Monday falls between a light three-game schedule on Sunday and Tuesday’s NBA-wide off day for Election Day. As a result, all 30 NBA teams are taking the floor this Monday in a wild schedule of 15 games that all start this evening. To help make the monster player pool more manageable and deal with so many early-season injuries, DraftKings has opted to split the schedule into multiple slates. The main slate starts at 7:00 p.m. ET and includes the first eight games, which all get underway before 9:00 p.m. ET. The later seven games are split into two slates as well.
For this post, we’ll focus on the eight-game featured slate that includes the biggest contests. Of the 16 teams in this player pool, the Pistons, Nets and Hawks are the only ones on the second night of a back-to-back
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
Stud
The Knicks have a new look for this season, but they’re still built around All-Star Jalen Brunson, who has started the year strong in New York’s first five games and leads his squad to Houston to face the rising Rockets on Monday night. He has the second-highest ceiling, median, and floor projections of all point guards on the slate, behind only Trae Young, but he represents better value since his salary is $2,000 lower and leaves you more flexibility over the rest of your roster.
Brunson has produced 1.20 DraftKings points per minute this year with a team-high 33.3% usage rate. He has scored at least 21 points in each of his five games, and the Knicks have had the weekend off after Brunson’s best game of the season last Friday. In just 31 minutes, he poured in 36 points and finished with 50.75 DraftKings points against the Pistons. Brunson is averaging 5.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds to go with his 25.4 points per game, and his volume is very reliable with a heavy workload in Coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.
Brunson’s ceiling projection is the highest of all players with salaries under $9,800, and he’s an awesome way to get elite production without paying all the way up.
Value
The Celtics are 6-1 in their first seven games, and the defending champs stop in Atlanta after back-to-back wins in Charlotte. With Jaylen Brown (neck) sidelined, the top two point guards in Projected Plus/Minus on Monday’s slate are both Celtics. Derrick White has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on the slate, and right behind him is Payton Pritchard, who is even more affordable and brings a great ceiling to this favorable matchup on Monday.
The Celtics are all over the top of the value ratings since the Hawks play at the fourth-fastest pace in the NBA and have the third-worst defensive efficiency rating. The Celtics have the highest implied team total on the slate and are double-digit favorites.
In his seven games this season, Pritchard has posted an average of 27.5 DraftKings points per game at the rate of 1.00 DraftKings points per minute. Without Brown on Saturday, he had one of his best games of the season with 22 points and 31.25 DraftKings points in 29 minutes. He has played at least 28 minutes in each of his last four contests and is averaging 27.5 minutes per game this season. He has shown off a very high ceiling when he’s in a bigger role, posting 45.75 DraftKings points against the Bucks, but he also has been very consistent and contributes in enough categories to be relatively low-risk for an option coming off the bench with a salary just over $5,000.
Fast Break
Without Desmond Bane (oblique) and Marcus Smart (ankle), Ja Morant will continue to carry some extra workload for Memphis in their visit to Brooklyn this Monday. Morant played a season-high 31 minutes on Saturday against the 76ers and posted 18 points, 12 assists, and 46 DraftKings points. In his previous game, he had an impressive triple-double with 26 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds for 65.5 DraftKings points, his highest total of the season. He has been phenomenal in his return, producing 1.55 DraftKings points per minute in his six games.
Cade Cunningham has also started hot, and his Pistons will look to knock off the visiting Lakers this Monday. Cunningham has averaged 1.24 DraftKings points per minute and 43.9 DraftKings points per game with over 40 DraftKings points in every contest before slowing up a little on Sunday in a comfortable win in Brooklyn. Cunningham has a 33.3% usage rate, which is on par with the other high-usage elite point guards, even though his salary remains a little lower.
If you need a play from the other end of the salary spectrum, Wizards guard Carlton Carrington has shown intriguing upside. He has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard on the slate and his salary is under $5,000. Carrington struggled against Miami on Saturday but posted 22.75 and 32.0 DraftKings points in his two previous games which were both against the Hawks. Carrington has played at least 25 minutes in four of his five games and has been starting in place of Kyle Kuzma (groin), who has been ruled out Monday against the Warriors.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
One of the exciting new features this year on FantasyLabs this season is our partnership with ShotQuality for NBA Projections. In both sets of projections, Jordan Poole has the highest ceiling projection of all shooting guards on this slate as he faces his former team, the Warriors.
Poole has produced 30+ DraftKings points in every game he has played this season and is averaging 1.29 DraftKings points per minute. He had back-to-back games with over 40 DraftKings points against the Hawks before struggling on Saturday against the Heat.
