Month: January 2019

Under Radar Free Agents

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Adam Jones

Adam Jones is coming off the worst season of his professional career.  A 0.2WAR by far the lowest of his career came while his team was putting together a historic season alongside him.  The Orioles finished the season at 47-115 an astounding 61 games behind the first place Red Sox.  Jones will enter the season at 33 years old, his best days offensively and defensively behind him. But is he really not worth a look in spring training by a contending team in need of some outfield help?

Jones hasn’t been the all-star he was from 2012-2015 but he still has brought production to the table over the last three seasons.  Jones has shown power over the last three season combining for a total of 70 homers and never hitting below .265 in those three seasons. Jones also brings in league average OPS at a career mark of .779.  He has been a leader in the Baltimore club house and is respected around baseball.  Never more notably then the leadership he brought to team USA in the world baseball classic.

While he is not the based sabermetric center fielder defensively, Jones still has the ability to play all three positions. 

Teams that should consider:

New York Mets- Lagares can’t hit and Broxton hasn’t shown anything in the majors yet.

Cleveland Indians- after losing so much this off season the Indians could use some more pop and another veteran bat to sell to the fans.  Leonys Martin is not the answer.

Josh Harrison

Josh Harrison is coming off a subpar season that was marred by injuries.  Playing in only 97 games in 2018 Harrison’s productivity was not where the Pirates wanted it to be, leading to a buyout of his contract.  Harrison now sits in the wasteland of free agents.

The 31-year old utility player brings plus defense to two different positions 2b and 3b. The 2017 All-Star can bring a dynamic player off the bench for multiple playoff contenders.  In an age of versatility being a great attribute Harrison would be a perfect fit on multiple teams. 

Teams that should consider:

New York Yankees- having a player whom can come in defensively for Miguel Andujar would be a perfect fit in the late innings. His speed can also be valuable in late inning situations.

Milwaukee Brewers- This one is a bit of a stretch but he would be an upgrade over Hernan Perez because of his experience and great club house demeanor.  He could replace the underrated Eric Sogard in a utility infield role.

Tony Sipp

I have been preaching the effectiveness of Tony Sipp all off season. Sipp had a 1.86 ERA in 38 innings last season with the Houston Astros. This included a home ERA of .90 in the hitter friendly Minute Maid Park.

Sipp was as good as it gets versus lefties in 2018 holding them to a slash line of .191/.263/.294. While Sipp hasn’t had as storied a career as the players a previously spoke of he is coming off of a great season and is currently ranked as the second best reliever still on the market behind Craig Kimbrel. 

Teams that should consider-

Anyone and everyone.  I lefty specialist is not easy to find.  Sipp would fill in that role for any contending team that is worried about the left side of their bullpen.  He is going to be cheap to.

NBA DFS 1.28.19

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PG: Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers, $7,400 Williams is going to be popular in this matchup against the fast paced Hawks.  Fast pace and a player paying at a high level makes for big points.  Beverly is cheaper and will get his minutes but Williams is the more certain player for points. SG: Bojan Bogdanovic, Indiana Pacers, $5,600 Bojan is quietly having a solid season.With the injury to Oladipo points will be at a premium for Pacers guards.  Bojan will be looking to shoot and shoot a lot. Collison will be the chalkier play but don’t under estimate Bojan in this matchup. SF: Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors, $9,400 No Draymond Green will open up the floor for Durant to be more of a playmaker.  With Boogie Cousins still on a bit of a minute restriction I am looking for Durant to not only supply points tonight but also rebounds.  Double-double should be a guarantee. PF: Dwayne Dedmon, Atlanta Hawks, $5,500 Only the Suns give up more points to centers then the Los Angeles Clippers.  Stacking the Hawks bigs, (John Collins will be chalky) seems like the best play of the night.  Dedmon will be a big matchup problem for the Clips, he has a low price and even higher upside. C: Montrezl Harrell, Los Angeles Clippers, $7,100 Harrell is a fantasy monster. The Clippers already play at a fast pace and it will only get faster tonight against the defenseless Hawks.  Harrell’s price is a bit more than I would like but he is still a solid play at a mid-range price. G: Trey Burke, New York Knicks, $4,200 Injuries to Frank Ntilkina and Emanual Mudiay open up minutes for bothTrey Burke and Alonzo Trier.  Burke should get the start as well as the points. He is high-risk high-reward.  Hornets give up the 12th most points to PG’s. F: Dom Sabonis, Indiana Pacers, $6,600 Love centers versus the Warriors. Sabonis also has no problem running the floor if the pace quickens.  Similar to the Bojan play, there are points to be had for the Pacer and Sabonis will be there to take them. UTIL: Malik Beasley, Denver Nuggets, $4,200 No Murray tonight for the Nuggets.  With the return of Will Barton and Gary  Harris, most will stay away from Beasley.  Could be a nice play if he gets a\ large chunk of the Murray minutes.

