Daily News for November 11th, 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.

There are a couple of notable injuries around the league, with the most prominent being Darren Collison and Klay Thompson.  Collision is considered doubtful, so I will proceed tonight with the expectation that he will not play due to some shoulder stiffness.  Ramon Sessions ( $3,000 ) should get the start for collision and becomes must-play at minimum salary.  Don’t overthink this.  Just put him in.  Rudy Gay ( $7,700 ) and DeMarcus Cousins ( $9,900 ) should see a boost with increased usage as Collison is a better scorer than Sessions.  Klay Thompson should play tonight despite the questionable tag.  If he doesn’t, expect the same as last game, where Stephen Curry ( $10,200 ) and Draymond Green ( $6,200 ) shoot a lot and nobody else sees much of a benefit.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have not said anything with respect to guys like Andre Roberson, Anthony Morrow, or Perry Jones.  As of now, I have no idea if any, all, or none of them will suit up tonight.  Jeremy Lamb ( $3,900 ) remains a strong play regardless.  He’s cheap and seeing a ton of minutes and shot attempts.

As of this writing, I’ve heard nothing from the San Antonio Spurs, but I suspect we will eventually.  Tim Duncan played 36 minutes last night, so he seems like a good target for a rest day.  If he does play, expect Pop to limited his minutes as much as possible.  Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are also candidates to receive either a day off or a lightened workload tonight.  If any of them sit, Kawhi Leonard ( $5,900 ) becomes an even more amazing play than he already is.  I was off him because I thought his eye problem would hinder him.  I was clearly wrong since all he did last night was score a career high 26 points with 10 rebounds, 3 assists, a block, and 3 steals.  I won’t make that mistake again.  Fire him up while he’s severely underpriced, but avoid the other Spurs like the plague.

Finally, Nicolas Batum has already been ruled out for Portland.  I have yet to see a starting lineup, however.  Steve Blake ( $3,000 ) is the only speculative play I would make from the Blazers bench.  Mostly I think the Blazers will just ask more of the rest of their starters as this team has little to no depth, especially on the wings.

That’s it for the important news.  Let’s get to the picks!

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Point Guard

Ramon Sessions ( $3,000 ) – He should start for Collison, who is listed as doubtful.  He won’t blow you away, but if he starts, and he should, he’ll see an uptick in minutes and should be good for at least 20 fantasy points with upside for more.  If he starts, I don’t think he can be faded in cash games, and I would have a very difficult time fading him in GPP lineups as well.  He’s a good player and should do a fine job filling in for Collison.

Brandon Knight ( $7,300 ) – Knight is the only reliable option in the circus of mayhem that is Jason Kidd’s rotations.  Part of having the Milwaukee Bucks head coaching job must be that you are required to give fantasy sports players head aches on a nightly basis.  Knight has a great matchup with Reggie Jackson, and can score fantasy points in a variety of ways.  He’s asked to do a lot playing for a team that is filled with mediocre to bad players.  I like him more than Jackson tonight, as Knight himself is a very solid defender, and Reggie Jackson, well, is not.

Stephen Curry ( $10,200 ) – I’m not going to lie.  I love Curry.  He’s a terrific player.  He’s a good guy.  He’s fun to watch.  Heck, he’s even on my kids’ juice pouches.  With plenty of value available tonight, there is no reason not to roster the top player on the board.  Klay Thompson claims that he’s playing, but it probably won’t be at 100%.  Expect Curry to be shooting early and often, and look for another big performance in this matchup with the Spurs.

Honorable Mention: Mike Conley ( $6,900 ), Reggie Jackson ( $6,500 )

Shooting Guard

Courtney Lee ( $4,100 ) – Lee is still too cheap relative to his recent production.  In a plus matchup with the Lakers, he shouldn’t have any trouble keeping his recent stretch of 25 or so fantasy point games going.  The Grizzles tend to be one of the more balanced offenses in the league, so it’s reasonable to expect their players to continue producing what they normally do.  At this price, that makes Lee a borderline steal.

Jeremy Lamb ( $3,900 ) – Until his price increases, expect to see Lamb in here every day the Thunder play.  He’s being asked to play big minutes, and will continue to do so until Kevin Durant returns.  He’s dirt cheap, will play plenty of minutes, and should see enough shot attempts to more than pay off his bargain barrel price tag.

Honorable Mention: DeMar DeRozan ( $8,100 )

Small Forward

Kawhi Leonard ( $5,900 ) – I can’t wait to see him play again when he doesn’t have an eye problem.  All he did last night was score a career high 26 points while making several amazing defensive plays.  I still expect the Spurs to rest at least one player tonight, and even if they don’t, the older guys should see less minutes, putting more responsibility on Kawhi.  He’s playing terrific basketball right now, and he’s currently on sale.  Plug him in before his price catches up to his recent production.  The matchup with Golden State isn’t ideal, but he’s good enough and does enough on the court that he should still make for a fine play tonight.

Draymond Green ( $6,200 ) – It’s nice being able to roster a power forward in the small forward spot.  Green does everything on the court, and he has a nice matchup with a Spurs team playing the second leg of a back-to-back.  What that usually means is the Spurs will play less of their good players, and more of their not so good players.  Green is a high floor, high ceiling player right now, and he’s very attractive at this price.  He will be a building block of many of my lineups tonight.

Honorable Mention: Rudy Gay ( $7,700 )

Power Forward

LaMarcus Aldridge ( $8,800 ) – Aldridge’s price is getting down to levels that make him very hard to ignore, especially on a slate that is offering a lot of value, and not many high-priced options.  The absense of Batum may result in a couple more shot attempts and possibly a few more rebounds, though it’s hard to say.  Regardless, I think have to plug Aldridge in tonight, lock in the 30+ points he’s almost guaranteed to give you, and be thrilled if he has one of his monster performances.  He has a good matchup with a Charlotte team that doesn’t really have anyone that can match up with him well.  He’s a very safe option, and one that’s easy to roster tonight.

Zach Randolph ( $7,100 ) – Tonight sets up well as one of those games where Z-Bo could go off.  The Lakers are a poor defensive team, and Randolph will be matched up with Carlos Boozer, a horrible defender.  Z-Bo is an almost automatic double-double in matchups like this, with upside for much more.   He’s a safe option that should earn you 35+ fantasy points tonight, with the possibility of eclipsing 40.  That’s a terrific return for a $7,100 price tag.

Honorable Mention: Amir Johnson ( $5,100 ) ( GPP Only ), Dirk Nowitzki ( $7,300 )

Center

Marc Gasol ( $7,500 ) – Gasol has the same good matchup against the Lakers that Z-Bo has, and at a similar price point.  It’s difficult to know which of them will have the better game, so my advice is to get exposure to both, but probably not in the same lineup.  The Grizzles are a balanced team, and it’s just hard to imagine both of them really going off.  That said, Gasol is one of the safest options on the board, and should be a lock for 30-35 fantasy points, with possible upside into the 40s.  The Lakers are always a great team to target, and that’s no different tonight, even with a team like the Grizzlies.

Tyson Chandler ( $5,900 ) – Chandler has produced very well relative to his price tag.  He seems to settle into around 30 fantasy points, which is perfect for his price.  Facing a Kings team in what should be a high scoring affair with a better than average number of possessions, Chandler should see increased rebounding, blocking, and even scoring opportunities.  I think he’s a very safe cash game play, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use him in some GPP lineups as well.

Honorable Mention: Al Jefferson ( $8,600 ), DeMarcus Cousins ( $9,900 )

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