DraftKings’ main NBA DFS slate for Monday starts at 7:00 PM EST and features the first seven games of the night. DraftKings continues to offer huge contests for DFS players and below, I dive into three of my favorite bargain plays for this slate.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $200K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
C, Jalen Smith, Chicago Bulls at New Orleans Pelicans, $4,300
Smith has been very efficient as the Bulls’ backup center this season, generating a team-high 1.4 FPTS per minute while shooting 47% from the field and handling a career-high 23.6% usage rate. The veteran has posted at least 24 FPTS in six of his last eight games, including four performances over 30 FPTS. Tonight’s matchup vs. the Pelicans is very appealing, with New Orleans ranking 27th in defensive rating this season.
Chicago boasts the highest implied team total on the slate at 125.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Smith is a terrific, cheap way to attack the Bulls and could outproduce his salary with ease. Do note that Nikola Vucevic (knee) was downgraded to questionable for this game, and if he is out, Smith would likely move into Chicago’s starting lineup and go from a strong play to a must for this slate.
PG, Jamal Shead, Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $3,600
The Raptors won their seventh straight game last night vs. the Nets, but it came at a cost, as RJ Barrett exited with a knee injury that will keep him sidelined for tonight’s matchup vs. the Cavaliers. Barrett exited Sunday’s contest about five minutes into the second half and following his departure, Shead logged 14 of the final 19 minutes of this competitive game.
Shead finished with 27.25 FPTS across 23.5 minutes in the win over Brooklyn. Starter or not, the guard should see over 25 minutes tonight with Barrett missing for the whole tilt. Shead is generating 1.04 FPTS per minute this season with Barrett off the floor, thanks to a team-high 40.7% assist rate, which is a 4.6 percentage point increase from his season average. Cleveland ranks sixth in defensive rating, but the Cavaliers are also playing their second game in two nights and this game carries a healthy 235.5-point total on DraftKings Sportsbook. Shead should top 20 FPTS in this setting and is a compelling punt for all formats.
PF, Noah Clowney, Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks, $4,900
Clowney played very well this past weekend, scoring 32.25 FPTS vs. the Celtics on Friday and 30.75 FPTS vs. the Raptors on Sunday. The forward led the Nets with 37 minutes in each of these contests and he shot 47% from the field across these two starts. Cam Thomas (hamstring) missed both these tilts and will continue to be out Monday.
With the heavy usage guard off the floor this season, Clowney is handling a 21.6% usage rate and he is producing 0.83 FPTS per minute. Clowney should see 35-40 minutes tonight and this is a solid matchup vs. the Knicks. New York ranks 18th in defensive rating and it has had major issues on the road this season with a 1-5 away record. A third consecutive performance of 30 FPTS is possible for Clowney in this matchup and he shouldn’t come with much ownership.