Five MLB Signings that are affecting the market.

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The last two off seasons have a been a nightmare for MLB free agents.  In a time of big revenue for top market teams you would think that money would not be an issue and we would see the spending wars of the mid 2000’s.  What was once an arms race has turned into nothing more than a pity party.  Just ask Mike Moustakas and Greg Holland last season. The value of prospects, international money and draft picks has changed the way a lot of team construct their rosters. While there has been a culture change for most front offices, mistakes of others are also a factor in longer term deals.  These are the worst five contracts that have affected the current market.

5. Jordan Zimmermann, Detroit Tigers, 5-year $110 Million

Zimmerman was a hot commodity when he hit free agency after the 2015 season. All Star appearances in 2013 and 2014, winning 13 games in 2015, Zimmerman was arguably the biggest free agent starting pitcher name on the market.  The Tigers bit on the hype and signed Zimmerman to a hefty contract. At the time it looked like a great fit for a Tigers team that was looking to contend for a championship going into 2016.  The wheels feel of for Detroit and they feel into the bottom of their own division.  Zimmermann was not much help carrying a 5.13 ERA in three injury-plagued seasons in Detroit, and he’s still owed another $25 million in each of the next two seasons. 

Zimmerman’s poor play and massive contract have may him an impossible trade piece. Luckily for the Tigers Zimmerman should come off the books around the same time that the young pieces they have assembled can take form.

4. Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels, 10-year $240 Million

Albert is not higher on this list because he has been able to produce some over his seven seasons with the Angels. Producing two seasons of +4 WAR and one season hitting 40 HR.  Overall though this contract has put the Angels in a tough position.  Currently having the best player in the world on your roster you would hope to add something around him.  The Pujols contract and inability to play a position has hamstrung the organization.

Pujols was able to give the fans some memorable moments hitting his 500th and 600th homeruns as a member of the Halos.  Other than that, he has primarily been a burden. He is also due another $87 million over the next three seasons. Hopefully, it was all worth it for the Angels, who have gone just 576-551 with one playoff appearance since signing him.

3. Jacoby Ellsbury, New York Yankees, 7-year $153 Million

Second place in MVP voting in 2011, 52 steals in 2013.  Speed, power and defense, Ellsbury seemed to have it all going into the offseason of 2013.  The New York Yankees made an offer to the 29-year-old that seemed like a smart move on a great player in his prime.  Fast forward to 2019.  Ellsbury is entering the 5th year of his massive deal, still due another $42 million over the next two seasons not including the buyout of another $5 million in 2022 the Yankees have basically considered him a wash.

Jacoby didn’t play a single game in 2018 and has already been considered an afterthought in the stacked Yankee outfield.  If he is healthy enough to play, would they really even play him? His first season in pinstripes was solid with an OPS of .747 adding 39 steals, that’s basically all they got or their $153 million.

2. Pablo Sandoval, Boston Red Sox, 5-year $90 Million (2014)

In 2015 Pablo Sandoval cashed in on his Giants playoff heroics.  The Red Sox signed Pablo to a 5-year, $90 million-dollar contract.  The most memorable moment in his Red Sox career was when he took a swing and broke his belt in the process.  That belt took a bigger beating then the ball ever did off his bat while in Boston. Three seasons in Boston Sandoval played a total of 161 games.  That’s right a five-year contract got the Red Sox the equivalent of one season. In those games Sandoval hit .237 with 14 homers.  Not much more to say about this one.  His time in Boston effectively ended the legend of the Kung Fu Panda.

1. Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles, 7-year $161 Million

Chris Davis was always boom or bust player. When Davis signed his “mega deal” homeruns were not at a premium. From 2013 to 2015 the MLB average for homeruns per game was only .94.  Not realizing that the change in MLB culture was coming the Orioles thought they had a unique and mesmerizing player.  At the time of the deal it made sense, looking at it now makes Orioles fans sick to their stomach. 

