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Happy Monday, everyone. Barring any postponements, we will get a 10-game slate to target tonight, and DraftKings continues to offer huge tournaments for DFS players. Below are some of my favorite targets at each position.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Excellent 8’s [$100K to 1st]
Point Guard
Stud
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, $10,700
Until one of Jusuf Nurkc (out, wrist) or C.J. McCollum (out, foot) returns, Lillard will be the top point guard option on the slate every time he suits up. Saturday night, Lillard was incredible vs. the Bulls, posting 67.75 DKFP, including a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. This was the fifth game in a row that both McCollum and Nurkic have missed, and Lillard has led the Blazers with 55.7 DKFP per game and a 35.6% usage rate during this time.
Now for Monday night, the 30-year-old finds himself in a prime setting against the Bucks. Per the DraftKings Sportsbook, this contest presents the highest O/U game total of Monday’s full slate (236 points), and the Bucks have struggled to contain point guards recently, giving up the fifth-most DKFP to the position over their past five games. Even with Luka Doncic in action, Lillard has the best ceiling at point guard tonight and stacking him and Giannis Antetokounmpo (below) together in lineups is one of my preferred strategies for this 10-game slate.
Other Options: De’Aaron Fox ($8,300), Chris Paul ($8,200, if Devin Booker is out), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($8,100), Ja Morant ($7,600)
Value
Lonzo Ball, New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings, $5,500
With J.J. Redick on the trade market and expected to be dealt soon, Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy has removed the long-range specialist from their rotation in their past two games. This has led to more playing time for their guards and wings, specifically Ball, who is logging 31.5 minutes per game in these past two.
The few extra minutes have helped the former lottery pick amass 38.9 DKFP per game, and assuming this trend continues Monday, Ball should smash value against the defensively inept Kings. His former college rival De’Aaron Fox ranks 71st in real defensive plus-minus of 74 eligible point guards this season and the Kings as a whole rank dead last in defensive efficiency.
Other Options: Dejounte Murray ($6,600), LaMelo Ball ($6,500, if Terry Rozier is out)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Victor Oladipo, Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, $8,000
On Saturday night, Oladipo recorded 41.5 DKFP in only 25 minutes in the blowout win over the Pelicans. If the game had stayed more competitive, the 28-year-old would have obviously played more, and he should get back into the 30-35 minute range tonight against his former team in the Thunder. The Rockets are only five-point favorites on the DraftKings Sportsbook and this game’s total is sitting at a healthy 223.5 points.
Oladipo has provided over 40 DKFP in four of his first six since being acquired by Houston and the Thunder have had issues containing shooting guards this season (seventh-most DKFP to SG). We should see another 40-plus DKFP performance from him and given the abundance of studs on this slate, Oladipo should be a forgotten man in GPPs.
Other Options: Tyler Herro ($7,100, if Goran Dragic is out), Buddy Hield ($6,500)
Value
Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings vs. New Orleans Pelicans, $5,200
Even though the rookie comes off the bench, Haliburton has been receiving starter-like minutes. He has logged at least 30 minutes in four straight, which has resulted in 31.6 DKFP per game for the 20-year-old. Haliburton is now generating 32.5 DKFP per game when given 30 minutes or more so far in his NBA career.
Both the Kings and Pelicans are bottom-10 defenses this year, and this game total’s unsurprisingly is at 234 points on the DraftKings Sportsbook. Haliburton’s DraftKings price tag has yet to adjust to his new role and the rookie is an excellent cheap way to attack this large total.
Other Options: Gary Trent Jr. ($5,700), Cam Reddish ($4,800), Anfernee Simons ($4,200)
Small Forward
Stud
Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets, $8,400
In his first appearance after missing 10 straight games due to the NBA’s health protocol, Butler showed no signs of rust in the 105-104 win vs. the Kings on Saturday. In 33 minutes, he tallied 50.75 DKFP and garnered a team-high 36% usage rate. Tyler Herro ($7,100; questionable, health protocols) was active for this victory, but he may be out Monday, and Goran Dragic ($6,400; questionable, groin) could miss his fourth consecutive game.
