We’ve got a fantastic eight-game slate Monday featuring some potentially high-scoring affairs and a ton of value everywhere you look. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II will all be out tonight, so several of Golden State’s available players will be featured in today’s writeup.
When diving into these articles every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I have to look at pricing on FanDuel and DraftKings to figure out where the best value lies for crucial players on the slate. Pricing disparities stick out on every slate I write about, but tonight’s player pool features some unbelievable bargains on FanDuel that stood out more than most. My advice for tonight’s slate: Play multiple lineups on FanDuel and use different stacks of low-priced studs such as LeBron James, Dejounte Murray and Karl-Anthony Towns.
A “stars and scrubs” build is the way to go, as the savings don’t end with the high-priced guys. Some value options such as Trendon Watford and Jordan Poole have prices reduced to absurd levels.
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
Dejounte Murray ($11,100 DraftKings, $9,900 FanDuel) entered Monday’s slate as questionable, but he has been upgraded to available to play. That should make him a popular choice vs. the Lakers.
The Spurs/Lakers game leads the slate with a 234.5 over/under, and these two teams have combined for an average of 238 in three prior matchups.
Murray averaged 57.9 fantasy points in those three matchups with the Lakers, and two of his top 12 fantasy performances have come against the purple and gold. He’s a tremendous play tonight, especially on FanDuel, where his salary is suspiciously under $10,000.
Value
Brandon Williams has averaged 21.5 fantasy points across his last two contests (both on the road), and he just scored a career-best 21 points in his previous game against the Timberwolves. That’s who he’ll face on Monday, and with Anfernee Simons ruled out, B-Will should be in line for plenty of minutes in a contest with a healthy 233.5 over/under.
Fast Break
Jaylen Nowell went off for 22 points, two assists and a rebound Saturday against the Blazers, and if Patrick Beverley is forced to miss another game, Nowell is worth a look as a salary-saver on a slate that should command a lot of “stars and scrubs” builds.
I guess I haven’t learned my lesson yet, but I’m willing to take a chance on Russell Westbrook on FanDuel tonight. He’s $8,100 on DraftKings, where I’ll stay far, far away, but at just $6,900 on FanDuel, the risk is worth the potential reward. Russ has played atrociously as of late, but even if he can net you 35-40 fantasy points, you’ve gotten 5-6x value. There’s also the chance he breaks out for 50-plus fantasy points. Westbrook shouldn’t be highly-owned on this slate, but having him in a tournament lineup could be the difference-maker if he pops off.
Shooting Guard
Stud
D’Angelo Russell is a fine play against Portland tonight after going for 14 points and 15 dimes Saturday against the Blazers. Anthony Edwards is doubtful, and Beverley is a GTD, and if both are out of action, 3-Lo could erupt for a big fantasy night.
Since returning from the All-Star break, he’s averaged 22.7 points, 7.3 dimes, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 triples and 1.5 stocks, and he gets a tremendous matchup with the Blazers. He’s $8,200 on DraftKings and unsurprisingly just $7,600 on FanDuel. Take advantage of the favorable pricing once again.
Value
Jordan Poole is set to start tonight and should be in line for massive minutes with Curry, Thompson, Payton II and Wiggins out of action.
Poole is currently projected for 34 minutes in our NBA Models, and in nine games with at least 34 minutes this season, he’s averaged 22.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 stocks and 3.1 triples. His salary is quite affordable on both sites for a guy who can pop off for 40-50 fantasy points if he gets hot. His $4.7K salary on FanDuel is just another example of the bargains you can get on that site.
Fast Break
Moses Moody ($3,200 DraftKings, $3,500 FanDuel) and Damion Lee ($3,400 DraftKings, $4,100 FanDuel) should see plenty of run tonight for the shorthanded Warriors. In six games with at least 30 minutes this season, Lee has averaged 26.2 fantasy points, and he’s projected for 36 minutes on Monday. Moody is also projected for 36 minutes, and he’s only hit that mark in one other game this season. In that one, Moody went for 20 points, seven boards and an assist while stroking six triples.