Davis hasn’t just been bad, he has been historically awful. Hitting just .168 in 2018 Davis found himself out of the lineup for the last place Orioles.  This team was in last place and still couldn’t find a way to play him!  Oh, and he’s still owed another $94 million over the next four seasons. There are no signs that this is going to get any better for him — or for the team.

NCAA Picks ATS 1.25.19

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Illinois Fighting Illini at Maryland Terrapins -9

Illinois can force a lot of turnovers.  Problem is their defense has no other real positives, opposing teams that can hold onto the ball shoot 47% from the field and 36% from behind the arc. They are going to look to push the pace on Saturday to stop the strength of the Maryland frontcourt

Maryland has the size downlow with NBA prospect Bruno Fernando, Illinois has no one on their roster that will be able to handle him. The Illini do have two 7’0 centers on the fringes of their rotation, but in the top seven, Giorgi Bezhanishvili is the only one who could be considered a “big man”, he will be no match for the bruising Fernando on Saturday. As long as point guard Anthony Cowan can continue his solid big ten play the Terrapins should roll to victory at home tomorrow.

The numbers back up Maryland as they are 5-0 ATS last five after a loss. Grab this game before the number goes up for Maryland.

Vanderbilt Commodores at Oklahoma Sooners -10

Oklahoma has been great ATS after a win.  The Sooners are 11-1-1 over their last 13 after a victory. They will get a Vanderbilt team that has been reeling since the loss of Darius Garland. Losers of six straight games, squandering a chance to have a historic win against #1 Tennessee. The Vanderbilt team won’t be able to work off what could have been a very big and needed emotional boost.  

Sooners are 7-1 at home this season with their lone loss coming to Kansas State. Oklahoma rides the momentum from their win over Oklahoma State to get the triumph here.

Marquette Golden Eagles -2 at Xavier Musketeers

The Marquette Golden Eagles have won six straight games, finding themselves just one half game behind the Villanova Wildcats for first place in the Big East. Star Marcus Howard has been the catalyst all season along with Sam Hauser. Hauser in particular has emerged as the #2 scoring option averaging 15 ppg this season.  The key to the game though will be sophomore Theo John. The emergence of the 6-foot-9 sophomore center has given the Golden Eagles a jolt defensively that has made them a better team. Marquette is holding opponents to 68.9 points per game on 40.1 percent shooting, noticeable improvements on last season’s numbers of 78.5 and 47.9, respectively.

The Xavier Musketeers have not had the season they hoped for after last year’s Sweet Sixteen team. Xavier absorbed a 70-52 beating in Milwaukee on Jan. 6, shooting just 31.5 percent while making 1 of 14 from 3-point range. Revenge will be on the mind of the Musketeers who are 0-3 currently against top 25 teams this season.  Naji Marshall one of the top scorers for Xavier all season is questionable with a shoulder injury.  His absence will change this line before the morning.  Either way Marquette is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 road games as the favorite.

Dictating the pace of this game will be important.  Xavier will want a grind it out inside game while Marquette is going to look to go up pace and find room for Howard to work. I like Marquette to win and cover.

Other Picks:

LSU -4.5

Bama +3.5

SLU -2.5

Under Texas/ Georgia

Under Texas AM/ Kansas State

Over Marshall/Southern Miss

The Super Bowl: A St. Louis Natives Perspective

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Despite the controversy of calls and rules and insanity of the NFC and AFC Championship games, the fact is that we are two weeks away from one of the biggest events in sports.  The Super Bowl is upon us! That would usually excite me, but this year I have a tough decision to make.  As native St. Louisan I have to deal with two teams that have plagued my football life.  Which way should I go? 

First of all, I love football. I grew up watching the greatest show on turf, Faulk, Warner, Holt, Proehl, Hakim and of course the great Isaac Bruce were a show that could capture the attention of the young fans as well as the older fans.  They were a look into the future of the industry, icons to any kid from St. Louis that owned a football. They were stolen from me by a corrupt system that saw my city dragged through the mud so that an owner could move a team to a place that already features about 100 professional teams.  A lot of today’s Rams roster doesn’t understand my heartache over a lost franchise.  They are LA Rams, they have taken on the persona of their young coach and ran with it.  Cocky, arrogant, flashy and talented.  They really do remind of the team that caught my attention so many years ago. But I am bitter, and I am sad that as much as I want to hold on to that memory and tell myself this is my team, they are not.  They are the Los Angeles Rams.  While I can support the success of the players I feel that by supporting this team I would be supporting the corruption that is the NFL.

