There are two NBA games on Monday’s slate.
As for injuries, Isaiah Stewart is questionable.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, NYK is -6.5 over DET at home with the total at 221.5. LAC is -1 over DEN on the road with the total at 217.5.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $400K Shootaround [$100K to 1st]
Guard
Stud
James Harden, Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets ($9,500): It hasn’t been vintage Harden, as the usage rate is way down and Father Time is starting to get impatient, but Harden has been balling out recently. Over the last six games, he’s gone over 60 FPTS in five with a high of 71.75 FPTS. In the lone miss, Harden finished with 51.75 FPTS. He racked up one triple-double over that span and missed another by a rebound. The usage rate has only been in the 28 to 30% range — a far cry from the Houston days of 40% — but Harden can still get his shot up against anyone and has dished out double-digit dimes in all of those contests. In Game 1, Harden shot 11-of-22 from the field while contributing 32 points, six rebounds, 11 assists and a block in 43 minutes. He’s the catalyst for the Clippers offense.
Other Options: Cade Cunningham ($9,100), Jalen Brunson ($8,300), Jamal Murray ($7,500)
Value
Kris Dunn, Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets ($3,800): Dunn is a low-usage player who won’t contribute much in the scoring department, so there is some risk that he gets taken off the court if he can’t convert his open looks. Dunn is shooting 33% from downtown on the season. That said, Dunn has started the last 30 games for Los Angeles primarily due to his defense. He averaged 2.0 steals over that span while dishing out 3.0 assists. Most importantly, he’s converted 38% of his looks from beyond the arc. Dunn has gone over 20 FPTS in 15 of those starts, with five of those over 30 and a high of 42.75 FPTS. In Game 1, Dunn played 31 minutes and contributed 10 points, three rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal while shooting 4-of-8 from the field.
Other Options: Russell Westbrook ($5,800), Norman Powell ($5,500), Malik Beasley ($5,300), Christian Braun ($5,100)
Forward
Stud
OG Anunoby, New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons ($6,800): Anunoby may not have the most advanced handle package, but he bullies smaller defenders down on the block and can hit the open jumper. With defenses focused on Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, Anunoby has been feasting. The beauty of Anunoby’s game, though, is that he does work on the glass and contributes defensive stats. Over the last 11 games, he’s put up over 40 FPTS in seven with a high of 50.25 FPTS. In the games he failed to hit that mark, Anunoby finished over 30 FPTS, so the floor is high.
Other Options: Kawhi Leonard ($8,500), Josh Hart ($6,900)
Value
Malik Beasley, Detroit Pistons at New York Knicks ($5,300): In Game 1, Beasley shot 6-of-12 from downtown and finished with 20 points, four rebounds, two assists, a block and two steals in 35 minutes. With the Knicks defense focused on Cade Cunningham, Beasley is going to continue getting tons of good looks. On the season, he’s converting over 40% of his shots from downtown. Beasley was often mired in the high-20s during the regular season, but it’s money time now, so the 35 minutes in Game 1 were encouraging, and he should continue getting tons of run.
Other Options: Aaron Gordon ($5,900), Norman Powell ($5,500), Christian Braun ($5,100)
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers ($11,500): There really isn’t much to write about Jokic. He’s awesome. He’s amazing. He’s the greatest fantasy player of our generation. He’s a threat to triple-double on any given night and probably has the highest floor/ceiling combo on the slate. Jokic has put up over 80 FPTS 14 times this season, with six of those over 90 and a high of 100.25 FPTS. L. O. L. Is it a guarantee that he puts up the highest score on the slate? No, but the probabilities are highest. During Saturday’s slate, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo were options. On this two-gamer, there are fewer pivots. Sure, Towns and Ivica Zubac can do well, especially considering their prices, but Jokic is always in play to put up 100 FPTS, and that’s something I will usually pay up for.
Other Options: Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,300), Ivica Zubac ($7,700)
Value
Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers ($5,900): Gordon was once considered a franchise player, but time exposes all things. After being traded to the Denver Nuggets, Gordon became a great complementary player alongside Jokic. Gordon has the size and length to guard multiple positions and has the athleticism to finish strong in the paint. The shooting was always an issue, though, both from downtown and the free throw line, until this season. Gordon is shooting 43% from downtown and 81% from the line, both career-highs by a significant margin. It’s probably an outlier year, but we are still in it so we can deal with that in the offseason. Gordon has put up at least 30 FPTS in each of the last four games, with a high of 44.25 FPTS. In Game 1, he finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, an assist and two steals in 46 minutes. He’s always going to get good looks playing alongside Jokic.
Other Options:
