It’s a long regular season, and the defending champion Golden State Warriors are more interested in being healthy for the playoffs than wearing down their superstars. Stephen Curry $10700 (leg) could sit outtonight and tomorrow, according to interim coach Luke Walton. That means more touches and shots for Klay Thompson $7400 and Draymond Green $9300 (who also skipped practice yesterday with a tender ankle.)
For daily fantasy owners, it also makes Shaun Livingston $3500 a starter and gives Ian Clark $3000 more value off the bench. The Mavericks are reasonably-priced home underdogs. Zaza Pachulia $5600, Chandler Parsons $5600, Wesley Matthews $5000 and Dirk Nowitzki $6300 are all playable; J.J. Barea $5100 will start again if Deron Williams $6300 (hamstring) isn’t ready to return from a three-game absence.
A ten-game slate begins at 7:00 Eastern; in addition to the full card, DraftKings offers Turbo contests at 8:00 that span four games and Late action (10:00; two games) — giving us two more opportunities to profit.
Plays of the Day
The $35K Sharpshooter (Turbo) is only a $3 buy-in (FREE with your initial deposit) where the top 2,750 finishers (from up to 13,415 teams) win cash. First place is worth $2,000. The deadline is 8:00 but enter before it fills; you can make lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
A couple of less-exciting games in real life provide excellent DFS prospects. With the Celtics at home against the hapless Lakers, Isaiah Thomas $7800 and Avery Bradley $5300 will run wild. Jae Crowder $6200 and Amir Johnson $4600 are also affordable. Second unit stars Evan Turner $4700 and Kelly Olynyk $5200 have been worth more off the bench lately than starter Jared Sullinger $5800.
Whether or not DeMarcus Cousins $10000 (tantrum) gets suspended, the Kings are too good for the Sixers. Omri Casspi $6200, Rajon Rondo $8400, Darren Collison $5100 and Rudy Gay $6900 are all worth considering even if Boogie escapes league discipline. They become even stronger plays if he sits, and Quincy Acy $3000 goes from irrelevant to extreme bargain. Philly’s new PG Ish Smith $5600 has really clicked with Nerlens Noel $5900 while Jahlil Okafor $6300 (knee) has missed a couple of games.
Because Blake Griffin (quad) is out, Chris Paul $9200 and DeAndre Jordan $7500 have stepped up offensively. Low-cost Paul Pierce $3800 and Wesley Johnson $3200 are getting more run with the first unit. Kemba Walker $7600 torched the Lakers for 38 points on Monday but CP3 is a two-way superstar. Nicolas Batum $7500 (toe) and Jeremy Lin $5400 (ankle) are questionable for the Hornets and Al Jefferson $5700 has done nothing in two games after a calf injury and suspension.
If Damian Lillard $8800 (foot) returns, C.J. McCollum $7700 won’t score 35 again but Portland will be a better team. Former Blazer (and leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year) Will Barton $7100 is the primary threat for the tired Nuggets; Joffrey Lauvergne $4400 has now outplayed Nikola Jokic $4700 in two straight.
Love the John Wall $9700 vs. Kyle Lowry $8400 matchup in a budding Eastern Conference rivalry. DeMar DeRozan $7600 is also playing at an All-Star level for my Raptors. Luis Scola $5000 makes up for being old and slow with crafty positioning and a soft touch. Expect Otto Porter $5600 to return to the starting lineup for the Wizards, joining Marcin Gortat $7100 as a scoring threat.
A lengthy slump continues for Paul George $8700 but Monta Ellis $5700 has stepped up his game, scoring 20+ in three straight on 26-for-48 shooting (54%) so Indiana has a chance in Chicago. The Bulls’ latest win was atypical, with 51 points from the bench as Bobby Portis $3700 continues to prove he belongs. Big nights from Aaron Brooks $3500 and Tony Snell $3600 were completely unexpected.
The Suns have lost Eric Bledsoe (knee) for the year and coach Jeff Hornacek is on thin ice. Kawhi Leonard $8600 and the Spurs should toy with them, but Brandon Knight $7500 and T.J. Warren $4300 are now focal points.
Derrick Favors $7400 (back) is questionable, Rudy Gobert (knee) and Alec Burks (leg) are out, so Gordon Hayward $7500 suddenly has a very high usage rate for the Jazz. Trey Burke $4200 has gained value, while Jeff Withey $3500 played his best game of the year on Monday (11 PTS, 12 REB, 2 BLK) and is ultra-cheap if Favors can’t go.
Though Brook Lopez $7000 and Nikola Vucevic $7700 have contrasting styles, both could be successful; Vuc has been on a six-game roll since the Magic shuffled their rotation. The sample lineup could change dramatically between now and the deadline, as breaking news clarifies a few situations.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Chris Paul $9200 | Isaiah Thomas $7800 | Shaun Livingston $3500 |
| SG | Klay Thompson $7400 | Monta Ellis $5700 | Avery Bradley $5300 |
| SF | Kawhi Leonard $8600 | Gordon Hayward $7500 | T.J. Warren $4300 |
| PF | Draymond Green $9300 | Nerlens Noel $5900 | Bobby Portis $3700 |
| C | Nikola Vucevic $7700 | DeAndre Jordan $7500 | Jeff Withey $3500 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.