Tuesday is all about the Golden State Warriors attempting to win a 16th straight game to set a new NBA record. Stephen Curry $10900, Klay Thompson $6300 and Draymond Green $7500 can do whatever they want against the Lakers. The point spread is huge (17) and the over/under a whopping 213; the only question is how minutes will be divided, with garbage time anticipated. Youngsters like Julius Randle $6000 and D’Angelo Russell $4500 are better daily plays than the L.A. veterans.
In DFS action at DraftKings, there’s a huge contest with $400,000 in guaranteed prize money, even if it doesn’t fill. That’s $350K being paid to teams that don’t finish first — the top 20 earn $1,000 or more.
Clippers at Nuggets could also be high-scoring. Blake Griffin $9400, Chris Paul $8500 and DeAndre Jordan $7400 are all worth the money. With Kenneth Faried $5800 (ankle) doubtful, probable starters Darrell Arthur $3500 and Nikola Jokic $4000 have fantasy upside for Denver. Will Barton $5800 has been great off the bench but his salary keeps creeping up, so Gary Harris $3800 has similar value.
Plays of the Day
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Damian Lillard $9000 gives Portland a chance at home against the Bulls. Mason Plumlee $5700 continues to outperform his salary and Ed Davis $4200 was great off the bench (17 PTS, 15 REB) when the Blazers beat the Clippers on Friday. Jimmy Butler $8100 is Chicago’s main man, Pau Gasol $7100 will get his double-double and Nikola Mirotic $5500 bounced back with a big game (18 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST) after disappearing for three. Derrick Rose $6000 (ankle) might return after missing two games but has a tough matchup.
On Nov. 14 the Hawks lost in Boston, so this rematch will be hard-fought. While a good game to watch, it may not be a DFS bonanza. Al Horford $6900 and Paul Millsap $8200 should be tough for the Celtics to stop. Jeff Teague $7000 came off the bench in his return from an ankle injury and will try to contain Isaiah Thomas $7600; Avery Bradley $5500 has been sharp lately for Boston.
Dallas has exceeded expectations because Deron Williams $5800 is healthy and productive, Dirk Nowitzki $6300 can still score and Zaza Pachulia $5700 keeps recording double-doubles — three in a row and five in his last seven games. The other starters are still on minutes restrictions; Wesley Matthews $4300 is a little bit ahead of Chandler Parsons $4200.
Memphis is a tough place to play. Mike Conley $6600 can contain D-Will and Marc Gasol $7300 should be able to solve Zaza. However, Zach Randolph $6200 (knee) hasn’t played for a week. If JaMychal Green $3400 starts at PF again, we’ll see plenty of Matt Barnes $3300 off the bench. Role players like Jeff Green $4500 and Mario Chalmers $3900 are also affordable.
The Pacers have won eight of ten and scored 123 on Saturday without George Hill $6000, whose return from an illness bumps Chase Budinger $3400 back to the bench. Paul George $9900 has never been better, averaging 24.8 PTS, 8.5 REB and 4.8 AST — all career highs. The Indiana big men are inexpensive; Ian Mahinmi $4600 usually starts, but Lavoy Allen $3700 is a true swing man depending on whether PG-13 plays the 3 or the 4. Jordan Hill $4800 double-doubled off the bench (20 & 11) in that 37-point romp over Milwaukee.
Washington has won three straight and Bradley Beal $6700 should be getting up to speed. Marcin Gortat $5500, Otto Porter $5800 and John Wall $8400 are playable but Nene Hilario $3600 (calf) is questionable after his best game of the season: 18 PTS, 7 REB in 22 minutes.
Lineup construction becomes complicated when there aren’t any ultra-cheap value plays. I’ve decided to use just one Premium guy, load up in the Midrange and fill with Bargains. Obviously you could save $6600 by using Barnes instead of George at SF; enough to afford both Curry and Lillard.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10900 | Damian Lillard $9000 | D’Angelo Russell $4500 |
| SG | Jimmy Butler $8100 | Klay Thompson $6300 | Gary Harris $3800 |
| SF | Paul George $9900 | Otto Porter $5800 | Matt Barnes $3300 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $9400 | Nikola Mirotic $5500 | Darrell Arthur $3500 |
| C | DeAndre Jordan $7400 | Marc Gasol $7300 | Nikola Jokic $4000 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.