Monday’s main NBA DFS slate on DraftKings begins at 7:00 PM EST and features the first seven games of the night. DraftKings continues to offer huge contests for DFS players and below, I dive into my three of my favorite bargain plays for this slate.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
PG/SG, Quenton Jackson, Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, $4,700
With the Pacers extremely shorthanded to start this season, Jackson has started the last two games and has been excellent, scoring 29.5 and 56.5 FPTS. In that latter outburst, Jackson logged 31.9 minutes, handled a 23.6% usage rate and he nearly posted a triple-double in an impressive five-point win over the Warriors.
Jackson led Indiana in plus/minus in that victory and the Pacers will be in the same situation personnel-wise tonight, with Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), Bennedict Mathurin (toe), Andrew Nembhard (shoulder), T.J. McConnell (hamstring) and Obi Toppin (foot) all out for the fourth straight game.
Jackson has played 74 minutes with all those players off the floor this season and he is leading Indiana with 1.4 FPTS per minute in this situation, thanks to a 21.4% usage rate and team-high 29.8% assist rate. The Bucks rank seventh in defensive rating, but Jackson is at home and extremely underpriced for his current role. While we can’t expect another outing near 60 FPTS, Jackson should cruise past five-times value and is the No. 1 value on the slate.
SF, Terance Mann, Brooklyn Nets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, $4,100
Mann is starting for the Nets this season and after a quiet start to his tenure in Brooklyn, the veteran has found his footing, scoring 30.8 FPTS per game in his last three. Mann’s role has increased in each of these past three games, peaking with 33.4 minutes in last night’s loss to the 76ers, where he finished with a season-high 34.75 FPTS.
Mann is only handling a 15% usage rate this season, but he is amassing 0.9 FPTS per minute while shooting 60% from the field and averaging 1.4 steals per game. The Timberwolves have struggled defensively this season, ranking 23rd in defensive rating and Mann is the best value at a thin small forward position tonight, which has a ceiling around 30 FPTS.
PF, Josh Minott, Boston Celtics vs. Utah Jazz, $4,800
Minott has been an excellent addition to the Celtics this season. The forward was inserted into Boston’s starting lineup four games ago and over this stretch, Minott has scored 32.25, 41.5, 15.5 and 26.5 FPTS, in that order. The 22-year-old isn’t a high-usage player, with a 15.4% usage rate this season, but Minott is a great rebounder who has grabbed at least nine rebounds in three of those four starts.
The athletic forward is also an impactful defender, averaging 2.3 defensive stats per game as a starter this season. Tonight’s matchup vs. the Jazz is a perfect spot for Minott to be a menace on the defensive end. Utah is allowing the most blocks and steals per game in the league, and the Jazz are playing their second game in two nights. Utah ranks 26th in defensive rating this season and in this spot, the Celtics carry the third-highest implied team total on the slate at 122.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Minott should stuff the stat sheet in this terrific spot and he is a strong, affordable way to attack Boston that should come with low ownership.