More likely than not, one of these guards will be inactive for Miami, which will keep Butler’s usage at a very high level for this friendly matchup against the Hornets, who are allowing opposing small forwards to score DKFP per game at the sixth-highest average in the league.
Other Options: LeBron James ($10,200), Brandon Ingram ($8,200)
Value
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $5,600
With Karl-Anthony Towns (COVID-19) still self-isolating, Edwards has been a spark for the Wolves, producing 35.6 DKFP per game in his past three. Sunday night, the first-overall pick from this past NBA draft earned his second start in a row, and in 30.2 minutes of work, Edwards put up 41.25 DKFP in the win over the Cavs.
This snapped a three-game losing skid for Minnesota and the Cavs will remain in town for a rematch Monday night. Assuming Towns doesn’t surprisingly rejoin the team, Edwards could stay hot tonight and be a game-changer in GPPs once again.
Other Options: Kyle Kuzma ($4,900, if Anthony Davis is out), Abdel Nader ($3,800, if Devin Booker is out)
Power Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $11,000
Antetokounmpo has been a monster, scoring 67.6 DKFP per game across his past three, and the back-to-back MVP should continue to dominate vs. the Blazers on Monday. This Portland club has been dealing with a plethora of key injuries lately and it has resulted in them being one of the worst defenses in the Association, rating second-to-last in defensive rating over their past five games. With Enes Kanter starting at center, they are most susceptible in the paint, and Antetokounmpo should feast in this huge O/U game total (236 points on the DraftKings Sportsbook).
The 26-year-old is supplying 61.3 DKFP per game in the past six contests he has played in that carried a total of at least 230 points, and Antetokounmpo should be priced over $12,000 for this magnificent matchup.
Other Options: Zion Williamson ($7,900), DeMar DeRozan ($7,000)
Value
Robert Covington, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, $5,000
Covington was active Saturday after missing two games with a concussion and recorded 26 DKFP over 30 minutes in the dramatic win vs. the Bulls. Along with Nurkic and McCollum, Derrick Jones Jr. was out for this tilt, and he will remain inactive for Monday. We can safely expect Covington to handle roughly 30 minutes again for this shorthanded Blazers team, and this matchup against the Bucks is rating well for him.
Covington is averaging 32.4 DKFP per game in the past five in which he has exceeded 30 minutes, and this is a very low price point for him considering the number of points expected in this matchup with the Bucks.
Other Options: Brandon Clarke ($6,200), Jae Crowder ($5,700, if Devin Booker is out)
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets vs. Detroit Pistons, $10,900
Jokic will be at home tonight, where has scored a whopping 65.2 DKFP per game this season, in arguably the best possible matchup he could ask for vs. the Pistons. Up until this point of the season, Detroit has yielded the second-most DKFP per game to opposing centers and the 25-year-old has topped 60 DKFP in eight of his past 10 starts.
The only thing going against Jokic tonight is the fact that he is playing his second game in two days. Luckily, he got to sleep in his own bed last night after beating the Jazz and snapping Utah’s 11-game winning streak in Denver yesterday. Nevertheless, this is simply too strong of a matchup to let fatigue be a concern, and there is a great chance we see Jokic’s third triple-double of the season Monday night.
Other Options: Bam Adebayo ($9,400), Andre Drummond ($8,600), Deandre Ayton ($8,000), Enes Kanter ($7,200),
Value
Hassan Whiteside, Sacramento Kings vs. New Orleans Pelicans, $3,600
Whiteside was dealing with a hip injury that cost him four games, but ever since he returned, the center has obtained a sizable role off the bench. Over the Kings’ past three games, the 31-year-old has collected 18.5 DKFP in 18 minutes per game. Before this, Whiteside hadn’t logged over 15 minutes in six of the previous seven contests in which he was active.
He is providing 1.2 DKFP per minute in Sacramento this season, and while it is far from guaranteed, if Whiteside maintains this 15-20 minute role as the Kings’ primary backup center, he should easily beat his near minimum price tag in this high-scoring matchup with the Pelicans.
Other Options: Cody Zeller ($5,300), Xavier Tillman ($4,800)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Excellent 8’s [$100K to 1st]
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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 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.
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