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Eleven game slates offer a ton of options and even though every game isn't available just yet, trades and roster moves are going to skew more than a few projected totals. Heading into the weekend, with most players not officially on the teams they have been traded to, some rotations will be without depth, while others will be without starting role players. As long as you check lineups prior to game time, there should only be a select, few surprises prior to tip-off.
The biggest trade from yesterday had to be between Normal Powell or Victor Oladipo. Oladipo offers a fresh wave of offense to the Heat, not to mention he adds strength to an already dominant defense. Norman Powell, however, leaves the Raptors without a primary scorer to rely on. The top three options in Toronto are going to see higher usage than normal, so even though scoring isn't guaranteed, they have plenty of upside in terms of fantasy points.
MonkeyKnifeFight.com continues to be ahead of the curve with their canceling of contests amid postponements, so don't worry about wasting money on a player or game that might not play. As always, you can find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter with any questions, especially since lines and players are subject to change throughout the day.
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PHX @ TOR
Devin Booker (PHX) MORE 25.5 Points - Pascal Siakam (TOR) LESS 20.5 Points
The Suns weren't able to make any moves before the trade deadline and it's doubtful their front office fielded a ton of inquiries about their players. Phoenix has been consistently if anything and that foundation is because of how well both Chris Paul and Devin Booker have been playing. Booker specifically is the primary scorer, and it should be noted that Paul has taken scoring into his own hands more than he has been deferring to his Suns teammates. Although Booker's usage remains high, his scoring output and assists numbers are likely to even out the more he assumes a playmakers role.
For the Raptors, who lost their top scorer, they will be looking for a replacement source of offense. Neither Fred VanVleet or Kyle Lowry work from the inside-out, and Siakam never strays from what he's good at. Even with the Suns defense ranking near the top, Siakam's ability to get to the rim is going to be a problem for individual defenders.
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BOS @ MIL
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) MORE 28.5 Points - Jayson Tatum (MIL) MORE 24.5
The Celtics defense got worse now that Daniel Theis is gone, but Robert Williams stills roams the paint with significant impact. Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to own the Celtics like he always has and the only chance Boston has of keeping this game close relies on Jayson Tatum's output. Tatum has been arguably terrible this entire season aside from a few games, flying under the radar more times than he has been the bright spot. It's still hard to bet against him, but it should be no surprise if he has another bad game because if anything, he has made it clear it isn't a normal season for him.
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DEN @ NOP
Zion Williamson (NOP) MORE 27.5 Points - Nikola Jokic (DEN) LESS 25.5
With the Nuggets adding Aaron Gordon and only losing Gary Harris and R.J. Hampton in the process, their team sees a major improvement. It won't affect tonight's game, but eventually the defense is going to see an efficiency increase. Luckily, Zion Williamson wouldn't be affected by someone like Aaron Gordon regardless. His over is safe until he physically starts playing worse because Williamson is proving to be an unstoppable force for even some of the league's best defenders.
A similar case can be made for Nikola Jokic, but the Nuggets don't look to get him going like how New Orleans force-feeds Zion early on. Jokic' big games have been more spaced out lately, but his role in the offense hasn't changed since the season started. Jokic patiently waits for his turn to strike, so even though there is no doubt about how much he will affect this game, his actual scoring is dependent on how poorly his teammates are shooting.
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IND @ DAL
Luka Doncic (DAL) MORE 29.5 Points - Domantas Sabonis (IND) MORE 20.5
The Pacers defense is taking on the task of defending Luka Doncic after one of the worst games of his career. He will make it known early on that he won't put up the same performance, so even though the defense will limit his teammates, they won't be able to stop Doncic himself. The Mavericks added a few key role players and since they are going to be a without some depth that was traded away, it spells more usage for Doncic.
Sabonis on the other hand, hasn't been scoring the same and the Mavericks are one of those teams with a suboptimal frontcourt that can easily let up points to crafty big men. Sabonis will not take all the scoring onto himself, but he will be able to do a lot of his work from the paint without much resistance. The Dallas defense has struggled with most offenses this season, so expect the Pacers to put up another efficient performance while Doncic does everything he can to steal a win.
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