Last night was a write-off for those of us who used Kawhi Leonard $7500 (calf) in DFS contests. He was a very late scratch and hadn’t even been listed as questionable. Fill-in starter Kyle Anderson $3100 fared well enough in a loss to the Clippers to be an interesting punt play tonight against the Lakers.
Other Spurs bench players like Patty Mills $4500, David West $3900, Jonathan Simmons $3100 and Boban Marjanovic $3300 could see plenty of action, as Tony Parker $4800 and LaMarcus Aldridge $6900 won’t play more than necessary. For the home team, Jordan Clarkson $5100, D’Angelo Russell $4600 and Brandon Bass $4000 are reasonably priced.
The Warriors in Portland should be a track meet. Stephen Curry $10800 vs. Damian Lillard $9200 is an exciting matchup and Klay Thompson $7600 will be a handful for C.J. McCollum $7100. The Blazers’ bigs are no match for Draymond Green $9200, although they are affordable, especially Maurice Harkless $4000.
Sacramento hosts the Nuggets in another fast-paced affair. DeMarcus Cousins $11000 and Rajon Rondo $8300 are the obvious plays, with Rudy Gay $6600 and Darren Collison $4700 worth considering. Danilo Gallinari $6900 and sixth man Will Barton $5500 are Denver’s main weapons, but keep an eye on Jusuf Nurkic $3700, whose last game before the break was his best yet.
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Oklahoma City is a 9-point pick with an over/under of 215 as they host the Pacers. Russell Westbrook $11100 and Kevin Durant $10300 should outscore Paul George $8200 and company. Serge Ibaka $5500 and/or Enes Kanter $5200 could get hot; Jordan Hill $5000 (finger) is questionable and Ian Mahinmi $4600 (back) may not be 100% yet.
The Rockets will have little trouble beating Phoenix. James Harden $10600 and Dwight Howard $7400 are unstoppable when motivated. The Suns are extremely thin due to injuries and trades, leaving Archie Goodwin $6400 and Devin Booker $6300 to log huge minutes. Tyson Chandler $4600 and Mirza Teletovic $4000 are potential bargains but my hunch is Alex Len $4700, who double-doubled off the bench against Houston two weeks ago and is a possible starter at PF.
The Pelicans should blow out Philadelphia with Anthony Davis $9700 and Jrue Holiday $6900 well-rested. Norris Cole $5600 has also carved out a role. The Sixers are 3-24 on the road with nothing to play for but lottery odds.
Rest may have helped older Mavericks like Dirk Nowitzki $6000, Deron Williams $5900 and Zaza Pachulia $5600 as they visit the much younger Magic. Chandler Parsons $6300 scored 50 in the final two games before the break. Orlando added Ersan Ilyasova $5200 and Brandon Jennings $4000, who may be eased into their new roles, leaving Nikola Vucevic $7300, Elfrid Payton $5500, Evan Fournier $5400 and Aaron Gordon $6000 extra chances.
The Pistons are expected to start Anthony Tolliver $3600 with Tobias Harris $5800 coming off the bench; Donatas Motiejunas (back) and Marcus Thornton $3500 may not be ready yet to join their new team. Andre Drummond $8100 will be hard to deny and Marcus Morris $5600 is a decent price against the Wizards, who did win at home last night after adding Markieff Morris in a trade.
The Heat will be without Chris Bosh (calf) and Hassan Whiteside (suspension) as they visit the Hawks, who made only a minor deal at the deadline despite all the rumors. Al Horford $6700, Paul Millsap $7800 and Jeff Teague $6100 will be together for a while longer. Amare Stoudemire $4200 is a solid play under the circumstances.
Memphis will be without Courtney Lee (trade), Jeff Green (trade) and Marc Gasol (foot) vs. the Timberwolves, so Mike Conley $6500 and Zach Randolph $7100 will be busy. Karl-Anthony Towns $8500, Gorgui Dieng $6700, Andrew Wiggins $6300 and Ricky Rubio $6200 could pull off an upset.
There are countless ways to approach a 14-game slate. My sample lineup keys on Harden and Davis, punts SF and compromises at the other guard positions. I’ll try various guys in the Util spot and of course, breaking news can be an opportunity.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10800 | Jrue Holiday $6900 | Patty Mills $4500 |
| SG | James Harden $10600 | Klay Thompson $7600 | Will Barton $5500 |
| SF | Kevin Durant $10300 | Danilo Gallinari $6900 | Kyle Anderson $3100 |
| PF | DeMarcus Cousins $11000 | Anthony Davis $9700 | Amare Stoudemire $4200 |
| C | Karl-Anthony Towns $8500 | Dwight Howard $7400 | Alex Len $4700 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.