In a rare lapse of concentration and effort, the Golden State Warriors blew a huge lead in Philadelphia on Saturday and barely held on to win. The next night, Draymond Green $9000 triple-doubled and did not miss a shot as they stomped the Knicks by 21.
Klay Thompson $7500 has scored 111 points in three games, allowing Stephen Curry $10700 to take a back seat. The MVP is known for rising to occasions like a shootout with John Wall $9300. With Otto Porter $5700 (hip) less than 100% and Bradley Beal $6100 apparently on a minutes limit, Marcin Gortat $6700 will need to play well against Andrew Bogut $4500 to keep the Wizards close.
If DeMarcus Cousins $11100 (ankle) misses another game, Rudy Gay $7200 is a must-start for me again. If Rajon Rondo $8400 (toe) sits out, Darren Collison $4600 becomes a bargain. Either way, the Bulls are 0-2 on this trip and will take out their frustrations on the Kings’ porous D. Jimmy Butler $8800, Pau Gasol $8700 and Derrick Rose $6000 should be efficient for as long as needed. Taj Gibson $5600 and E’Twaun Moore $3600 are the other starters.
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New Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue rode all five starters for 40+ minutes in Monday’s overtime win. Kevin Love $7600 and Kyrie Irving $6800 offer similar bang for the buck as LeBron James $9700 but this too could get out of hand if Kemba Walker $8500 (knee) can’t play. Jeremy Lin $5400 (ankle) isn’t 100%, so Brian Roberts $3500 might surprise. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist $4500 has looked fantastic in his first two appearances of the season and Marvin Williams $5600 is making his fantasy owners happy.
Russell Westbrook $11000 would love to get a third straight triple-double and Kevin Durant $10400 is a good bet for 30 points, but to justify paying those salaries, the visiting Magic must keep it close enough to avoid garbage time. I’m not certain they will.
Isaiah Thomas $7500 vs. Reggie Jackson $6800 should guarantee a fast tempo, yet the Celtics and Pistons have reached 100 points only once in three previous meetings. Tyler Zeller $3000 was a huge surprise last night (16 PTS, 10 REB) and will get another chance against Andre Drummond $8600 this evening. Both teams feature a balanced attack, making it difficult to predict individual stars.
It’s a tough back-to-back for the Heat after losing in Houston. We touted Amare Stoudemire $4600 last night, he double-doubled (again) and until Hassan Whiteside (oblique) returns, that’s a sweet price. Dallas hasn’t broken out with a huge scoring night for a while, though Chandler Parsons $6800 has double-doubled twice in his last three. Deron Williams (hip) is doubtful, so J.J. Barea $4800 and Raymond Felton $4500 are worth considering.
Since Derrick Favors $6900 returned, Rudy Gobert $6900 has been even more dominant and Gordon Hayward $7500 was the star of Monday’s overtime victory. Rodney Hood $6000 is reasonably priced but the real surprise has been Raul Neto $3300 stepping up with consecutive strong games. Although the Nuggets surprised Toronto on Monday with Nikola Jokic $5700 and Will Barton $5700 leading the way, the improving Jazz can smell a playoff berth.
Perfect at home, San Antonio will figure out a way to beat Anthony Davis $9500 and the Pelicans. Norris Cole $5800 has also been hot, but the Spurs have a way of cooling people off. LaMarcus Aldridge $7000 is the safest play in a ridiculously deep rotation, but don’t sleep on bench players like Kyle Anderson $3100, who has been profitable to own in two straight.
You can fit all three Warriors superstars into a lineup, still afford Gay and I’m reasonably happy with these four “scrubs,” depending on the Kings’ situation. Breaking news can affect the values of multiple players between now and game time but you can take advantage of that information. For example, if Rondo suits up, I’ll just plug in Barea for Collison.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10700 | Darren Collison $4600 | Raul Neto $3300 |
| SG | Jimmy Butler $8800 | Klay Thompson $7500 | E’Twaun Moore $3600 |
| SF | Kevin Durant $10400 | Rudy Gay $7200 | M. Kidd-Gilchrist $4500 |
| PF | Anthony Davis $9500 | Draymond Green $9000 | Amare Stoudemire $4600 |
| C | Andre Drummond $8600 | Rudy Gobert $6900 | Tyler Zeller $3000 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.