DraftKings’ main NBA DFS slate for Monday starts at 7:00 PM EST and features the first six 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]
PG, T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $4,800
After being limited by a hamstring injury to begin this season, McConnell finally looks like himself again, scoring at least 28 FPTS in five of his last six games. His last time out, McConnell logged a season-high 24.5 minutes off the bench Saturday vs. the Bulls and he closed the game with the Pacers’ starters, which should be the norm going forward with McConnell healthy again and Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) out for the season.
McConnell is producing a strong 1.3 FPTS per minute while shooting 51.6% from the field this season and while he is facing a Cavaliers defense that ranks ninth in rating, Cleveland is playing its second game in two nights and both the Pacers and Cavaliers rank inside the top-10 in pace this season. This should be a fast-paced matchup and McConnell should cruise past five-times value in this environment.
C, Goga Bitadze, Orlando Magic vs. Chicago Bulls, $3,700
Bitadze’s salary on DraftKings has dropped to $3,700 after costing $4,200 just last week and the veteran is a great punt play to attack Monday. Bitadze is the Magic’s main backup center and the big man has topped 20 FPTS in four of his last five games.
Bitadze is scoring 1.1 FPTS per minute this season and he is in an elite spot vs. the Bulls, who rank second in pace, 23rd in defensive rating and allowing the second-most points in the paint. This game presents a slate-high 240.5-point total on DraftKings Sportsbook and Bitadze should surpass 20 FPTS in this likely shootout.
SG, Kris Dunn, Los Angeles Clippers at Miami Heat, $4,000
With the Clippers down Bradley Beal (hip), Bogdan Bogdanovic (hip) and Derrick Jones Jr. (knee), Dunn has seen over 30 minutes in three straight games and during this span, the guard has scored 26, 31.25 and 16.25 FPTS, in that order. Beal, Bogdanovic and Jones Jr. will all remain unavailable Monday, so Dunn should continue to see heavy volume.
The veteran is scoring 0.72 FPTS per minute with those three players off the court this season and this is a compelling matchup vs. the Heat. Miami ranks third in defensive rating this season, but the Heat lead the league in pace, compared to the Clippers, who rank third-to-last. Dunn has a great chance to exceed five-times value in this up-tempo spot and punting with him at shooting guard makes a ton of sense Monday, with the position lacking appealing plays.
