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For Monday night, there are nine NBA games on tap, and DraftKings continues to offer huge tournaments for DFS players. Below are some of my favorite targets at each position.
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Point Guard
Stud
Russell Westbrook, Washington Wizards vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, $11,000
Westbrook remains very underpriced and this matchup vs. the Thunder is gorgeous, with their defense rating as the second-worst unit in the NBA over their past 10. The former MVP only needs 55 DKFP to meet five-times value on Monday night, which should be an easy task in this spot. Westbrook is collecting 61.4 DKFP per game in his past 10 and will be playing at home, where he is producing 60 DKFP per game this season.
Just like every night that the point guard is in action, Westbrook is far and away the top overall option at his position, and he’s a worthwhile spend against his former team.
Other Options: Stephen Curry ($10,500, if Kelly Oubre is out), John Wall ($7,900), Malcolm Brogdon ($7,600), Mike Conley ($7,000)
Value
Killian Hayes, Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $3,700
Tonight, the Pistons will be without the services of Jerami Grant (quad), Mason Plumlee (rest), Cory Joseph (illness), Wayne Ellington (rest), Rodney McGruder (elbow), Dennis Smith Jr. (knee) and Sekou Doumbouya (concussion). This past Friday night, all of these players except Doumbouya were out, and Hayes got the starting nod at point guard, finishing 36 DKFP in 27 minutes vs. the Thunder. With only 10 players available for Detroit tonight, the rookie should start and be in line for 25-30 minutes.
Since returning from the lengthy absence due to a hip injury five games ago, Hayes has generated 0.93 DKFP per minute, and the promising 19-year-old is an elite value play that needs to be taken advantage of.
Other Options: Coby White ($5,400), Goran Dragic ($4,800, if Jimmy Butler is out), Facundo Campazzo ($4,700), Kendrick Nunn ($4,300, if Jimmy Butler is out)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, $9,200
After some subpar outings by his standards, Beal went off for 50.25 DKFP against the Pistons on Saturday night. He shot 4-of-6 from downtown in this win, after only hitting four total 3-pointers across his previous three starts. The hot shooting for Beal should continue tonight facing a Thunder defense that has allowed their opponents to hit 15.6 3-pointers per game in their past 10, which is the second-most in the NBA during this stretch.
Beal brings 50 DKFP upside tonight and with nine games on the schedule, he most likely won’t gain much attention in GPPs.
Other Options: Devin Booker ($8,800)
Value
Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz vs. Los Angeles Lakers, $6,200
Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert will return tonight, but the Jazz will still be without Donovan Mitchell (ankle). As a result, Ingles will earn another start vs. the Lakers, and being a member of the first unit has meant the world to the veteran as a fantasy player this season. In the 15 starts that Ingles has made in 2020-21, he is averaging 31.8 DKFP per game.
Obviously, as the No. 1 defense in the league, the Lakers are no cakewalk, but I still expect Ingles to get the job done and top 30 DKFP tonight as he fills in for Mitchell.
Other Options: Jordan Clarkson ($6,400), Avery Bradley ($3,700), Frank Jackson ($3,200)
Small Forward
Stud
Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Washington Wizards, $7,000
Dort has been brilliant as the Thunder’s primary offensive weapon, scoring 50.1 DKFP per game across his past three. The game plan has been to feed the 22-year-old, with him seeing a 33.1% usage rate, and Monday delivers one of the best possible matchups Dort could ask for.
No team in the NBA plays at a faster pace than Washington, and while I don’t suggest rostering him in cash games, gambling on Dort in this juicy matchup makes a ton of sense from a GPP perspective.
Other Options: Jaylen Brown ($8,400), DeMar DeRozan ($8,000)
Value
Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $5,300
When the Pistons were missing Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, Rodney McGruder, Cory Joseph, Wayne Ellington and Dennis Smith Jr. on Friday night, Bey posted 34.25 DKFP in the win against Oklahoma City. He finished with a team-high 39 minutes and garnered a solid 20.9% usage rate.
