Two Western Conference clashes have the spotlight on a three-game NBA Wednesday, especially the Spurs trying to solve the Clippers. Chris Paul $9900 and Blake Griffin $9700 were unstoppable on Sunday, the defense led by DeAndre Jordan $8400 was excellent and Jamal Crawford $4600 had 17 off the bench.
The champs were thoroughly outplayed in Game 1 because Tony Parker $5500 is playing hurt (ankle, thigh) and no match for CP3. It’s up to Kawhi Leonard $8600 and Tim Duncan $7700 to respond. I also like Manu Ginobili $5100 and Boris Diaw $4400 at this time of year, when Gregg Popovich trusts them.
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The Hawks would be a huge favorite if Al Horford $7100 (finger) and Paul Millsap $7000 (shoulder) were 100% healthy. While both should play, Brook Lopez $7800 and Thaddeus Young $6100 might be able to take advantage. Atlanta’s depth prevailed on Sunday, with Kyle Korver $5400 and DeMarre Carroll $6200 combining for 38 points. Starter Jeff Teague $6800 added 17 in just 29 minutes; backup PG Dennis Schroder $4100 got 24 minutes because Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer played them together in the second and fourth quarters.
It’s likely to be a defensive battle in Memphis, though LaMarcus Aldridge $9100 put up huge numbers against Zach Randolph $7500 in a Game 1 loss. Marc Gasol $7900 has a similar advantage over Robin Lopez $4200, and should again be very prominent for the Grizzlies. Mike Conley $5600 (foot) probably wouldn’t be playing through this pain in the regular season; Beno Udrih $4000 was fantastic (20 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST) in 24 minutes off the bench on Sunday. Damian Lillard $7600 shot 5-for-21 and must find the range for the banged-up Blazers to threaten.
Nicolas Batum $6000 (knee) is not 100%, Arron Afflalo $3900 (shoulder) remains questionable and C.J. McCollum $4300 (ankle) was no factor in 37 minutes. Tony Allen $4500 (hamstring) isn’t 100% either, so Jeff Green $5000 and Courtney Lee $3700 might get some extra run.
My sample lineup construction begins with the two L.A. superstars. There are two important positional considerations — you must spend to get one of the top centers, and nobody stands out at SG. I’m using Gasol and Korver. Now it comes down to filling four spots with bargains. Green is the best SF I can afford, Udrih the best bang for the buck. Diaw and Lee is a “placeholder” combination with my final $8100 in salary; Meyers Leonard $3600 and Tiago Splitter $3500 (expected to play more in his second game back from injury) are other candidates for the Util spot.
Contests close at 7:00 ET. Enter early, before the big GPPs fill, then you can tweak your lineup right up until each player’s game begins.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Chris Paul $9900 | Jeff Teague $6800 | Beno Udrih $4000 |
| SG | Joe Johnson $5900 | Kyle Korver $5400 | Jamal Crawford $4600 |
| SF | Kawhi Leonard $8600 | DeMarre Carroll $6200 | Jeff Green $5000 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $9700 | L. Aldridge $9100 | Boris Diaw $4400 |
| C | DeAndre Jordan $8400 | Marc Gasol $7900 | Tiago Splitter $3500 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.