On the menu for Monday is a huge 10-game NBA slate. 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 $80K Fadeaway [$20K to 1st]
C, Oso Ighodaro, Phoenix Suns at Washington Wizards, $4,000
Ighodaro moved into the Suns’ starting lineup Saturday vs. the Pelicans, with Mark Williams moving to the bench, and Ighodaro posted 27.5 FPTS across 28.5 minutes in the nine-point win for Phoenix. The second-year big man out of Marquette shot 4-for-4 from the field and finished a team-best +16 in the box score. Meanwhile, Williams was ejected from the game after getting into a fight with Jose Alvarado and as a result, Williams has suspended for tonight’s matchup vs. the Wizards.
Ighodaro should see over 30 minutes with Williams absent and this is an elite matchup vs. the Wizards, who rank dead last in defensive rating this season. The Suns carry a large 122-point implied team total on DraftKings Sportsbook and Ighodaro is a tough fade at only $4,000. The center is producing 0.9 FPTS per minute and he is averaging 28.3 FPTS per game for the five instances he has logged at least 25 minutes this season.
PG/SG, Tre Johnson, Washington Wizards vs. Phoenix Suns, $4,200
Opposite of Ighodaro, Johnson is also a strong punt play from this Wizards vs. Suns matchup. Cam Whitmore (shoulder) is out indefinitely and with the veteran sidelined, Johnson has topped 20 FPTS in six of his last seven games, most recently with 24.5 FPTS across 25.3 minutes in last night’s win over the Grizzlies.
Now, Khris Middleton (injury management) and Kyshawn George (hip) will be joining Whitmore on the sidelines tonight, opening up more usage and playing time for Johnson. In the 130 minutes the rookie has played with Whitemore, Middleton and George off the floor this season, Johnson’s usage increases a team-high 5.7 percentage points to 26.9% and he scores 1.0 FPTS per minute. Regardless of facing a Suns’ defense that ranks 10th in rating this season, Johnson should outproduce his low $4,200 salary with ease.
SG/SF, Tim Hardaway Jr., Denver Nuggets at Miami Heat, $4,500
With the Nuggets shorthanded, Hardaway Jr. has been excellent, scoring 29.6 FPTS per game in his last four. Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Christian Braun (ankle) and Cameron Johnson (knee) all will remain out tonight and with these three key players inactive for the last two, Hardaway Jr. has started and is averaging a huge 36.9 minutes per game with a 17.2% usage rate.
Hardway Jr. is amassing 0.8 FPTS per minute with Gordon, Braun and Johnson off the court this season, and while the Heat rank fourth in defensive rating this season, Miami leads the league in pace, making this a plus matchup. This game’s total is the highest on the slate at 245.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook and in this setting, Hardaway Jr. is the best small forward value on the board at only $4,500.