We can safely project Bey for a similar role Monday night, and when he has logged 35 minutes or greater during his rookie season, the 22-year-old is contributing 31.7 DKFP per game.
Other Options: Bojan Bogdanovic ($5,800), Furkan Korkmaz ($4,800, if Tobias Harris is out), Denzel Valentine ($3,300)
Power Forward
Stud
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls, $10,000
Both Kemba Walker ($7,300; illness) and Jaylen Brown ($8,400; illness) are questionable tonight, while Evan Fournier (health and safety protocols) is still away from the team. It seems likely that one of Walker or Brown will sit out Monday night, opening the door for Tatum to be a usage monster vs. the Bulls. When either Brown or Walker have been off the court this season, Tatum’s usage rate has been at least 33% and the All-Star is currently playing his best basketball of the season.
In his past five starts, Tatum has amassed 54.9 DKFP per game, while shooting 54.8% from the field. Chicago’s defense has really struggled recently, sitting at 24th in defensive rating over their past 10, and in the event that one of Brown or Walker is inactive tonight, Tatum will be one of the best studs to use for this full slate.
Other Options: Domantas Sabonis ($9,400), Michael Porter Jr. ($7,700)
Value
Xavier Tillman, Memphis Grizzlies vs. Denver Nuggets, $3,400
With Jonas Valanciunas (concussion) missing tonight, Tillman is the top candidate to get the starting nod at center for Memphis. This will be the sixth time Big Val has been sidelined this season, and in the first five, Tillman supplied 24.7 DKFP with 24 minutes per game. Furthermore, The rookie is generating 0.9 DKFP per minute this year and has eclipsed 20 DKFP in 11 of the 14 contests he has received a minimum of 20 minutes.
The matchup isn’t optimal, going head-to-head with Nikola Jokic, but Tillman is still very much a viable punt play tonight, especially with his multiple position eligibility.
Other Options: Kyle Anderson ($6,200), Trevor Ariza ($5,200, if Jimmy Butler is out), Josh Jackson ($5,100), Davis Bertans ($4,300)
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets vs. Memphis Grizzlies, $11,000
With Jamal Murray (knee) done for the season, Jokic is a near must-play every night he is competing. In the eight tilts without Murray this season, Jokic has led his team with 57.2 DKFP per game. Now, Monte Morris (out, hamstring) will be joining Murray on the sidelines, and when Jokic has been on the floor sans these two guards in 2020-21, he has scored 1.7 DKFP per minute, thanks to a team-high increase of over eight percentage points to his usage rate.
The Grizzlies have been getting destroyed by opposing centers, surrendering the most DKFP per game to the position across their past 10, and their interior defense should be even weaker with Valanciunas on the shelf. Jokic bullied Memphis for 62.75 DKFP back in early March and has the best ceiling on this nine-game slate.
Other Options: Joel Embiid ($10,700), Nikola Vucevic ($9,900), Bam Adebayo ($8,100, if Jimmy Butler is out), Kelly Olynyk ($6,900)
Value
Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, $5,200
The Pistons are supplying some of the strongest value plays of the night, and Stewart is the top option from the team. In the last three starts that he has made for Plumlee, Stewart has been excellent with 40.1 DKFP per game. In the most recent start of those three, the rookie collected a 15-point and 21-rebound double-double in 32 minutes vs. the Thunder this past Friday (50.75 DKFP). Even with Plumlee back the next night, Stewart recorded another double-double worth 41 DKFP in only 24 minutes off the bench against the Wizards.
The 19-year-old’s confidence is extremely high right now, and Stewart isn’t going to disappoint in this home matchup vs. the Cavs, who rank 21st in defensive rating over their past 10.
Other Options: Tristan Thompson ($4,700), Daniel Gafford ($4,000), Kevon Looney ($4,000)
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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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