Now the Patriots.  Most of St. Louis’s hatred before the Rams moved was squarely on the shoulders of the New England Patriots.  The infamous taping of the run through in Super Bowl 36 has tainted a resume that should be historically great.  Even worse it was against my beloved (at the time) St. Louis Rams.  They were blatantly cheating, and no one seemed to really care.  The NFL seemed more worried about deflated footballs then they did the image of a team clearly doing something illegal.  The Patriots have established themselves as the Yankees of football, a cult following that is loved by primarily just their fanbase. Mutually hated by everyone. 

My hate for both of these teams is equally mutual. When Super Bowl Sunday does come, I will be forced to pick a team because what is the point of watching a game if there is no really rooting interest.  After much debate internally, I have decided that the greatness of Tom Brady will overshadow my view of the organization.  I will cheer for him and him alone to succeed over a team that on paper should have the advantage at almost every position other than Quarterback.  The Rams have become an organization that makes me sick to my stomach.  Rooting for them is rooting for Stan Kroenke, no matter what your allegiance is. 

Early Slate NBA DFS MLK Day

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Early Slate NBA DFS Plays. Martin Luther King day means a three day weekend and all day basketball. Split slates on Draftkings allows you to focus your DFS plays on just morning and night games. When looking at the morning slate, two plays stood out to me. I am going to build my team around De’Angelo Russell and Blake Griffin. Here is one of the lineups I am playing on the morning slate.

PG: De’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets, $8,300

Always a dangerous play because of the greatness of Spencer Dinwiddie. Russell has a supreme matchup with the fast paced Kings and the lack of presence of any capable defenders.

SG: Luke Kennard, Detroit Pistons, $3,900

Kennard quietly is one of the hottest players on the Pistons. With No Drummond and poor play from Reggie Jackson, Kennard has been a legit performer over his last three games averaging over 25 fantasy points in each.

SF: Terrance Ross, Orlando Magic, $5,500

When you play the Hawks the pace is always picked up. Terrance Ross has been a consistent scorer all season and will be a perfect fit for this style of game. Ross doesn’t start but plays starter minutes. He can score and they will need points in this matchup.

PF: Blake Griffin, Detroit Pistons, $9,600

No Drummond always makes Griffin a must play. With Thomas Bryant and Otto Porter most likely being the guys trying to cover him it is a juicy matchup for the former sooner.

C: Willie Cauley-Stein, Sacramento Kings, $6,600

Centers versus the Nets are always a nice play.

G: Colin Sexton, Cleveland Cavaliers, $4,700

Sexton is a starting point at $4,700. this game is not going to be very fantasy relevant but when looking at the lower cost guards Sexton stood out to me because he can add points of the defensive end.

F: Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls, $6,900

A quiet play for most because of his cost, Markkanen will not have to contend with the likes of Larry Nance and Tristan Thompson. He should be a guarantee for a double double.

UTL: Johnathan Isaac, Orlando Magic, $4,200

Gordon is questionable. If he doesn’t play Isaac will be chalky. But nevertheless he will still get 30 minutes against the upper paced Hawks. Isaac is in a great matchup and should give you 30 point value.

NCAAB Picks ATS 1.19.19

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Michigan Wolverines -3 at Wisconsin Badgers

The Michigan Wolverines are rolling right now.  Entering this matchup with a perfect record, most recently pounding the Northwestern Wildcats 80-60 last Sunday. The Wolverines have one of the most punishing defenses in the nation allowing just 56.5 points per game, 3rd fewest in division one basketball. They enter a matchup with the Wisconsin Badgers who’s only win in the last seven days was against Big Ten bottom dweller Penn State.  The Badgers have had some tough luck early in the Big Ten season as their last two losses to Purdue and Maryland were by a combined eight points. 

Wisconsin will need their star senior Ethan Happ to continue to play a vital role, operating as a do-it-all forward for the Badgers, as he’s averaging 19.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists. While he has some help with D’Mtrick Trice and Brad Davison the Wisconsin offense will need multiple players to play above their means on Saturday.  The bright side being that the Badgers are 8-2 straight up against Michigan in their last ten meetings at home.  The counter argument to Wisconsin’s home dominance is Michigan’s 5-1 record ATS over their last six away games.

