Game Breakdowns:

This article is a collaboration between Joshua Lewis and Joshua Kay , the NBA Daily Fantasy experts for the Fantasy Fix.

Milwaukee Bucks @ Cleveland Cavaliers – Start Time 7:00 PM

Notable stats:

• Milwaukee is 7th in defensive efficiency ( 100.1 )
• Cleveland is tied for 5th in offensive efficiency ( 107.0 )

SPIN ( MIL ): On a 10-game slate, there’s really no reason to target the Bucks tonight.  Cleveland has been improving defensively, they rebound well, and they’re starting to play much better together offensively.  A blowout would not be surprising.  Add in the fact that Zaza Pachulia ( $3,000 ) is returning to the lineup, and it’s simply not worth trying to figure out who, if anyone, is going to excel in this matchup.  You could make an argument for Brandon Knight ( $7,100 ) given how Kyrie Irving is on the defensive end, but he’s a GPP-only target given the likelihood of the Bucks struggling tonight as a team.

SPIN ( CLE ): Despite not being exciting on the offensive end, the Bucks are still a solid team defensively.  Neither team plays particularly fast, so temper your expectations for the big three of LeBron James ( $11,600 ), Kevin Love ( $8,700 ), and Kyrie Irving ( $9,100 ).  In the absence of very solid value plays, Lebron and Irving are simply too expensive to roster tonight.  They will likely not be worth their hefty price tags in this matchup anyway.  Love finally had a big game last time out against Indiana, but until we see more performances like this, it’s hard to trust that he’s going to start flirting with 50 fantasy points on a nightly basis.  Like the other Cavs, it’s hard to imagine him paying off his price tag.  Anderson Varejao ( $5,400 ) is expected to play and is a fine option option at his price.  If he’s unexpectedly ruled out, Tristan Thompson ( $5,200 ) becomes a decent option, but is by no means a must play.

Summary:

All Games:  Anderson Varejao – C

GPP Only:  Brandon Knight – PG

Brooklyn Nets @ New York Knicks – Start Time 7:30 PM

On a 10-game slate, there’s absolutely no reason to target a game like this.  This should be low scoring and no player is in any obvious position to excel in this matchup.  Completely fading this game is recommended.

Boston Celtics @ Atlanta Hawks – Start Time 7:30 PM

Notable stats:

• Boston is 27th in defensive efficiency ( 107.4 )
• Atlanta is 20th in defensive efficiency ( 104.9 )
• Boston is 3rd in pace ( 100.0 )
• Altanta is 28th in rebounding rate ( 48.3 )

SPIN ( BOS ): This game projects to be fast-paced and high scoring, but targeting Boston players is generally not much fun.  Rajon Rondo ( $7,600 ) is always a triple double threat, but his deficiencies in scoring really hold him back from being an elite play.  He’s a GPP only target.  The best play from Boston is Jared Sullinger ( $7,100 ).  The Hawks are terrible at rebounding the basketball, and Paul Millsap is a liability on defense.  The Hawks are ranked 25th against opposing power forwards.  Sullinger is an attractive option at this price, as he should post very nice totals in both points and rebounds.  Tyler Zeller ( $3,700 ) drew the start in place of Kelly Olynyk ( $4,900 ), but ended up playing less minutes.  If Zeller starts again, he’s not a bad option given the lack of value options tonight, but he’s by no means a must play.  Brad Stevens is constantly tinkering with his rotations, and Zeller’s minutes are not safe regardless of whether or not he starts.

SPIN ( ATL ): Boston plays fast and is among the worst teams in the league defensively.  As such, targeting them with our players is going to be a profitable strategy.  Jeff Teague ( $7,700 ) is playing terrific basketball, and he’s a recommended cash and GPP play against Boston’s 24th-ranked PG defense.  Paul Millsap ( $8,900 ) is priced out of cash game use, but he’s an interesting GPP play that will be very low-owned.  Facing Boston’s 30th-ranked PF defense, the potential is there for him to have one of his ridiculous upside games.  Other Hawks players can be safely faded as they are simply not doing enough on the court to justify their price tags.

