Monday features a three-game slate starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays using the FantasyLabs Tools and metrics.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly. Consult the Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
Point Guard
Stud
Donovan Mitchell finished with 32 points, six rebounds, six assists, a block and a steal in Saturday’s victory over the Luka-less Mavs, and Spida should be expected to keep it rolling for Game 2. Dallas is unlikely to have Doncic back for Game 2, and the Jazz can take a massive 2-0 series lead heading home with a win tonight. Mitchell should be highly motivated to put on a show in this one.
He scored at least 32 points in three of five matchups with Dallas this season while averaging just over 40 fantasy points per contest. His ceiling is 60 fantasy points, and he might be overlooked tonight in favor of cheaper, chalkier options like Jordan Poole, Tyrese Maxey or Spencer Dinwiddie.
Value
Poole went off for 30 points, three dimes and a board in Saturday’s Game 1 victory, keeping the Poole Party going after posting 25.4 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.3 boards across the final 20 games of the regular season.
Poole started Saturday’s win, while Stephen Curry played just 22 minutes off the bench, and the Warriors won comfortably. The Warriors’ coaching staff shouldn’t rush Curry back into big minutes right away, and Game 1 showed that Golden State is totally fine without him in the starting lineup. As a result, I’d expect Poole to remain in the starting lineup. He’s $7,900 on DraftKings but just $6,300 on FanDuel, making him an excellent value on that site. He’s worth eating the chalk.
Fast Break
Maxey went off in Game 1 on Saturday, putting up a game-high 38 points to go with four rebounds, two assists and no turnovers. The points were just one-off his career-high as he led his team to a 20-point blowout of the visiting Raptors.
The Raps will likely be without Gary Trent Jr. and Scottie Barnes, so offense could be even easier to come by in Game 2. Maxey is $6,400 on DraftKings (no change from Saturday) and $6,900 on FanDuel (up $1,000 from Saturday). That’s a comically-low price tag for a guy who just dropped 38.
Shooting Guard
Stud
James Harden put up 22 points, 14 assists, five rebounds, one block and a steal in Saturday’s win, good for 54 fantasy points. At $9,300 on DraftKings and $9,700 on FanDuel, he’s perfectly capable of returning 5-7x value tonight.
In four meetings with Toronto this season, he scored at least 50 fantasy points twice and nearly triple-doubled in three contests. As mentioned above, the Raptors will be missing two of their best defenders, making life a bit easier for Harden. Harden shot just 37.2% from the field over his final 10 regular season games and 6-of-17 in Game 1. He shot better than 47% in each of his last two postseasons (combined 21 games), so there’s optimism that positive regression is incoming.
Value
Reggie Bullock totaled 15 points, six rebounds, two steals and a dime across a team-leading 44 minutes in Game 1. Bullock played at least 35 minutes in 15 games this season, and he averaged 25.9 fantasy points in those contests, including 27.8 in home games. The 3-and-D wing should be in line for as much playing time as he can handle in Game 2, making him a tremendous value.
Fast Break
Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson each played at least 40 minutes in Game 1 and took on prominent roles in the offense with Doncic sidelined. Brunson had a 34.4% usage rating but shot just 9-of-24. Dinwiddie had a 35.1% usage rating and went 6-of-15. Both went for at least 20 points, five assists and four rebounds, though there was a lot of meat left on the bone due to the poor shooting. Expect both to be heavily involved once again.
Small Forward
Stud
Tobias Harris went off for 26/6/6 with a steal and a block in Saturday’s win. It was an encouraging performance considering his inconsistent finish to the season after Harden’s arrival. Tobi has had some strong games against the Raptors this season, posting his first career triple-double with a 19/12/10 performance back on Dec. 28.
Value
Yuta Watanabe is the bare minimum salary on both sites ($3,000 DraftKings, $3,500 FanDuel) and figures to see a significant bump in playing time with Trent and Barnes set to miss tonight’s contest. Watanabe played just four games all season with at least 25 minutes, but he averaged 25.8 fantasy points in those contests, including 33.8 in two road contests.
Note: Watanabe is eligible at SG/SF on DraftKings and SG on FanDuel
Fast Break
Dorian Finney-Smith had 14 points, five rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal in Game 1 over 44 minutes. He averaged 25.0 fantasy points per game over the final 12 games of the regular season and went for at least 30 fantasy points five times. Expect more big minutes from DFS tonight.
Power Forward
Stud
Pascal Siakam should be busy in Game 2 with Barnes out and Trent and Thaddeus Young doubtful. Spicy P closed the season on a high note, and he played well in Game 1 with 24 points, seven dimes, three boards and three blocks.
If Toronto hopes to steal a game on the road, Siakam will need to be at his best. We’ve seen his eye-popping numbers on full display as of late, as Siakam finished the regular season with three straight games of 60 fantasy points or more and two games with at least 70 fantasy points over his final seven.
Value
Precious Achiuwa enjoyed a productive second season with nearly 24 minutes off the bench and career highs across the board. His ability to score, rebound and hit triples makes him a threat for big fantasy games on a nightly basis.
Achiuwa averaged 11.7 points, 4.8 boards, 1.6 triples and 21 fantasy points over the final 14 games of the season. He played 29 minutes in Game 1, and he should see at least that much playing time in Game 2 with Toronto so shorthanded.
Fast Break
Draymond Green could be overlooked on this slate with more popular high-dollar and budget plays around him, but he shouldn’t be ignored. Green can fill up the stat sheet in a hurry thanks to his work on both ends of the court, and he put up 12 points, nine dimes, six boards and three swats in the Game 1 victory.
Center
Stud
Even on a bad night, Nikola Jokic is still a DFS cheat code. He shot inefficiently on Saturday but still put up 25/10/6 and scored 55 fantasy points. He’ll have to be much better in Game 2 if Denver hopes to win one on the road. This was his worst game against Golden State all season after averaging 62.4 fantasy points across two prior matchups in the Bay. I expect him to respond in Game 2.
Value
Chris Boucher should see a significant bump in usage for the shorthanded Raptors. Boucher has been a boom-or-bust option all season, but when he booms, he booms in a big way.
Boucher averaged almost one fantasy point per game this season, and our model projects him for 28 minutes against the 76ers. The last time he had that many minutes was in the season finale against New York, and he responded with 21 points, seven boards and three dimes across 31 minutes.
Fast Break
Jokic and Joel Embiid are both eligible at PF and C on FanDuel, meaning you can stack them if you want to spend up a bit. This isn’t a recommended strategy for all of your builds, but if you’re playing a high volume of tournament lineups, you should have some exposure to the Embiid/Jokic stack.