The Wolverines are on a mission to finish what they started last March.  They continue that mission on Saturday handling the Badgers and covering the -3 spread.

Lousiville Cardinals -3.5 at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Louisville Cardinals were 12 point underdogs last Saturday when they visited Chapel Hill. Not only covering the spread but beating the Tarheels straight up.  Led by leading scorer Jordan Nwora’s 18.1 points and 8.1 rebound per game.  The Cardinals have looked like a different team since their loss to the rebuilding Pittsburgh Panthers.  The loss to the Panthers seemed to put this team back on track under the leadership of new Head Coach Chris Mack.

Georgia Tech currently sits at 10-7, 1-2 in the ACC with losses to Virginia Tech and Clemson.  The Jackets are 5-1 ATS in their last six Saturday games and 7-2 ATS in their last nine versus the ACC. Georgia Tech is a plucky team that can keep this one close but the Cardinals have been playing to well to fall off against a team that is not as talented.  Chris Mack won’t allow them to come out flat.

Virginia Cavaliers at Duke Blue Devils -1.5

The Cameron Crazies will be on edge waiting for this marquee matchup with the unbeaten Virginia Cavaliers.  The uncertainty of Tre Jones would have most people leaning towards Virginia in this matchup.  Without the defense of Tre Jones, Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome should have no problem running what has become and efficient Virginia attack. They have a 56% effective field goal percentage and own a potent 40% clip from behind the arc.

The Blue Devils will have Cam Reddish back on the court Saturday which will give them another shooter to rely on. The struggles of co-captain Jack White from behind the arc put the Blue Devils in a bad position Monday night against the Syracuse zone, the return of Reddish and he likely minutes increase for sharpshooting sophomore Alex O’Connell will open up the middle for RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson to do their work. 

The Virginia defense is the best in the country but they are going up against their stiffest competition to date.  Virginia Tech does not have the athletes that the Blue Devils do.  I love this Virginia team but the worst thing that could of happened leading into this game was a loss to Syracuse.  Barrett, Williamson and company will come out with something to prove and Virginia will not be able to keep up on the offensive end. Duke wins by five.

Other picks for Saturday

Indiana +8

Kansas -5.5

Cincinnati/ Wichita State Under 135.5

Missouri +5

Memphis -3.5

Dayton -3.5

Why Dominic Leone should be the Cardinals closer.

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The struggles of the St. Louis bullpen were an obvious concern in 2018.  The lone highlight being the emergence of Jordan Hicks as a force in the 8th inning.  The Cardinals went into the offseason looking to add some depth to the bullpen and potentially a closer.  To this point the only impact piece that has been added is the versatile lefty Andrew Miller. Miller and Hicks will create a two way highlight reel of nasty pitches that will undoubtedly be a boost, but neither have performed as a closer in their careers for more than a few weeks. Another writer on this sight suggested John Brebbia, I too saw Brebbia as a potential closer going into 2019 but after digging into the numbers a different player stood out to me.  Someone that most of us have most likely forgot… Dominic Leone.

Let’s first work under the assumption that Miller and Hicks will most likely be middle to late inning relief.  Let’s also work under the assumption that the competition will be between Brebbia and Leone.  Brebbia’s career has taken off the last two seasons in the majors but he was actually drafted in 2011 by the New York Yankees while Leone was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2012.  Both have paid their dues in the minors to establish themselves of as more than effective relievers.  Both have great strikeout potential, Brebbia (10.66 K/9), Leone (9.75 K/9) in 2018.  Both have average fastball velocity of 95 MPH. Both have similar WHIP’s, BB/9 and so on and so on. 

Basically, they have very similar traits.  Leone was hampered by an injury in 2018, ironically his injury is one of the many reasons that Brebbia was recalled from Memphis during the season. A place that he should not have ever been, but that is an argument for a different day. Cardinals fans that will play recency bias will look at Leone’s start to 2018 and not see the real pitcher that Leone can be when healthy. In 2017 Leone excelled for the Toronto Blue Jays in the stacked American League East. In 70.1 innings, Leone held hitters to a .202 average and a skeletal .360 slugging percentage. He inherited the fourth-most runners in baseball, 54, and stranded 42 of them (a mark which put him among the very best in the American League).What stands out the most to me was his exceptional numbers against lefties, holding them to a slash line of .183/.261/.366.  Leone features a premier secondary pitch with his cutter which generates an extremely high number of swings and misses compared to other pitcher’s cutters. It is especially stingy against left handed hitters. His effectiveness against lefties is the reason he has the advantage over Brebbia whose line was not on the same level .250/.330/.455 in 2018.

