The Numbers on Opponent Quality

I Chose to Break Down Opponent Strength by Looking at Opponent Plus/Minus Allowed, Which Is the Points Above or Below Salary-Based Expectations a Defense Has Allowed to a Specific Position. for Example, If the Cavs Play Three Point Guards Whose Collective Salaries Suggest They Will Score 75 Points over the Long Run but Cleveland Allows Only 69 Points, They Would Have an Opponent Plus/Minus Allowed of -2.0 Ppg (Which Would Be Good for Them and Bad for Opposing Point Guards).

The Value of Dvp Stats

First, You Can See the Plus/Minus Numbers Here Really Aren’t That Substantial. the Difference Between a Top 20 Percent Defense and a Bottom 20 Percent Defense Is Somewhere Around 1.3 Expected Points per Player per Game. for Such a Drastic Change in Defensive Quality, That’s Not a Massive Number. There Are a Variety of Other Stats That Can Boost Your Plus/Minus More Than 1.3 Points per Game.

How Much Does the Opponent Matter?

By Alexander Ross

• Oct 8, 2026 • 4 min read

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

Dvp Stats Are Big for Daily Fantasy Basketball Players. It’s Not Quite as Important as the Opposing Pitcher Quality in Baseball Since Basketball Is a Team Sport, but Obviously Certain Players Are in Better Spots Against Certain Defenses Than Others.

Alexander Ross

Gaming, Esports & Interactive Media Writer

Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.

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