Sunday seemed like the Bizarro NBA, an alternate universe where the Suns can win two straight on the road and the Lakers can beat the Warriors. My beloved Raptors, who had won 12 in a row at home, coughed up a 13-point lead. We did get a few things right, like another triple-double for Giannis Antetokounmpo $8200, but failed to cash.
One consolation to DFS disappointment is a clean slate the next day. Golden State has a 26-0 record at home and will not shoot 13.3% from deep again; Stephen Curry $10600 and Klay Thompson $7500 missed 17 of 18 3-point attempts. When they last faced the Magic, the score was 130-114 and the MVP scored 51. Orlando features Nikola Vucevic $7500 and Elfrid Payton $5700 has been improving, but this is a tough task.
In another potential shootout, the Kings are in New Orleans. Neither team is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, but it’s inevitable. DeMarcus Cousins $10200 vs. Anthony Davis $10000 is an entertaining matchup under any circumstances. The Pelicans have lost Eric Gordon (finger) again and Norris Cole $5000 (back) is questionable, so Jrue Holiday $7700 will start against Rajon Rondo $8000. If Cole can’t go, Toney Douglas $3200 and Alonzo Gee $3000 will be prominent. For Sacramento, Darren Collison $4800 and Quincy Acy $3300 are possible bargains.
$400,000 Contest — Win $50,000 For $4
The $400K Four Point Play is only a $4 buy-in, where the top 25,000 finishers (from up to 115,000 teams) win cash. First place earns $50,000. The deadline is 7:00 EST; enter early and make lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
Minnesota at Charlotte could also be high-scoring. Kemba Walker $8000 and Nicolas Batum $6800 were the heroes in a huge win over the Pacers on Friday to take over sixth place in the East, and Al Jefferson $4500 looks fully recovered from his knee injury. The Timberwolves are in develop-the-kids mode. Karl-Anthony Towns $8300 tops a superb rookie class, while sophomores Andrew Wiggins $6200 and Zach LaVine $6000 also have tremendous upside. Wiggins, who just turned 21, is the oldest.
What a difference Jimmy Butler $8400 makes for the Bulls, who went 3-8 while he recovered from a knee injury. Nikola Mirotic $4300 (appendix) and Taj Gibson $4700 (hamstring) also returned on Saturday, so they are nearly back to full strength. Pau Gasol $8300 had a monster double-double (28 PTS, 17 REB, 6 AST, 2 BLK, 2 STL) and Derrick Rose $6600 gets better looks when Butler is around. Mike Dunleavy $4200 continues to start and is priced right. Milwaukee gave their all at home yesterday in a loss to the Thunder; Jabari Parker $6500, Khris Middleton $7500 and the Greek Freak might not be as sharp tonight.
Memphis at Cleveland and the Spurs at Indiana are most likely to be playoff-style battles, with more defensive intensity. That doesn’t mean LeBron James $9600 and Kawhi Leonard $8200 won’t put up great numbers, but we’re less inclined to look to their supporting casts for bargains. The possible exception? Manu Ginobili $4000 scored 22 points in less than 16 minutes in his return from missing 12 games and for a 38-year-old, is realtively fresh.
The Mavericks let one slip away in Denver last night, as an errant pass by Chandler Parsons $6800 and a missed three at the buzzer by Raymond Felton $4200 let the Nuggets force overtime. Dallas fans will be all over DeAndre Jordan $7600 again, but the big man is playing better than he was in November and Chris Paul $9700 will also be tough to slow down. The Clippers sit solidly in fourth place, so this game is more crucial to Dirk Nowitzki $6100, Deron Williams $5600 and company, who could fall into a tie for seventh with another loss. David Lee $4600 remains a bargain off the bench.
| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Chris Paul $9700 | Kemba Walker $8000 | Darren Collison $4800 |
| SG | Jimmy Butler $8400 | Nicolas Batum $6800 | Manu Ginobili $4000 |
| SF | LeBron James $9600 | Kawhi Leonard $8200 | Mike Dunleavy $4200 |
| PF | Anthony Davis $10000 | Dirk Nowitzki $6100 | Quincy Acy $3300 |
| C | Pau Gasol $8300 | DeAndre Jordan $7600 | Al Jefferson $4500 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.