Monday features a two-game slate starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Point Guard
Stud
The 76ers have managed to keep Trae Young in check over the past two games, limiting him to 44.0 and 43.25 DraftKings points. That said, he possesses easily the top projections at the position in our NBA Models. He also represents one of the better values at the position given his Bargain Rating of 88% on DraftKings.
Value
Mike Conley is the key injury to watch on today’s slate. He’s missed each of the first three games of this series due to a hamstring injury, and he’s currently questionable for Game 4. His status will be an important factor, so make sure to utilize the Labs Insiders tool for any updates.
If Conley is ruled out, Jordan Clarkson becomes a strong value option on FanDuel. He’s carried the Jazz’s bench units with Conley out of the lineup, and he’s coming off a series-high 31.3 minutes in Game 3 vs. the Clippers. He struggled in that contest, finishing just 5-16 from the field, but Clarkson has averaged 1.05 FanDuel points per minute this season. That gives him solid upside if he sees that much playing time again in Game 4.
Clarkson also stands out as the best pure value at point guard on FanDuel, leading all players at the position with a Bargain Rating of 75%.
Fast Break
The Clippers were able to win Game 3 vs. the Jazz, and a win on Monday would even the series at two games apiece. They went with their small-ball lineup in that contest, so expect them to utilize it again in Game 4. Reggie Jackson gets a boost when the team goes small, and he’s currently projected for 32.9 minutes in our NBA Models. He’s averaged 0.85 FanDuel points per minute this season, so he should have a shot to pay off his current salary.
Ben Simmons’ fantasy upside has been capped with Joel Embiid looking as good as ever. He’s scored 34.0 DraftKings points or less in back-to-back games, which has caused his price tag to dip to $7,600 on DraftKings. He’s an interesting buy-low target at that number. His salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 97%, and Simmons has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +1.49 with a comparable salary (per the Trends tool).
Shooting Guard
Stud
It became cool to criticize Paul George during the playoffs last year, but he has silenced his critics with his play this postseason. He was instrumental in the Clippers’ Game 3 win over the Jazz, and he’s scored at least 45.25 DraftKings points in seven of his past nine games. No one on today’s slate is projected for more minutes, which makes him an excellent option across the industry.
Value
The 76ers suffered an injury in their last contest, and Danny Green is expected to miss at least the next few weeks. Furkan Korkmaz started the second half in place of Green in Game 3, which makes him the leading candidate to replace him in the starting lineup on Monday. Korkmaz has averaged a solid 0.85 DraftKings points per minute this season, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to potentially pay off his $3,500 salary. He’s one of the strongest value options of the day.
Fast Break
Donovan Mitchell might be a smidge overpriced at the moment, but it’s hard to ignore what he’s accomplished recently. He’s scored at least 47.75 DraftKings points in five straight games and has established himself as a bonafide NBA superstar. Our Models prefer George given that he’s slightly cheaper, but I certainly wouldn’t fault you for paying up for Mitchell.
The injury to De’Andre Hunter is a big blow to the Hawks’ upset chances vs. the 76ers, but it does give the rest of the roster a slight bump in fantasy value. Bogdan Bogdanovic is one of the biggest beneficiaries. He’s logged at least 39.4 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s averaged 0.94 FanDuel points per minute this season.
Small Forward
Stud
NBA fans expected a big Kawhi Leonard performance in a must-win Game 3, and he did not disappoint. He finished with 63.5 DraftKings points thanks to 34 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block, which is the kind of production that Leonard has become famous for during the postseason. Only George is projected for more minutes on today’s slate, and only three players have been better on a per-minute basis over the past month. That’s an excellent combination for fantasy purposes. He’s arguably the top stud on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 99%.
Value
Bojan Bogdanovic is the best value at the position on FanDuel, where his $5,400 salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 72%. He’s coming off a poor performance in his last game, but he shot just 2-10 from the field. That makes him a nice positive regression candidate on Monday, particularly if Conley is out of the lineup once again. Bogdanovic saw a team-high usage bump of +1.5% with Conley off the court during the regular season, resulting in an average of 0.82 FanDuel points per minute.
Fast Break
Nicolas Batum is another major beneficiary of the Clippers’ decision to play small. He’s started at center for the team at times during the postseason, and he’s coming off 32.25 DraftKings points in Game 3. Like Leonard, he’s massively underpriced on DraftKings given his Bargain Rating of 99%.
The Hawks leaned on Danilo Gallinari a bit more than usual in their last game, which makes him an interesting option in Game 4. He’s averaged 0.91 FanDuel points per minute this season, so he’s capable of taking advantage of additional playing time. He should also command minimal ownership for a two-game slate.
Power Forward
Stud
Tobias Harris has seen a massive price increase over the past month, but he still stands out at a weak position. He’s been one of the more consistent producers during the postseason, scoring at least 38.1 FanDuel points in all but one contest. There are very few players to consider at power forward on FanDuel, so locking Harris in one of the spots has plenty of merit.
Value
The position is a bit more robust on DraftKings. Not only do you have more options given the multi-positional eligibility, but the value options also stand out as better bargains. Marcus Morris has seen a price decrease of -$1,300 over the past month, and his current salary comes with a Bargain Rating of 97%. His playing time did decrease in Game 3, but he’s projected for 33.2 minutes in our NBA Models for Game 4. That makes him a nice buy-low option.
Fast Break
John Collins doesn’t have the ceiling for an eye-popping performance, but he scored at least 30.25 DraftKings points in three of his past five games. His per-minute production has decreased to just 0.86 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, but he can still pay off his current salary at that number.
Royce O’Neale is the Jazz’s best perimeter defender, which makes him an important part of their rotation. He’s typically tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best wing player, which keeps him on the court for plenty of minutes. He’s made the most of those minutes recently, scoring at least 24.75 DraftKings points in five of his past six games.
Center
Stud
The 76ers’ lead the slate with an implied team total of 114.25 points, and Joel Embiid figures to be at the heart of what they do offensively. He’s currently dealing with a small tear in his meniscus, but that hasn’t stopped him from dominating vs. the Hawks. He’s racked up at least 60.8 FanDuel points in each of his past three games, and he’s dominated in all facets of the game. Embiid is scoring the ball efficiently, shooting over 50% from the field and getting to the line an average of nearly 16 times per game, and he also racked up nine rebounds and eight assists in his last contest.
Embiid leads the slate with an average of 1.69 FanDuel points per minute over the past month, and he owns arguably the best individual matchup at the position, as well.
Value
Center is not a position to pay down at on Monday. You could use Collins there on DraftKings, but he’s really the only “value” option that has any viability.
If you have to go with the value route, Derrick Favors is probably your best bet. He’s averaged 1.08 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s priced near the minimum across the industry. He’s only expected to play around 15 minutes, and he did score 19.7 FanDuel points in Game 1 vs. the Clippers.
Fast Break
Embiid clearly owns the highest ceiling at the center position, but Rudy Gobert still might be the better option on DraftKings. He’s ridiculously underpriced at just $7,400, resulting in a Bargain Rating of 99%, and he should be able to rack up boards vs. the undersized Clippers.
Clint Capela is an interesting pivot off Embiid on FanDuel. He leads all centers with a Bargain Rating of 57%, and his eight Pro Trends is also tied for the top mark at the position.
