Thaddeus Young $5200 and Brook Lopez $6200 starting. Joe Johnson $5200 shifted back from being an undersized PF to SF, where he’s more comfortable.
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The fading Raptors visitt the surging Spurs. If Kawhi Leonard $7700 checks DeMar DeRozan $7200, Toronto will need someone else to score. Assuming they are playing catchup, Lou Williams $4500 and Patrick Patterson $3600 Hard to believe based on their form earlier this season, but Tony Parker $5500 is playing better lately than Kyle Lowry $6800. Because Coach Pop is an improviser, you never know who else will get hot. Manu Ginobili $4000 and Danny Green $4600 are my best guesses.
The Jazz hosting the Knickerbockers is no contest. Rudy Gobert $7500 and Derrick Favors $7400 are vastly superior to the New York bigs, and Gordon Hayward $7500 can score at will. The only caveat is a distinct possibility of garbage time limiting their minutes. For New York, Andrea Bargnani $5600 and Alexey Shved $3400 have been the best players lately, and neither is known for consistency. The whole team managed just 78 points last night in Denver.
Can’t see the Magic, without their star center Nikola Vucevic $8300 (ankle), threatening the much-improved Pacers. Victor Oladipo $8400 has been so good that his salary keeps rising. The score will not be high, so even with affordable prices on David West $5600, Rodney Stuckey $5800 and George Hill $6400, other games look more inviting.
If Detroit hasn’t given up, they should beat the Lakers. In particular, Greg Monroe $8100 and Andre Drummond $7900 can dominate the paint. Reggie Jackson $7000 has been much more effective the last three games, and could also shine against Jordan Clarkson $5000 and/or Jeremy Lin $5000. It’s always hard to predict a Byron Scott rotation; Tarik Black $3000 went from five DNP-CDs to single-digit minutes to starting on Sunday.
This is the last Spin posted from a brief Florida vacation. Having a playful dolphin follow us on the ferry from Caladesi Island back to the mainland was unforgettable. Tomorrow, back in wintry Toronto with a sunburn, I’ll be fully immersed in basketball again.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Reggie Jackson $7000 | Tony Parker $5500 | Alexey Shved $3400 |
| SG | Victor Oladipo $8400 | Monta Ellis $6900 | Manu Ginobili $4000 |
| SF | LeBron James $10500 | Kawhi Leonard $7700 | Terrence Ross $4000 |
| PF | Anthony Davis $10700 | Derrick Favors $7400 | Thaddeus Young $5200 |
| C | Rudy Gobert $7500 | Brook Lopez $6100 | Tiago Splitter $300 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.