For Monday night, there are seven NBA games to attack, 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 $325K Shootaround [100K to 1st]
Point Guard
Stud
De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, $9,200
Fox couldn’t be in a better spot than he is Monday night. The Wolves rank 27th in defensive efficiency and third in pace this season. As a result, no defense in the NBA allows more DKFP per game to opposing points guards. In fact, based on DKFP surrendered in 2020-21, a point guard going against Minnesota is the best possible matchup in fantasy basketball regardless of position.
As a unit, the Kings are even worse than the Wolves on the defensive end, ranking dead last in efficiency. This clash of defensively challenged teams has the largest O/U game total of the night at 236.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook and Fox has been excellent with 46.8 DKFP per game in his past 10 totals of 230 points or greater. Don’t let the speedster’s up and down game log fool you, Fox is an awesome target for all formats tonight.
Other Options: Russell Westbrook ($11,100, better if Bradley Beal is out), Fred VanVleet
Value
Jordan McLaughlin, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Sacramento Kings, $4,400
EDITOR’S NOTE: Timberwolves PG D’Angelo Russell (knee) is available Monday vs. the Kings.
The Wolves were very shorthanded in their backcourt Saturday and will be again Monday. All of Ricky Rubio ($5,800; back), D’Angelo Russell ($6,200; knee) and Malik Beasley ($5,900; hamstring) are listed as doubtful tonight after sitting out Saturday night. In their absences, McLaughlin started at point guard against the Sixers’ elite defense (second in defensive efficiency) and recorded 38.5 DKFP across 41.4 minutes.
The second-year guard’s usage wasn’t the greatest (14.3%), but McLaughlin will be needed for at least 35 minutes again tonight, in a far better matchup against the Kings. As noted above, Sacramento is the weakest defense in the Association based on efficiency, and in this strong of a setting, McLaughlin is a cash-game staple at only $4,400.
Other Options: Elfrid Payton ($4,600), Cory Joseph ($4,100), Malachi Flynn ($3,500)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks, $10,000
Kevin Durant (hamstring) won’t make his return Monday, and James Harden ($10,900; hamstring) should also remain out for at least one more contest. With the pair of former MVPs absent in these past two, Irving has led the Nets with 50.4 DKFP per game.
He sees a 34.8% usage rate and generates 1.54 DKFP per minute without Durant and Harden. Assuming Irving isn’t rested, with this being the second night of a back-to-back, the 29-year-old is without a doubt the top option at shooting guard, even in this difficult matchup vs. the Knicks (third in defensive efficiency).
Other Options: Bradley Beal ($9,400), Collin Sexton ($7,500)
Value
Terence Davis, Sacramento Kings vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, $3,600
In Saturday’s shootout with the Bucks, Davis was outstanding off the bench, making 10-of-14 shots from the field, lifting him to 38.75 DKFP in only 23 minutes of work. Since being acquired by Sacramento, Davis has provided 1.06 DKFP per minute, and Saturday was the third straight occasion the 23-year-old has logged over 20 minutes.
After his efforts vs. the Bucks, Davis should absolutely see above 20 minutes again Monday, with room for more, in this gorgeous matchup against the Wolves. A repeat performance from Saturday night is an unreasonable expectation, but Davis should be able to return five-times value at his near-minimum salary.
Other Options: Derrick White ($6,300), Raul Neto ($3,800)
Small Forward
Stud
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Sacramento Kings, $7,600
I highly recommend having some exposure to Edwards tonight with his team so short on ball handlers. In all the time he has played without Russell, Rubio and Beasley during his rookie season, Edwards has seen his usage rate jump 7.5% to a team-high 34.7%.
From a fantasy perspective, this equates to 1.14 DKFP per minute for the first-overall pick from this past NBA draft. The Kings have had major issues defending small forwards, giving up the sixth-most DKFP per game to the position, and Edwards had exceeded 40 DKFP in three straight contests before meeting the Sixers’ stout defense this past Saturday. Paying up at small forward isn’t my preferred route for cash games, but in GPPs, Edwards is an elite option that shouldn’t be overly popular.