He should be motivated to bounce back with a huge game on Monday, though, after things didn’t end well with him in Golden State. His usage rate is up from 26.4% to 27.6% this season, and he is averaging over 15 shots per game. According to both sets of projections, he is set up for a revenge game narrative this Monday.
Value
Poole’s teammate Bilal Coulibaly has also played very well in the early part of the season, and the second-year wing has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all shooting guards on Monday’s main slate.
The 20-year-old Coulibaly has tons of long-term upside, and Washington is letting him learn on the job so far this season. He has played 30+ minutes in every game and has produced 33.9 DraftKings points per game at the rate of 1.01 DraftKings points per minute. He has scored 20+ points in three of his last four games and posted a season-high 48.25 DraftKings points last Wednesday against Atlanta.
Coulibaly is still under $6,000 but has produced over 35 DraftKings points in each of his last two games, making him a top value option to consider in what should be a relatively high-scoring game against Golden State.
Fast Break
Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs are still undefeated as they face the Bucks for the second straight game. Mitchell reached 30 points for the second time this season in their matchup on Saturday and finished with 41.25 DraftKings points. He has been getting more support from the rest of his team, so his non-scoring numbers are a little down this year, which is why he’s not quite as great a value play as the top options, even though he still brings a very high ceiling.
The Bulls have leaned heavily on Zach LaVine to start the season, but LaVine is questionable for Monday’s matchup with the Jazz with an adductor strain. If he’s sidelined or limited, Ayo Dosunmu would be a great play under $5,000. Dosunmu has already been trending up and is worth a look regardless of LaVine’s status, but without LaVine would get a usage bump, giving him a higher ceiling. He has scored double-digit points in three straight games and always contributes great non-scoring stats. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of shooting guards under $5,000 in the ShotQuality projections even with LaVine in.
As an ultra-cheap play, veteran sharpshooter Malik Beasley offers a high ceiling. He got hot off the bench on Sunday and dropped four three-pointers and 18 points against the Nets for a season-high 26.75 DraftKings points. He has 19+ DraftKings points in five of his seven games this season, and he’ll be a good value if he reaches that level again Monday against his former team, the Lakers.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Especially without Brown, Jayson Tatum is in a great spot against the Hawks. Tatum is expensive but has exceeded salary-based expectations in six of his seven games this season while averaging 1.50 DraftKings points per minute.
He has scored at least 25 points in six of his seven games this season and at least 29 in each of his three games on the Celtics’ current road trip. Without Brown on Saturday, he put up 40.25 DraftKings points against the Hornets. With Brown off the floor, Tatum’s usage rate is six percentage points higher this season, and he has produced an incredible 2.05 DraftKings points per minute in that scenario.
In such a favorable matchup, Tatum has the highest ceiling of all small forwards and power forwards in both the ShotQuality and FantasyLabs projections. He has the second-highest ceiling projection on the whole slate in the FantasyLabs projections and the third-highest in the ShotQuality projections while bringing a strongly positive Projected Plus/Minus in both projections as well.
Value
While the Knicks have some new pieces in the mix, Josh Hart continues to do a little bit of everything and contribute on a nightly basis across the box score. He’s averaging 35.4 minutes per game with a 16.6% usage rate, but his non-scoring contributions continue to make him a good fantasy play since he produces 1.00 DraftKings points per minute.
Hart had three straight double-doubles with 39+ DraftKings points against the Pacers, Cavs, and Heat before totaling 33.25 DraftKings points on Friday in his most recent game.
With his salary just over $6,000, his double-double potential and a good matchup with the Rockets give him the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all power forwards in the ShotQuality projections and the second-highest at small forward. He also ranks very highly as a value in the FantasyLabs projections with the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward and the second-highest at power forward.
Fast Break
Nets forward Cameron Johnson had a season-high 26 points in Sunday’s loss to the Pistons and has been very consistent with 25+ DraftKings points in each of his last five games. During that span, he has produced 1.01 DraftKings points per minute while playing a heavy workload of 33.2 minutes per game. He has started all seven games for Brooklyn and should continue to be a key contributor as long as he can stay healthy.
Kyshaun George has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward in both the FantasyLabs and ShotQuality projections. With his salary under $4,000, he has huge value potential after producing 20+ DraftKings points in three of his last four games while helping to fill in for Kuzma’s absence. The rookie was the No. 24 pick in last year’s draft but landed in a great spot and can contribute with both his size and shooting to a depleted Wizards’ rotation.
