Monday presents a five-game NBA DFS slate that begins at 7:00 PM EST. DraftKings continues to offer huge contests for DFS players, and below, I dive into two of my favorite bargain plays for this slate.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
PG, Javon Small, Memphis Grizzlies at Brooklyn Nets, $5,400
The Grizzlies will be extremely shorthanded tonight. They will likely be down only eight healthy players. Ja Morant (elbow), Santi Aldama (knee), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger) and Zach Edey (ankle) are all out, while Ty Jerome (calf), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), Cedric Coward (knee) and Taylor Hendricks (thumb) are doubtful. Small should start at point guard and take on a large role vs. this Nets defense that ranks 27th in rating this season.
Small has been efficient since the All-Star break, amassing 1.1 FPTS per minute while shooting 48% from the field. The 23-year-old has made three starts during this time and Small produced 29 FPTS in 28.4 minutes per game on those occasions. The guard should see even more work tonight, likely approaching 35 minutes and is an elite bargain at only $5,400, that has a ceiling near 40 FPTS.
PG/SG, Cameron Payne, Philadelphia 76ers at Cleveland Cavaliers, $4,500
The 76ers will be without their big three of Tyrese Maxey (finger), Joel Embiid (oblique) and Paul George (suspension). Plus, V.J. Edgecombe ($7,100, back) is questionable. The rookie looks poised to make his return from a two-game absence tonight and will see a high usage rate, but Payne should still start in place of Maxey and garner his largest role since joining Philadelphia last month.
Despite struggling with his shot, shooting an ugly 28% from the field, Payne is generating 0.8 FPTS per minute with a 17% usage rate and a 22% assist rate this season. Payne should see around 30 minutes tonight and this is a solid matchup, as the Cavaliers rank 12th in pace this season and are playing their second game in two nights. While with the Knicks last April, Payne poured in 38.5 FPTS the last time he started in an NBA game. Another outing over 30 FPTS is in the realm of possibilities tonight and Payne should get overlooked, with most DFS players attacking the Grizzlies and Nets for value plays for this slate.
