The NBA rescheduled the Pelicans-Hornets game for earlier in the day, but three games are still on the board for Monday night’s DFS fantasy basketball contests. The slate tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET when the Rockets visit the Pacers, followed by the Timberwolves visiting Memphis for a second straight game, and then the Sixers taking on the Clippers in the late-night hammer. Looking at the three games, a few options stand out as great places to start your roster with multiple players from the same team. The NBA DFS stacks highlighted in this post stand out as good options for Monday due to matchups and opportunities, and they can be the core of your DFS lineup this Monday.
At this point of the season, it’s critical to keep a close eye on the daily injury report, where you can keep track of who is in and who is out for this slate. Many big names are already out or questionable, which opens up value from the rest of their rosters while filling in. Be sure to check the latest injury news before tip-off and adjust your lineup if needed.
The NBA DFS main slate includes various contests and payout structures on DraftKings, headlined by the NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st].
Houston Rockets at Indiana Pacers
The Rockets have the second-highest implied team total of the night as they visit the Pacers in Indianapolis. The Pacers rank in the top 10 in the NBA in pace on the season and over the last 10 games and have allowed 118.4 points per game this season.
While the matchup is a generally favorable one, the big reason the Rockets are a top spot for NBA DFS stacks this Monday is that they’ll be missing Kevin Durant (ankle), leaving lots of usage for the rest of the rotation.
Core Plays: Alperen Sengun ($9,200) and Amen Thompson ($8,200) will have to carry the offense. Durant has only missed two games all season, and the Rockets won both of those two games. Thompson had 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in the first game that KD was out, and he followed that with 10 points and 14 rebounds the next game. Both core pieces should get good work, but Thompson seems more likely to go off and return better value, especially since the Pacers give up the fourth-most fantasy points per game to point guards. Tari Eason ($6,200) also could help carry the scoring load and is a solid mid-range play to target.
Value Options: The matchup with the Pacers also indicates that Reed Sheppard ($4,900) could be a great play. He had 27 fantasy points against the Hawks last Thursday but only played 17 minutes and had six points against the Mavs on Saturday. He did have one of his best games of the season when Durant was out last time, dropping 31 points in 37 minutes against the Warriors and adding nine rebounds and five assists. Josh Okogie ($4,200) and Dorian Finney-Smith ($3,200) will likely get more minutes with Durant out, and they should be able to return good value even though they typically don’t get a ton of usage
Minnesota Timberwolves at Memphis Grizzlies
The Timberwolves could end up in a similar situation to the Rockets if Anthony Edwards (back), Julius Randle (thumb), or both end up being ruled out for their rematch in Memphis. The rotation is a little uncertain, and if both stars play, they won’t have as much usage to share across the rest of the lineup.
Whoever gets minutes should be able to produce against the Grizzlies, since the Timberwolves have the highest implied team total on the board. Memphis gave up 131 points to the Wolves on Saturday and have allowed an average of 119.6 points per game in their last five games while going 0-5.
Core Plays: If either Anthony Edwards ($9,300) or Julius Randle ($8,300) plays while the other sits, they can serve as the centerpiece of the stack. If both are out, Naz Reid ($6,300) and Jaden McDaniels ($6,000) would have to pick up more offense. Reid has 20 points and 47.2 fantasy points on Saturday in the first matchup in this series, and he’ll be a great play if Randle is out. McDaniels is a solid play on the wing either way, while Donte DiVincenzo ($6,100) would get more usage if Edwards is out. McDaniels always plays heavy minutes and has 37.5 and 28 fantasy points in his last two games while scoring 20+ points.
Value Options: If Edwards is out, Bones Hyland ($3,900) could help pick up the slack in a matchup he can dominate. Jaylen Clark ($3,200) could also get more work on the wing, and Joan Beringer ($3,000) could get enough work to contribute in the front court as well. He played 30 minutes against the Bucks earlier this month and had 13 points, five rebounds and 23.75 fantasy points, which is enough to make him a bargain option to consider.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
On the other side of the matchup, the Grizzlies are shorthanded for the rematch as well, and with the extra usage, the remaining players bring plenty of value. Ja Morant, Santi Aldama, John Konchar, and Zach Edey all remain out, while Jaren Jackson Jr. is questionable after missing Saturday’s game with a left quad contusion.
Core Plays: If he can return and play through his injury, Jaren Jackson Jr. ($7,400) is an option that brings a very high ceiling. Jackson had 46.2 fantasy points against the Pelicans on Friday, and last Friday, he had 57 fantasy points in that same matchup against New Orleans. He has at least 42 fantasy points in four of his last seven games when healthy. Next to JJJ, Jock Landale ($6,400) has had success, but he struggled a little bit in this matchup on Saturday. If JJJ is out again, Landale has a high ceiling but remains high-risk.
Value Options: One of the key plays on the entire slate is Ty Jerome ($4,000), who made his debut on Saturday and scored 20 points to go with six assists on his way to 32.2 fantasy points in just 20 minutes. He’s an outstanding standalone fantasy value option on Monday, and he can be a key part of using the Grizzlies as one of your NBA DFS stacks. Gregory Jackson ($4,600), Vince Williams Jr. ($4,200) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper ($3,400) will all get more work if Jackson misses a second straight contest.