Summary:

All Games: Jeff Teague – PG, Jared Sullinger – PF, NOTE: Our writers disagree here, but Josh Kay believes Tyler Zeller is safe for your cash games and GPPs. This is a matchup that is better suited for him.

GPP Only: Rajon Rondo – PG, Paul Millsap – PF

Los Angeles Lakers @ Detroit Pistons – Start Time 7:30 PM

Notable stats:

• LA is 30th in defensive efficiency ( 113.7 )
• LA is 7th in pace ( 97.37  )
• Detroit is 25th in pace ( 93.81 )

SPIN ( LAL ): The Lakers will be playing down in pace, but they still have a favorable matchup against a bad Pistons team.  Kobe Bryant ( $9,400 ) is in play in both cash games and GPPs.  He’s a stud and he’s currently not priced like one.  Jordan Hill ( $6,600 ) draws a terrific matchup against Detroit’s 30th-ranked defense against opposing centers.  He can be used with confidence across all game types.  Jeremy Lin ( $5,300 ) is not a popular play, but he’s been very good lately and has a favorable matchup against Brandon Jennings.  Nick Young ( $4,400 ) is in play in GPPs due to his high volume of shots.  If he gets hot, he can put up a very high scoring total and vastly exceed his value threshold.

SPIN ( DET ): Stan Van Gundy is experimenting with a new starting lineup, and it’s extremely important to take note of.  Greg Monroe ( $7,000 ) has moved to the bench, and has been replaced with Kyle Singler ( $3,500 ).  Singler is not a recommended option even at his low salary.  He doesn’t do much on the court, and his usage rate is extremely low.  The primary beneficiary of this change is Josh Smith ( $7,300 ).  Instead of starting at small forward, Smith moves to power forward, a position where he thrives.  The Pistons started these same 5 players last game, and all Smith did was drop 54.25 DK points a very tough Golden State team.  Imagine what he might do to Carlos Boozer and the woeful Lakers.  Fire Smith up with confidence.  He’s a top play today.  Brandon Jennings ( $7,600 ) and Andre Drummond ( $7,900 ) also have favorable matchups, but due to inconsistency and price, are only recommended for GPP use. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ( $4,400 ) continues to play huge minutes, so he’s always a decent fill-in.

Summary:

All Games: Kobe Bryant – SG, Jeremy Lin – PG, Jordan Hill – C, Josh Smith – SF, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – SG

GPP Only: Nick Young – SG, Brandon Jennings – PG, Andre Drummond – C

Dallas Mavericks @ Chicago Bulls – Start Time 8:00 PM

Notable stats

• Chicago is 9th in defensive efficiency ( 101.3 )

SPIN ( DAL ): Chicago and Dallas are both middle of the pack in all of the metrics we tend to care about.  They’re very evenly matched, and this should be a close, hard fought game.  Dallas is very balanced in terms of offensive production, and facing a Bulls team that plays solid defense doesn’t help their fantasy prospects.  Tyson Chandler ( $6,600 ) is a very good option today.  He’s thrived with Dallas this season, while the Bulls are ranked 26th against opposing centers.  Chandler Parsons ( $6,200 ) is a sneaky play today as he’ll draw Mike Dunleavy on defense, while Monta Ellis ( $7,800 ) is likely shut down by Jimmy Butler.  Given that the Bulls are ranked 1st against opposing shooting guards, and 29th against opposing small forwards, it’s very likely Parsons picks up a lot of the production that would normally come from Ellis.   Parsons is a recommended play in both cash and GPP lineups.