Sam Hauser is another Celtics value play to consider and has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all small forwards in the FantasyLabs projections. He is an extremely cheap play and could get extra time while helping to fill in for Jaylen Brown. He has over 15 DraftKings points in three of his four games this season and is coming off a season-high 19.75 DraftKings points on Saturday when Brown was out.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
The ageless wonder continues to turn in solid production and has a history of posting huge games in Detroit, so LeBron James stands out as a strong option to consider at just $9,000 this Monday. He has the third-highest ceiling projection at the position in both the FantasyLabs and ShotQuality projections, behind only Tatum and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is questionable.
LeBron has averaged 1.29 DraftKings points per minute in his six games this season. He showed he still has a massive ceiling with 70.5 DraftKings points in a home game against the Kings earlier this season and posted over 50 DraftKings points again last Friday with 27 points and 10 assists against the Raptors.
James has averaged 24.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 6.7 rebounds in 63 games against the Pistons in his career, and his consistent start to the season shows he’s still a fantastic fantasy option to consider whenever he’s in a favorable spot.
Value
After a strong start to the season filling in for Jaren Jackson Jr., Santi Aldama disappeared to the bench for a game before Smart and Bane’s injuries opened a starting spot for him again. Aldama jumped back into the starting five with back-to-back strong games and has produced more than 6.0 DraftKings points over his salary-based expectations in four of his last five games, with the one exception being a game he did not start.
Last Thursday, he returned to the lineup with 19 points, nine boards, and 34.25 DraftKings points and was even better Saturday against the Sixers with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 37.25 DraftKings points. He projects to once again be a solid mid-range value option in Monday’s matchup in Brooklyn.
Fast Break
Giannis Antetokounmpo has six double-doubles in his six games this season, averaging 31 points and 12.3 rebounds in 35.1 minutes per game. He had a season-high 71 DraftKings points on Saturday in the first game of this two-game set against the Cavs and fell just one assist short of a triple-double. He was already playing through right patella tendinitis but is now listed as questionable in this contest due to a right adductor strain. If you get Giannis at 100% healthy, he could be a great leverage play, but he’s an expensive risk to take with his $11,000 salary.
Pistons PF Tobias Harris started slowly this season but has found a nice groove in the team’s last three games with over 33 DraftKings points in each of those three matchups. He reached 40 DraftKings points against the Sixers last week with a double-double and has that kind of ceiling on Monday against the Lakers as well. He has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward in both the ShotQuality and FantasyLabs projections.
While Hauser is the top cheap play at power forward in the projections, Kyle Anderson of the Warriors, Nikola Jovic of the Heat, and Dorian Finney-Smith of the Nets are all strong value plays under $5,000.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
As good as LeBron has been, the Lakers’ offense has flown through Anthony Davis so far this season, and the All-Star center is putting up huge numbers with 1.65 DraftKings points per minute and 58.8 DraftKings points per game.
Davis is shooting a blistering 57.3% shooting from the field and has posted three straight double-doubles on the team’s current road trip with two performances netting him over 60 DraftKings points. He is dealing with hip soreness but is listed as probable, so he should play through the issue this Monday in the Motor City.
Given his fast start to the season, Davis has the top ceiling projection of all players on this slate in the FantasyLabs projections and is in a good matchup with the Pistons, who have rotated Jalen Duren ($5,800) and Isaiah Stewart ($4,000) at center so far this season.
Value
Let’s take one more value stop with the Celtics as we close out since the top two Projected Plus/Minus at the position come from Boston. Luke Kornet actually has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the entire slate in the FantasyLabs projections and the second-highest in the ShotQuality projections.
He is coming off a huge game of 19 points and 33.5 DraftKings points on Saturday in Charlotte and has exceeded salary-based expectations in three straight contests.
His teammate Neemias Queta is second in Projected Plus/Minus at the position in the FantasyLabs projections and has also exceeded salary-based expectations in three straight.
Fast Break
Domantas Sabonis had his second triple-double of the season and produced 62 DraftKings points on Saturday in a loss to the Raptors. He has a very high ceiling and high floor in every matchup since he produces so reliably across the board. He has the third-highest ceiling projection at center on this slate behind only Giannis and Davis.
Nikola Vucevic has averaged 1.32 DraftKings points per minute this season for the Bulls and could carry more offensive work if LaVine is limited or out. Vucevic has exceeded salary-based expectations in five of his last six games and is coming off a season-high 28 points and 53.25 DraftKings points in a loss to Brooklyn last Friday.
The Grizzlies continue to manage the minutes of rookie center Zach Edey, but the big man is starting to look more and more comfortable at the NBA level. He fouled out of his debut after just 15 minutes with only 10.75 DraftKings points but has steadily improved and comes into this matchup with the Nets after scoring double-digit points in three straight games and posting his first NBA double-double on Saturday with 28 fantasy points in 22 minutes against the Sixers.
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