Daily News for November 10th, 2014

NBA Daily Fantasy is unlike any other sport due to the amount of time sensitive information that is constantly rolling in at various times. Here at The Fix we try our best to bridge the divide between giving you the information you need in time to get your lineups set, while also preparing you for any wacky information that may come across as late as five minutes before tip-off. Therefore it is very important to check twitter as frequently as you can. That being said, here is the information you need to be ready for between now and tip-off.

It’s a slow news day as we only have 5 games on tap for tonight.  The Pacers continue to play through injuries, with Roy Hibbert becoming the latest casualty.  He banged his knee last game, and was forced to miss the second half of the game.  He’s listed a probable tonight,  so he should be ready to go. If he does sit, my guess is foul-machine Ian Mahinmi ( $3,300 ) would draw the start.  He would only be in play for me given the relative weakness at the center position tonight, though I don’t think I would trust in in cash games.  LaVoy Allen ( $4,000 ) would also see extra minutes, and makes more sense as the player to target.  Other Pacers starters would see increased opportunities as they try to make up for Hibbert’s lost production.  This all said, Hibbert’s probably going to play, so we shouldn’t have to worry about any of this.

In a shocking turn of events, Derrick Rose ( $6,900 ) missed shoot around and is listed as a game-time decision for tonight.  Sarcasm aside, this is beginning to feel like last season with Dwyane Wade.  Your guess is as good as mine as to whether or not he’ll play.  This game tips off an hour after the first games start, so there’s no guarantee we will have any clarity before then.  His status doesn’t affect my view of Bulls a whole lot.  Jimmy Butler ( $6,100 ) is in play regardless, as is Pau Gasol ( $7,900 ), though they should see a boost if Rose ends up sitting out.  Aaron Brooks ( $4,500 ) becomes unusable if Rose plays, but remains a GPP-only target if he sits out.  If we receive word that Rose is out after the first games start, I would not go out of my way to late swap Brooks in if it requires making significant roster changes.

That’s it for the news.  Let’s get to today’s plays.

Point Guard

Donald Sloan, Indiana Pacers, $4,900 – Sloan is going to end up in most, if not every one of my lineups tonight.  The price is too good for a starting point guard that sees a high usage level against the defensively-inept Trey Burke.  Sloan is simply too cheap relative to the production level we can expect out of him tonight.  Sloan has been at or above 30 DK points in 5 of 7 games.  Of the two poor performances, one was against Brandon Knight’s tough defense, and the other was Indiana’s 4th game in 5th nights.  Both are forgivable, and Sloan should be back to giving an excellent return on a small investment tonight.

Jeff Teague, Altanta Hawks, $7,300 – Teague has started off hot this season.  His only down game was at San Antonio, so I’m willing to give him a pass there.  He’s facing a Knicks team that is giving up solid games to opposing point guards.  Iman Shumpert has not been good defensively.  Point guard is not very strong today, so I find myself gravitating toward cheaper shooting guard options in my lineups.  However, Teague offers significant upside if he gets rolling, and can vastly exceed his value threshold.  I think he makes more sense as a GPP target given the value at the guard spots.

Honorable Mention: Jrue Holiday, Chris Paul

Shooting Guard

Iman Shumpert, New York Knicks, $4,500 – Shumpert is a low-priced shooting guard that is actually playing point guard for the Knicks.  That makes him a terrific bargain, and his game logs are indicative of increased usage and consistency.  He’s locked into all of my lineups tonight as he is one of the best value options on the board.

Tim Hardaway Jr., New York Knicks, $3,400 – Hardaway has been seeing about 25-28 minutes on a nightly basis, and has been making good use of that time, eclipsing the 20 DK point mark on a consistent basis.  Facing a Hawks team that is terrible against opposing shooting guards, I like Hardaway’s chances to offer another very solid return on our investment tonight.  Like Shumpert, he’s locked into many, if not all of my lineups tonight because the value is just too good to pass up on.

Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls, $6,100 – I like Butler more if Rose is out, but we might not know that in time.  Regardless of Rose’s status, however, Butler is a solid play because he’s still underpriced.  He’s much improved offensively from last season, and he’s been filling up the stat sheet night after night.  Facing a weak Pistons team, he should have no trouble paying off his price yet again.  As always, he gets the Tom Thibodeau boatload of minutes bonus that all Chicago Bulls receive.

Honorable Mention: Manu Ginobili, Gordon Hayward

Small Forward

Solomon Hill, Indiana Pacers, $4,200 – Like Donald Sloan, Hill is locked into a big role with the Pacers given all of the injuries to their normal starters.  Hill has been good when given minutes, and he’s certainly earned them with a 42 DK point performance in his last game.  I’m not expecting that level of production again, but at $4,200, he should have a solid floor of 20, with upside for more.  That’s just fine with me at a position that isn’t offering any terrific plays tonight.  Utah is a bad defensively, and I think the Pacers will overall see an uptick in scoring and production in this matchup.  Hill should benefit from that, and makes for a fine value play tonight.

DeMarre Carroll, Atlanta Hawks, $5,000 – Carroll won’t blow you away with upside, but he does offer consistency at the small forward position.  He starts, plays a full complement of minutes, and does just enough scoring and rebounding, along with another peripheral stat or two, to make himself a solid value play.  Every now and then he’ll get hot and have a big game, which is just a nice bonus when it happens.  I don’t like overpaying for LeBron or Melo tonight ( or any night ), and would much prefer to stick with the value plays listed here.

Honorable Mention: Mike Dunleavy ( GPP Only )

Power Forward

Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans, $11,000 – He cannot be stopped.  Aside from a “bad” game of only 30.5 DK points on the road against Memphis, Davis has been an absolute monster.  No other player offers the level of consistency, massive upside, and high floor that Davis does on a nightly basis.  There are plenty of value plays out there that allow you to fit Davis into your lineups.  I really see no reason not to use him.  The Cavs don’t worry me.  They’re not playing good basketball, and Kevin Love and Anderson Varejao can’t stop Davis anyway.  Davis’s monster performance against Tim Duncan and the Spurs allowed the Pelicans to walk into San Antonio and earn a win against a much better Spurs team.  If you’re worried about the fact that the Pelicans didn’t get to their hotel until 2 am and the Cavs are desperate and have something to prove, don’t be.  Davis is way too good to be stopped by travel delays and a narrative that has no bearing on the abilities and talents of players.

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs, $7,400 – Tonight’s matchup with the Clippers should be close, so I like Duncan’s chances to play his full complement of minutes, with perhaps a little extra.  The Spurs are going to need him on the court to keep Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in check.  On the offensive end, Duncan should have his way with a Clippers team that is terrible against opposing big men.  Blake Griffin is allergic to defense, and DeAndre Jordan’s only claim to fame is rebounding and blocking shots.  Duncan is too talanted, and too smart to be held down by those two, and we could see a monster performance from him tonight.

Honorable Mention: Derrick Favors, Amar’e Stoudemire

Center

Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers, $6,900 – Center is going to give players trouble tonight because none of the options are very enticing.  For me, Hibbertoffers the best chance to have a big game at a reasonable price.  His rebounding has been inconsistent, but he should be a nightly double-double threat that threatens the 35-40 fantasy point mark.  He’s also a focal point of his team’s offense, which is more than you can say about most of the other centers available tonight.  I will be using him in most of my lineups, maybe gambling on a decent game from Varejao in the others.  I would pivot to Horford if Hibbert is out tonight.

Honorable Mention: Al Horford, Anderson Varejao