There are seven games tonight, one of them attracting by far the most national attention. At 7:30, on NBA-TV, Houston must visit Atlanta without James Harden, who is suspended. It’s also a huge game in DFS action. The Rockets will have trouble stopping Paul Millsap $8000 and Al Horford $7300. With the Beard sidelined, Corey Brewer $4000 may start, Trevor Ariza $5900 will get more shots and former Hawk Josh Smith $6500 should be determined.
Plays of the Day
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Jimmy Butler (elbow) is a huge loss for the real-life Bulls; in the daily realm, Tony Snell $3600 and Nikola Mirotic $4400 become excellent value plays until their salaries adjust. Pau Gasol $9500 is a standout at PF — if he’s 100% recovered from a recent illness. The Wizards snapped a losing streak thanks to a double-double from Marcin Gortat $5700 (16 & 17) but Joakim Noah $7000 is a tougher opponent. John Wall $8600 might dominate the Chicago PG and Bradley Beal $5500 is back.
The Cavaliers are simply too good for Boston. Kyrie Irving $7600 (shoulder) is expected to play, Kevin Love $7900 could go off and LeBron James $10400 will do whatever is necessary. J.R. Smith $5600 got extra minutes when Kyrie was out; he may regress tonight. My sample lineup and Short List suggests we can afford LBJ, surrounded by three solid players and four bargains with upside.
Yesterday Chris Bernucca called it the “Leastern Conference Turtle Race” and while he’s not raving about the Hornets’ playoff chances, they have a lot more to play for than the Lakers. Al Jefferson $7800 and Mo Williams $7000 have excellent matchups. It’s not easy to predict a Byron Scott rotation — he played Jordan Clarkson $4700 and Jeremy Lin $4100 together down the stretch on Sunday. Jordan Hill $5200 gets more minutes off the bench than starter Robert Sacre $3000.
DeMarcus Cousins $9800 (ankle, hip) changes everything if he plays. Otherwise, it’s Rudy Gay $7700 and Andre Miller $4200 against the Knicks, who have won two straight. I’m not completely ignoring this game — Tim Hardaway Jr. $4200 and Andrea Bargnani $4500 led the team in minutes and points on Saturday. Alexey Shved $3200 was effective off the bench and played the entire fourth quarter.
Utah will have a tough time scoring in Memphis. Marc Gasol $7500 is too crafty for Rudy Gobert $6700 and Mike Conley $6200 can handle rookie Dante Exum $3000, who is on a short leash as the starting PG. Trey Burke $4500, hot off the bench lately, gets more minutes. I like Derrick Favors $7400 to outplay Zach Randolph $7700 but prefer other games.
We have recommended every team against the Nuggets for a while now. Tonight is a good chance for Milwaukee to salvage one win on this disappointing trip. They lost back-to-back weekend games to the Lakers and Jazz, scoring just 75 points on Saturday. Michael Carter-Williams $6900 has yet to have a huge night for the Bucks; Khris Middleton $6200 has become their steadiest performer. Zaza Pachulia $3500 is 3-for-14 over his last two but could break out if Denver continues to go through the motions. Will Barton $3800 is hot off the bench, and Ty Lawson $7100 is getting more affordable, if you think he will turn up the intensity.
Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
PG | John Wall $8600 | Mo Williams $7000 | Alexey Shved $3200 |
SG | Khris Middleton $6200 | Tim Hardaway Jr. $4200 | Will Barton $3800 |
SF | LeBron James $10400 | Josh Smith $6500 | Tony Snell $3600 |
PF | Pau Gasol $9500 | Paul Millsap $8000 | Nikola Mirotic $4400 |
C | Al Jefferson $7800 | Al Horford $7300 | Zaza Pachulia $3500 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.