:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70319211/1357988420.0.jpg)
Monday presents a seven-game slate, and DraftKings continues to offer a plethora of huge tournaments. Below are some of my favorite studs and values at each position.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Point Guard
Stud
James Harden, Brooklyn Nets at Los Angeles Clippers, $11,200 - Harden is the top overall play on the slate with Kevin Durant (health protocols) sidelined. Harden has topped 70 DKFP in two of the three starts he has made without Durant this season. Furthermore, in all the minutes Harden has played with Durant off the court this season, the guard has posted a 34.3% usage rate and a 40% assist percentage, resulting in 1.5 DKFP per minute.
Facing this extremely shorthanded Clippers’ team that is on the second night of a back-to-back, Harden is a lock for at least 60 DKFP and is a building block for all formats.
Other Options: Damian Lillard ($10,100; questionable)
Value
Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics at Minnesota Timberwolves, $4,300 - Saturday vs. the Bucks, Pritchard finished with a season-high 35.75 DKFP in 30.3 minutes off the bench. This also set a new season-high in playing time for the guard, and while the Celtics will get Al Horford back Monday, Dennis Schroder, Josh Richardson and Aaron Nesmith remain out due to health protocols. Pritchard should handle right around 30 minutes in this situation, and this is a great spot, with the Wolves ranking fifth in pace.
The Oregon product is amassing 0.82 DKFP per minute this season and brings similar upside to what we saw from him on Christmas Day.
Other Options: Marcus Smart ($6,100), Eric Bledsoe ($6,000), Delon Wright ($5,400), Coby White ($4,100)
Refer a friend and get $20 DK Dollars! Head to the DraftKings Playbook Promo page for more details!
Shooting Guard
Stud
Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers, $7,700 - With Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. sidelined Saturday due to health protocols, Brunson exposed a stout Jazz defense for 43 DKFP across 36 minutes. When these two starters have been off floor this season, Brunson has scored 1.1 DKFP per minute, thanks to a 4.5 percentage-point boost to his usage and a huge 11.2 percentage-point boost to his assist rate.
Portland ranks 28th in defensive efficiency, and Brunson should be able to exceed five-times value in this plus matchup.
Other Options: Devin Booker ($8,100)
Value
Bruce Brown, Brooklyn Nets at Los Angeles Clippers, $4,700 - Making his return from a three-game absence Saturday, Brown Jr. started with Durant unavailable and recorded 31 DKFP in 36.4 minutes vs. the Lakers. For the Nets, this minute total only trailed Harden in the win, and Brown should be in line for around 35 minutes again Monday against the depleted Clippers.
Beating this cheap salary should be an easy task for the wing, and Brown is a viable target for all formats.
Other Options: Derrick White ($6,500), Bogdan Bogdanovic ($5,000), Brandon Boston Jr. ($3,300), Skylar Mays ($3,800)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Small Forward
Stud
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics at Minnesota Timberwolves, $9,300 - Take Schroder, Richardson and Nesmith off the floor this season, and Brown leads Boston with a 29% usage rate. After dealing with a nagging hamstring injury, the All-Star has looked fully healthy since returning five games ago, logging 34.4 minutes a night and knocking down 3-pointers at 41% clip.
Brown has 50-DKFP upside against the fast paced Wolves and should come with single-digit ownership given this hefty price tag.
Other Options: Zach LaVine ($9,600)
Value
Cam Reddish, Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls, $5,800 - On Monday, many key players have been ruled out for Atlanta due to health protocols — more specifically, Trae Young and John Collins. When these two have been off the floor this season, Reddish has obtained a 25% usage rate and supplied 0.9 DKFP per minute.
The 22-year-old has seen 34.6 minutes per game in these past three sans Young and should be able to grind out over five-times value with the large workload.
Other Options: Kelly Oubre Jr. ($6,100), John Konchar ($3,100)
Power Forward
Stud
Kristaps Porzingis, Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers, $8,600 - After missing back-to-back contests, Porzingis returned Saturday and delivered 47.25 DKFP in a difficult road matchup vs. the Jazz. With Doncic and Hardaway off the court this season, Porzingis has received a 35% usage rate and produced an elite 1.5 DKFP per minute.
This soft Blazers defense should have no answers for the forward, and Porzingis is one of the best high-end values on the slate at this sub $9K salary.
Other Options: Jayson Tatum ($10,400)
Value
Jake Layman, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Boston Celtics, $3,800 - With Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and Jarred Vanderbilt inactive Thursday due to health protocols, Layman earned his first start of the season and tallied 26.75 DKFP in a season-high 36 minutes vs. the Jazz. Now, not only will those three players remain sidelined Monday, but D’Angelo Russell and Naz Reid have also been confirmed out due to health protocols. With the Wolves especially thin up front, Layman should be forced into a 35-40 minute role against this Celtics’ club, which is also understaffed.
Layman has generated 27.8 DKFP per game in the last five he has logged a minimum of 30 minutes and is a strong punt to consider for this seven-game slate.
Other Options: Jaden McDaniels ($5,100), Nassir Little ($4,200), Jalen McDaniels ($3,700)
Center
Stud
Christian Wood, Houston Rockets at Charlotte Hornets, $8,200 - Wood has been a disappointment recently, but this matchup vs. the Hornets is exactly what the doctor ordered. This season, Charlotte ranks dead-last in defensive efficiency and second in pace. Furthermore, they are yielding the most rebounds in the league and the seventh-most points in the paint.
Wood destroyed this Hornets squad for a season-best 63.5 DKFP back in late November and is an excellent way of paying up to be contrarian for Monday’s slate.
Other Options: Rudy Gobert ($9,100)
Value
Nathan Knight, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Boston Celtics, $3,300 - With Towns, Vanderbilt and Reid all out, Knight is the next man up and should get the spot start at center Monday. The 24-year-old is collecting 1.1 DKFP per minute this season and should receive at least 25 minutes vs. the Celtics, who start two natural bigs in Horford and Robert Williams.
Albeit a limited sample of only three contests, Knight owns a career average of 29.7 DKFP per game when he has surpassed the 20-minute mark. Assuming Knight gets the starting nod, the center is a value play that simply can’t be ignored at this near minimum price.
Other Options: Larry Nance Jr. ($5,200), Nicolas Claxton ($4,900), Mason Plumlee ($4,000)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat. (CT).
21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/MI/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.