Fantasy Basketball: March 31st NBA Slate
By Chris Brent
Atlanta v. Detroit
Indiana v. Brooklyn
San Antonio v. Miami
Golden State v. L.A. Clippers
Tonight’s initial reactions:
- Remember, Gregg Popovich, Mike Budenholzer and Steve Kerr are all coaching on the same game, which means that we must pay extreme attention to the injury news. Right now, I think only Budenholzer is the one that I’m worried about and it’s not because I believe he will rest anyone. With the Hawks having nothing to play for, no nationally televised game, and Dennis Schroder getting hurt last night, it wouldn’t surprise me if there is a lot of second teamers playing majority of the minutes tonight.
- A lot of people are going to gravitate toward the Clippers/ Warriors game tonight and maybe we should.
- The Indiana/Brooklyn game will be a battle for a share of the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Early Injury Report:
- Dennis Schroder, ATL (Status: Out) – The Atlanta Journal- Constitution reports that Schroder won’t travel with the team to Detroit due to a toe injury.
- Hassan Whiteside has been cleared for all basketball activities, but there is no news on if he will play.
Next: PG Value Plays
Mar 15, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Shelvin Mack (8) attempts a shot defended by Los Angeles Lakers forward Wesley Johnson (11) during the first quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Daily Dimes (Value plays only)
Point Guards:
With the way Reggie Jackson and George Hill have been playing, I don’t think that I will be going cheap at point guard in most of my lineups. However, in the lineups I don’t, here are some of the point guards I will be looking at.
Tony Parker, at Miami ($6,100) – In his last three games, Parker is averaging 31.9 fantasy points per game. However, Parker’s minutes aren’t rising, meaning that he has to be extremely efficient in his 28 minutes of playing time. Over the last three, Parker has managed to play slightly above 5-times his value. In a back and forth tight game against Miami, I think that Parker may be able to reach value once again.
Shelvin Mack, at Detroit ($3,500) – Mack is about to get a slight bump in minutes against Detroit as Dennis Schroder has already been listed as out for tonight’s game. With Mack possessing the minimum price on FanDuel, it makes his value very attainable. In order to obtain his value, Mack only has to reach 17.5 fantasy points and with his what should be 25-plus minutes, he should be able to achieve his value.
Next: SG Value Plays
Shooting Guards:
Shooting guard has a ton of options for tonight’s slate, which is where multiple lineups are going to become useful. I’d be shocked if Dwyane Wade managed back-to-back 40-point nights, but I still think at his current price that he can still obtain value. However, you don’t need me to tell you to play Dwyane Wade, you came to this site to look for value plays. Here are my value plays for shooting guard tonight:
Rodney Stuckey, at Brooklyn ($5,900) – Out of these three, Stuckey is the one that I like the least, but he could easily get back on track in tonight’s matchup. Rodney Stuckey previously missed his last three games and C.J. Miles saw an uptick in his production. Stuckey before the injury was a player with a scoring range between 15 and 40 fantasy points. In order to reach his value tonight, he must get to 29.5 fantasy points, which I think is obtainable. However, he’s the riskiest of the three.
Danny Green, at Miami ($5,900) – Does he play? I think he will. Danny Green is a consistency monster as he managed to score over 20 fantasy points each night, but also has the range to get us 50 fantasy points on a great night. The biggest thing that I love about Green is that he isn’t on a minutes limit, meaning that Popovich is willing to play him 35-plus minutes more nights than the rest of the team. Like Stuckey, Green needs 29.5 fantasy points to hit value tonight and I think he gets that.
Kentavious Caldwell- Pope, v. Atlanta ($5,300) – While Caldwell- Pope only managed 15.3 fantasy points last game, he is still getting the minutes that he needs. In his last seven games he’s been over 36 minutes in each of them and with his combination of minutes played and price he makes a nice value play. Caldwell-Pope only needs to score 26.5 fantasy points to reach his value.
Next: SF Value Plays?
Mar 30, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) guards Atlanta Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll (5) in the first quarter of their game at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Small Forward:
Forget about Kawhi Leonard and Draymond Green tonight, I’m playing cheap tonight at small forward.
DeMarre Carroll, at Detroit ($5,800) – Carroll is been on a mini-tear that cannot be denied any longer. In his last 8 games, he’s scored under 20 fantasy points one time. But when he plays, he is getting over 30 minutes and is putting up fantasy points because of everything that he does. Usually small forwards who are in this price range only score and don’t rebound. However, Carroll rebounds and he doesn’t usually turnover the ball. With Carroll’s price, he has the potential to shatter potential go 6 or 7-times value.
C.J. Miles, at Brooklyn ($4,600) – Miles’ price is way too good to pass up on. Miles starts and usually handles the scoring load for the starting lineup, while Stuckey will come off the bench and handle the off the bench scoring. If you watched his last game, I don’t think we can expect that because of how hot Miles started. He just had a terrific shooting night from behind the arch and when that happens in the NBA, people have amazing fantasy nights. However he’s managed to score 25-plus points in back-to-back nights and that cannot be ignored for his price tag. In order to reach value, he needs 23 fantasy points at his price and I think he will without question exceed value tonight.
Next: PF Value Plays
Mar 23, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward David West (21) reacts to a foul call during a game against the Houston Rockets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Power Forward:
Not a lot of power forward’s that I like today, but there are still a few values to play at this position.
David West, at Brooklyn ($5,600) – Personally, I don’t like playing West because although he is consistent, he struggles to ever break 30 fantasy points. A really good game for David West is 28 fantasy points, but he isn’t going to kill you. If he plays, you won’t take anything below 20 fantasy points. West has to hit 28 fantasy points to reach his expected 5-times value and I don’t think he gets there but I certainly think that he’s close.
(If you want to take a huge risk for his price tag, take Udonis Haslem. Haslem is currently priced at $5,100 on FanDuel and I don’t think he can get 25.5 fantasy points. However, the minutes should be there if Whiteside is out.)
Next: Value Play at C?
Mar 24, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler (6) defends against San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter (22) during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Spurs 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Center:
Tiago Splitter is the only value play for me at center tonight.
Tiago Splitter, at Miami ($5,000) – Splitter has exceed value in back-to-back games, and even with a healthy Whiteside, I think he could be productive. He’s been under 30 minutes in each of the last two games, but that hasn’t stopped him from being productive. Splitter’s price has him forced to hit 25 fantasy points to reach value but I think that is easily doable against Miami, especially with the news that Whiteside’s status is up in the air.
Next: My Lineup
Mar 29, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) dribbles the ball in the second half of a game against the Detroit Pistons at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
My GPP (Big tournament) Lineup (right now):
PG – George Hill, at BKN ($7,400)
PG- Shelvin Mack, at DET ($3,500)
SG- Dwyane Wade, v. SA ($7,800)
SG- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, v. ATL ($5,300)
SF- DeMarre Carroll, at DET ($5,800)
SF- C.J. Miles, at BKN ($4,600)
PF- Blake Griffin, v. GS ($8,800)
PF- Tim Duncan, at MIA ($7,300)
C- DeAndre Jordan, v. GS ($9,200)