SPIN ( CHI ): Everyone but Taj Gibson is healthy, so we don’t have to worry about any surprises from the Bulls.  Jimmy Butler ( $7,500 ) continues to be an amazing play regardless of who starts for Chicago.  He’s underpriced, and draws an extremely favorable matchup against Monta Ellis.  He should be locked and loaded into most, if not all, lineups tonight.  Pau Gasol ( $8,200 ) has been a model of consistency this season.  His upside is somewhat limited at this price with Derrick Rose ( $5,900 ) on the court, but he makes for an excellent cash game option.  Other Bulls options can safely be faded.  Rose seems cheap, but he’s an unnecessary risk given it’s impossible to know how many minutes he’ll actually play.

Summary:

All games – Tyson Chandler – C, Chandler Parsons – SF, Jimmy Butler – SG, Pau Gasol – PF

GPP Only – None

Oklahoma City Thunder @ New Orleans Pelicans – Start Time 8:00 PM

Notable stats

• Current Thunder stats don’t apply because the majority of them were accrued without Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant
• New Orleans is 21st in defensive efficiency 105.2
• New Orleans is 23rd in pace ( 94.31 )

SPIN ( OKC ): Kevin Durant ( $11,400 ) and Russell Westbrook ( $9,500 ) will both be playing for the Thunder for the first time this season.  As was the case last season, they are only two viable DFS options on this team.  Given price, lack of good value options tonight, and the fact that the two of them tend to cap each other’s upside, both are safe to fade.  Kevin Durant is also expected to be on a minutes restriction of about 30, which also caps his upside.  If we learn of some important injury news later on in the day that allows you to roster them, they are always going to be terrific plays, just not at the expense of the rest of your lineup.  They are always going to be recommended plays, just be careful that you don’t take unnecessary risks on cheap, bad players in order to fit them.  That will seldom be a winning strategy.

SPIN ( NO ): The Thunder were good defensively before the return of Westbrook and Durant, so they’re going to be even better with those two back on the floor.  This game projects as low-scoring, with Oklahoma City favored on the road.  New Orleans, including Anthony Davis ( $11,500 ), is safe to fade tonight.  This isn’t a good matchup for them, and Davis doesn’t have the upside to justify his price tag, or the sacrifices you’ll have to make at other positions in order to roster him.

Summary:

All Games: None

GPP Only:  Russell Westbrook – PG

Indiana Pacers @ Phoenix Suns – Start Time 9:00 PM

Notable stats

• Phoenix is 4th in pace ( 99.18 )
• Indiana is 27th in pace ( 93.07 )
• Phoenix is 24th in rebounding rate ( 48.5 )
• Indians is 2nd in rebounding rate ( 53.6 )

SPIN ( IND ): Roy Hibbert ( $7,000 ) is expected to return tonight, and it will be the first time this season that he and David West ( $6,700 ) are on the court together.  Facing a Phoenix team that will force Indiana to play up in pace, but struggles rebounding the basketball, either of these two could have a nice game tonight.  Hibbert seems like the more likely of the two as he will be matched up with Miles Plumlee, the whipping boy for opposing centers lately.  Hibbert is a solid play in both cash games and GPPs tonight, while West can best be reserved for GPP use only.  Roster one or the other in a lineup is advised, while putting both in the same lineup is not a recommended strategy.  The expectation is that both Hibbert and West will lessen the value of the other Pacers, but Rodney Stuckey ( $4,600 ) is still cheap and is worth a look on a night where value options are limited.

SPIN ( PHX ): Phoenix will be playing down in pace against a team that projects to win the rebounding battle fairly easily.  Phoenix has really struggled with Isaiah Thomas ( $5,600 ) out of the lineup.  He’s questionable tonight, but whether or not he plays does not have much bearing on Suns players tonight.  They are not recommended targets for your lineups due to the inconsistencies of the players, and the difficult matchup with Indiana.