Leone is not a standout closer with tons of experience but if given the chance in the backend he has shown to be effective against hitters from both sides of the plate. Going into spring training I believe all relievers will have a chance to close, assuming we don’t have another Greg Holland late signing type situation.  Leone has the velocity, secondary pitch and hopefully the opportunity. 

Gateway Grizzlies add two!

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Sauget, IL- The Gateway Grizzlies have announced two recent additions for the 2019 season. The team has come to terms with Dominic Topozian, a pitcher acquired from the Sioux Fall Canaries of the American Association, as well as infielder Rafael Valera, formerly of the Pittsburg Diamonds of the Pacific League.

Topoozian, 24, played his final two years of college at Fresno State playing his biggest role his senior year appearing in 30 games for the Bulldogs as a relief pitcher in 2017 tying for sixth-most appearances in the Mountain West. The Clovis, California native started in nine games for the Sonoma Stompers of the Pacific league and appeared in 11 games, starting two for the Sioux City Exporers of the American Association, finishing with a 7-1 record and a 2.91 ERA. 

Valera, 24, began his professional career in 2011 as a non-drafted free agent of the Minnesota Twins. After spending eight seasons in the Twins organization reaching as high as the Fort Myers Miracle (A+ level). The Venezualan native spent 2018 with the Pittsburg

Diamonds of the Pacific League, where he posted a stat line of .294/.401/.467 adding 11 homeruns and 11 stolen bases. 

The Gateway Grizzlies will begin their season on May 10th when they take on the Shaumberg Boomers at GCS Credit Union Ballpark.  For ticket call the box office at 618.337.3000.

NBA DFS Picks 1-15-19

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Haven’t posted a DFS lineup in awhile. This is what looks appealing tonight.

PG: Zach Lavine, Chicago Bulls, $6,800

Lonzo Ball will most likely be guarding Kris Dunn which should open up things for Lavine. Lavine hasn’t been the stud he was earlier in the season but this should be a solid matchup for him. This game is not calling for a high total, which seems a bit odd for me.

SG: JJ Redick, Philadelphia 76ers, $5,600

JJ has been on fire averaging 32.5 DK points over his last four. A nice matchup with the soft Timberwolves defense giving up the 5th most fantasy points to shooting guards. The focus will most likely be on Jimmy Butler tonight so JJ should see plenty of great matchups.

SF: Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles, Lakers, $7,300

No Rondo or Lebron has seen a huge useage uptake for Kuzma. Chicago doesn’t have anyone that can matchup with Kuzma, look for him to deliver 6.5X return on his salary.

PF: Bobby Portis, Chicago Bulls, $4,500

This one is a bit of a punt play, but when Portis gets the minutes he produces. At a cost of just $4,500 he is worth the risk for a double-double machine.

C: Steven Adams, Oklahoma City Thunder, $7,000

Potential blowout is always a factor when the Hawks are in play. Adams has had over 30 DK points in 8 of his last 10. With the highest projected team total and potentially John Collins or Alex Len guarding him Adams should have an easy time getting over 30 DK points.

G: Jimmy Butler, Philadelphia 76ers, $7,600

Revenge narrative is always a factor. You have to think Jimmy Butler is going to come out firing against his former squad. Butler has the personality of a player that loves to say I told you so. The Wolves will be without their best defender Robert Covington, Butler should easily hit value.

F: Mason Plumlee, Denver Nuggets, $4,400

This is the definition of a punt play. Plumlee has seen a major regression in minutes since Paul Millsap returned from injury. Still the Warriors seem to have a problem with big men that are strong down low. Jokic would make a lot of sense here but Plumlee is more of a post player. This is a gamble but if he can get at least 20 minutes is a cheap and effective gamble.

UTIL: Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors, $6,300

Warriors need Draymond to play big tonight to win. These are the type of games where he shows up in full force. Taking a risk on a player with high upside. Looking at 40 points from him tonight.