Other Options: Luka Doncic ($10,800)
Value
Hamidou Diallo, Detroit Pistons vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, $5,200
Diallo is never priced correctly for his ceiling, especially tonight against his former team. He struggled in the 44-point blowout loss to the Knicks and their top-three ranked defense on Saturday night but was terrific with 39.6 DKFP per game in his previous two.
With Al Horford being inactive and many key injuries, this Thunder team has been a complete mess, rating as the worst defense in the league over their past 10 games. Just a few weeks removed from when this team shipped him to Detroit, Diallo is going to be highly motivated to fill the stat sheet against OKC tonight, and will likely come with depressed ownership in GPPs.
Other Options: Buddy Hield ($5,900), Tim Hardaway Jr. ($5,900, if Kristaps Porzingis is out), Sterling Brown ($4,600)
Power Forward
Stud
Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards, $8,500
EDITOR’S NOTE: Fred VanVleet (hip) has been ruled out Monday vs. the Wizards.
Siakam destroyed the Warriors for 58.25 DKFP on Friday, mostly due to the expanded role he received sans Kyle Lowry (foot). The point guard will miss another game Monday, and Fred VanVleet may also be absent. Even if the latter is able to suit up, Siakam’s usage is going to be at an elite level for this dream matchup vs. the Wizards.
Norman Powell and Terence Davis were just traded away at the trade deadline, and when these two plus Lowry have been off the court this year, Siakam has amassed a team-high 29.2% usage rate. Combine that and the fact that the Wizards rank 26th in defensive efficiency and first in pace, and Siakam brings 50 DKFP upside again Monday night.
Other options: Richaun Holmes ($7,400), OG Anunoby ($7,200)
Value
Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs, $5,700
After being plagued by a calf injury all season, Love has played 20 and 23 minutes in his past two. The fantasy scores have been 22.5 DKFP against the Sixers and then 30 DKFP vs. the Heat. His last start was Saturday night, and the Cavs don’t play again until Thursday, so the trend of Love’s playing time increasing should continue on Monday, especially with Jarrett Allen ($7,700; concussion) likely to miss his fifth consecutive start.
Love should finish with right near 25 minutes against this Spurs defense that is second-to-last in rating across their past 10. The floor is obviously shaky, but Love is contributing 1.03 DKFP per minute this season and is worth a deep flier in large tournaments.
Other Options: Kelly Olynyk ($5,800, if Danuel House is out), Jae Crowder ($5,100), Maxi Kleber ($4,100, if Kristaps Porzingis is out)
Center
Stud
Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Sacramento Kings, $10,600
Plain and simple, Towns has been a monster. Saturday night, the center was faced with one of the toughest challenges in basketball, taking on Joel Embiid and the Sixers who have held opposing centers to the fewest DKFP per game this season. Well, none of this mattered to Towns, as he went on to post his largest fantasy score of the season, with 70.5 DKFP in 44 minutes of action. The massive minutes total was also a new season-high for Towns, in a contest that didn’t even go to overtime. New Wolves head coach Chris Finch clearly is more open to giving Towns the playing time he deserves, considering the center has played 36.7 minutes per game in his past 10 starts.
Over this stretch, Towns is scoring 56.9 DKFP per game, and the center is my favorite expensive play on the board, against this putrid Kings’ defense that is yielding a league-high 53.6 points in the paint per game.
Other Options: Julius Randle ($9,600), Jakob Poeltl ($6,900)
Value
Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, $4,000
Stewart is expected to earn the start tonight with Mason Plumlee being rested. So far during his rookie season, Stewart has collected 0.92 DKFP per minute and 24.9 DKFP per game in the pair of starts he has made for Plumlee.
Enter this matchup with a soft Thunder defense, that has allowed the sixth-most DKFP per game to opposing centers over their past 10 games, and Stewart is a spectacular punt that we confidently deploy tonight.
Other Options: Chris Boucher ($5,900), Boban Marjanovic ($3,800, if Kristaps Porzingis is out), Tony Bradley ($3,500)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $325K Shootaround [100K to 1st]
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