Summary:

All Games – Roy Hibbert – C, Rodney Stuckey – SG

GPP Only: David West – PF

Portland Trail Blazers @ Denver Nuggets – Start Time 9:00 PM

 Notable stats:

• Portland is 3rd in the NBA in 3-point FG%
• Denver is 5th in pace
• Portland is 10th in pace
• Portland has the best 3-point defense in the NBA.

SPIN: (POR): It’s wonderful to see LaMarcus Aldridge ( $9,300 ) rebounding again. He’s a very strong play at power-forward (probably the best one of the day as well). The Nuggets are coming off a narrow escape in Utah — a game I watched on League Pass — and quite frankly the Nuggets self destructed when Mozgov had to leave the floor with foul trouble. Chris Kaman ( $4,600 ) is averaging 32.1 fantasy points in two games against Denver this year. He’s a GPP only play, but one that is very sneaky.

SPIN (DEN): Like I just mentioned, the Nuggets barely eked out what was an emotional and close victory against the Jazz last night, in what easily the most entertaining game of the night. Ty Lawson ( $9,000 ) has a game based on pure speed, but with his young legs I still expect him to be at the top of his game tonight in a back to back against a high paced team. Expect Lawson to carry more of the load offensively, slashing to the rim against Damian Lillard’s non-existent defense. I expect a lot of high pick and rolls for Denver since Portland is so good at defending the 3-point line. Lawson is really the only Nugget I’m remotely interested in tonight.

Summary:

All games: Ty Lawson – PG, LaMarcus Aldridge – PF

GPP only: Chris Kaman – C

Toronto Raptors @ Sacramento Kings – Start Time 10:00 PM

Notable stats:

• The Kings and Raptors are 1st and 2nd respectively in free throw attempts per 100 possessions.
• The Kings allow the 4th highest opp FG% in the restricted area

SPIN (TOR): Starting at the “2” for the Raptors, Greivis Vasquez ( $4,300 ) poured in 19 points and 29 fantasy points in their loss to the Lakers on Sunday. He is starting again tonight, so he’s a very strong value play. With Demar Derozan out, Kyle Lowry ( $8,600 ) assumed the responsibility of “slasher” in this offense, as he attempted 12 free throws. He will compete with Ty Lawson for the top point guard of the night. Both are strong cash plays, with a slight edge to Lowry due to rebounding. The Kings allow the third fewest points to opposing centers, but this is largely due to rebounding. I like Jonas Valenciunas ( $5,900 ) in both cash and GPPs tonight. Finally, Amir Johnson is questionable. If he misses the game tonight, Patrick Patterson ( $4,700 ) becomes a great option at power forward.

SPIN (SAC): This game features a revenge game for Rudy Gay ( $7,600 ) who should be excellent thanks to Darren Collison having a very tough matchup. I still prefer Josh Smith for the price, but there’s no reason you can’t use both. Demarcus Cousins ( $10,600 ) has been upgraded to probable. Despite the lofty price tag, he’s a fantastic play, although it concerns me that the Raptors are so adept at drawing fouls. He’s a better GPP option than cash game play for that specific reason.

Summary:

All Games: Rudy Gay – SF, Kyle Lowry – PG, Jonas Valenciunas – C, Patrick Patterson – PF ( IF AMIR IS OUT), Greivis Vasquez – PG

GPP Only: Demarcus Cousins (he can be used in cash, but its risky)

Orlando Magic @ Golden State Warriors – Start Time 10:30 PM

The Golden State Warriors will likely blow out the Magic, limiting most everyone’s upside. The Magic are best at SF and C, the two spots that Golden State is excellent at defending.

UPDATE….

Stephen Curry ( $10,300 ) is questionable for this game. If he misses, Klay Thompson becomes a no-brainer at $7,100. as does Draymond Green ( $5,800 ) who is already a strong play to begin with. If Curry does play, this game could get ugly, making Maurice Speights ( $4,900 ) a very good GPP candidate.

Summary

All Games: Draymond Green – SF, Klay Thompson – SG (if Curry is out),

GPP only: Maurice Speights – PF