By this point in the NBA season, a DFS value article has essentially turned into a list of players suiting up for teams that are actively trying to tank. Tonight will be no different.
Not only are the Raptors, Jazz, 76ers, Pelicans and Wizards all taking the court during Monday’s 10-game DraftKings featured slate, but Toronto, Utah and Philadelphia are on the second night of a back-to-back set. Let the chaos ensue.
Let’s sort through the weirdness and find some value options for your lineups.
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C Orlando Robinson, Toronto Raptors at Phoenix Suns, $5,000
We’ll have to make some educated guesses about the Raptors’ rotation on Monday night, but I’d be shocked to see Jakob Poeltl ($6,000) suit up after starting in Sunday’s loss to the Trail Blazers. Heck, Poeltl hasn’t played in consecutive games in two weeks, let alone on back-to-back days. That should open the door for Robinson to log some heavy minutes in Phoenix. Robinson has only started once in Toronto’s past four contests, yet that hasn’t stopped the big man from being super impactful. It’s a stretch where Robinson is averaging 15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds with a 23.3% usage rate. He’s also registered three double-doubles and exceeded 35 FPTS all but once. Another thing to remember here is exactly how the Raptors have been tanking. Even when their stars are available, they’ve seen their minutes capped, so don’t be scared off Robinson if he isn’t eventually named in the starting lineup — he’ll likely still find his way to at least 30 minutes of action.
C Jaxson Hayes, Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs, $5,100
The Lakers will remain without LeBron James (groin) on Monday and, while it’s impossible to say definitively that Rui Hachimura ($5,700; knee) won’t suit up, the former lottery pick has missed the team’s last seven games. These absences have created a pretty easy to follow pecking order in Los Angeles as of late. There’s Luka Doncic ($12,000) leading the way, then Austin Reaves ($8,900), then everyone else. Still, Hayes has emerged as an interesting fantasy asset in recent contests where he’s been healthy, filling the role of a rim-running big man that we’ve seen thrive next to Doncic in the past. In fact, after setting a new season-high with 19 points against the Pelicans on March 4, Hayes matched that mark in Sunday’s victory over the Suns — his first action back from a four-game stint in street clothes. Specific to this evening, Hayes should be able to take advantage of a Spurs roster that is super small. For 2024-25 as a whole, San Antonio is surrendering the fourth-most FPTS per contest to opposing centers.
PF/C Obi Toppin, Indiana Pacers at Minnesota Timberwolves, $3,600
We’re in uncharted territory for the Pacers on Monday. For the first time all season, All-Star Pascal Siakam (personal) will not be available for Indiana. However, he’s not the only name on the team’s injured list. Tyrese Haliburton ($8,600; back) is questionable. Myles Turner ($6,400; hip) is questionable. Aaron Nesmith ($5,300; ankle) is questionable. Depending on how all these ailments sort out, we could be looking at a skeleton crew for the Pacers in Minnesota. Toppin has not started a single game for Indiana in 2024-25, yet he has proven to be quite productive when given the opportunity to shine. In the 25 contests where Toppin has exceeded even 20 minutes of action, he’s averaging 13.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Toppin and Thomas Bryant ($3,000) could be asked to shoulder an ample workload if the aforementioned Turner joins Siakam on the sideline this evening. Keep an eye on this situation leading up to tip.