Small Forward
Stud
LeBron James is hot off a 56-point masterpiece in Saturday’s win over Golden State. Unfortunately, this is the state of the Lakers now, and James will need Herculean efforts like this to will his team to victory.
He’s a 97% Bargain Rating on FanDuel at the low, low price of $10,200 compared to his $11,600 price tag on DraftKings. As mentioned above, the matchup with the Spurs has a robust 234.5 over/under, the highest on the slate. James only played in one of the Lakers’ three prior matchups with San Antonio, but he posted a monster 36/9/6/1/2 line. He may be tired after Saturday’s eruption, but I’m not counting him out here.
Value
Making our rounds on the Golden State values, we come to Otto Porter, who is just $4,600 on DraftKings and $4,100 on FanDuel. OPJ could slot into the starting lineup, but even if he comes off the bench, he’s projected for 25 minutes. Porter has averaged a healthy 0.99 fantasy points per game on the season, so an uptick in playing time should be a huge boon to his fantasy value.
Fast Break
Kevin Porter Jr. has largely been a disappointment this season, but he’s had two strong games across his last three. Against Memphis in his last game out, KPJ posted 29 points, five dimes, two boards and a block. Two games prior, he provided 16 points, 12 dimes, three boards and three steals. There’s a chance he falls back to earth against Miami’s strong defense, so he’s not a recommended option in cash games, but he’s well worth a look in tournaments.
Power Forward
Stud
Bam Adebayo is one of the few examples of a player priced more favorably on DraftKings than FanDuel, but I’m playing him on both sites. Bam comes in at $8,700 on DraftKings and $9,500 on FanDuel, and he’ll face a Rockets team that’s rolled over against opposing bigs this season.
Adebayo is coming off a disappointing six-point, 10-rebound performance against the Sixers on Sunday, but before that, he posted at least 54 fantasy points in three of five contests. He may see his ownership fall due to the recent dud, but even if he’s popular, eat the chalk here in a dream matchup.
Note: Adebayo is eligible at C on DraftKings and PF/C on FanDuel
Value
Trendon Watford is just $3,700 on FanDuel. Seriously, that’s all it costs to roster a guy who’s averaged 12.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 blocks across his last two outings while logging at least 30 minutes in each. Justise Winslow remains out, and Greg Brown is a GTD. I’m taking full advantage of this sub-$4K salary that’s $1,400 cheaper than his price tag on DraftKings.
Fast Break
Jaden McDaniels has averaged 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.5 blocks and 3.0 triples across his last two games, and he’s trending up. With Edwards doubtful, McDaniels should be in line for another start in a very friendly matchup with a Blazers team that’s razor-thin at forward and center.
Center
Stud
Karl-Anthony Towns went ballistic in Saturday’s win over the Blazers, posting a 36/15/5 line that included three blocks, resulting in over 70 fantasy points.
It’s a pace-down spot for Minnesota, but the Opponent Plus/Minus is the best on the slate by a large margin, thanks to Portland’s thinned-out frontcourt rotation. KAT is $10,600 on DraftKings, and what a surprise, he’s just $9,200 on FanDuel. You can pay up for him on both sites, but the $9,200 salary on FanDuel is unbelievably friendly.
Value
Drew Eubanks ($5,000 DraftKings, $4,000 FanDuel) is the best value at center on the slate, and he’s another player with a massive 95% Bargain Rating on FanDuel.
DrewBanks has averaged 25.4 fantasy points across his last three games while averaging 13.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.7 steals in that span. He gets a strong Pace Differential and enormous Opponent Plus/Minus in a favorable matchup with the Wolves.
Fast Break
Nikola Jokic owns a 98% Bargain Rating on FanDuel, and his price is comical considering what he did in his last game out.
The Joker erupted for 46 points, 12 boards, 11 dimes, three steals and four swats in Sunday’s come-from-behind win over the Pelicans for his best game of the season with over 90 fantasy points. Golden State will be down four starters, so there’s a chance for a blowout, but Jokic is head-and-shoulders above any other player on this slate in terms of ceiling. I’ll avoid him on DraftKings just in case Denver jumps out to an early lead on the shorthanded Warriors, but I’ll certainly have plenty of shares on FanDuel.
