Monday presents a seven-game NBA 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 $450K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Point Guard
Stud
Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks, $9,700 - Murray has looked sensational since exiting the league’s health and safety protocols, generating 54.9 DKFP per game in his last three starts. The Spurs remain without a group of players Monday due to health protocols — most notably, Derrick White and Keldon Johnson. When these two players have been off the floor this season, Murray has responded with 1.4 DKFP per minute, attributed to a 3.7 percentage-point boost to his assist rate.
While this isn’t the greatest matchup, with the Knicks ranking dead last in pace, Murray still has a ceiling north of 50 DKFP, and the less than ideal matchup should result in decently low ownership.
Other Options: LaMelo Ball ($9,300)
Value
Mike Conley, Utah Jazz at Detroit Pistons, $5,900 - Conley is an interesting GPP target Monday. Rudy Gobert, Joe Ingles and Rudy Gay will all be absent due to health protocols. In all the minutes Conley has played with these three players off the floor this season, the veteran has provided 1.12 DKFP per minute. The Pistons rank 22nd in defensive efficiency, and Conley is a legitimate threat for 40 DKFP that is guaranteed to come with minimal ownership.
Other Options: Anfernee Simons ($6,400), Keifer Sykes ($4,600 - if Malcolm Brogdon is out), Rajon Rondo ($3,300)
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Shooting Guard
Stud
Terry Rozier, Charlotte Hornets vs. Milwaukee Bucks, $7,100 - Simply put, Rozier is underpriced for his upside. The Louisville product has surpassed 40 DKFP in four of his past six starts, including a 45 DKFP effort vs. the Bucks on Saturday, who he will face again Monday. Jrue Holiday (ankle), who is one of the premier perimeter defenders in the league, missed this tilt and will remain sidelined Monday.
Milwaukee has allowed 111 points per game with the guard inactive this season, and Rozier should have zero issues exceeding five-times value in this high-scoring affair.
Other Options: Donovan Mitchell ($9,400)
Value
Lonnie Walker IV, San Antonio Spurs at New York Knicks, $4,200 - With White and Johnson sidelined Sunday, Walker got the spot start and delivered 39.75 DKFP across 33 minutes in the overtime loss vs. the Nets. In the same situation, the 23-year-old should remain a starter Monday and approach 30 minutes vs. the Knicks.
Walker contributes one DKFP per minute with White and Johnson off the floor and has supplied 30 DKFP per game when he has received at least 30 minutes of work this season. At only $4.2K, Walker is an extremely tough value to ignore.
Other Options: Seth Curry ($6,600), Immanuel Quickley ($4,900 - if Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier are out), Duane Washington Jr. ($4,800, if Malcolm Brogdon is out), Bryn Forbes ($4,000)
Small Forward
Stud
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks at Charlotte Hornets, $8,400 - With Holiday out of the lineup Saturday, Middleton torched the Hornets for 53.5 DKFP. Now, he and the Bucks will face Charlotte again Monday — once again, without Holiday. When the guard has been off the floor this season, Middleton’s usage has risen four percentage points to 30.3%, translating to 1.22 DKFP per minute for the forward. On top of the expanded role, this is a near perfect matchup. The Hornets rank second in pace and 27th in defensive efficiency.
Just as we saw Saturday, Middleton brings 50-DKFP upside in this spot and is a very appealing high end spend.
Other Options: Jayson Tatum ($10,000), Miles Bridges ($7,400)
Value
Furkan Korkmaz, Philadelphia 76ers at Houston Rockets, $4,900 - Tyrese Maxey (health protocols) has missed the last three contests, and as his replacement in the starting lineup, Korkmaz has averaged 33 DKFP in 36.3 minutes per game. On top of Maxey, Shake Milton (back) will be inactive Monday, keeping Korkmaz in a 35-40 minute role in this outstanding spot vs. the Rockets.
This season, Houston ranks third in pace and second-to-last in defensive efficiency. Surpassing five-times value should be an easy task for Korkmaz Monday, and he is a strong option for both cash games and GPPs.
Other Options: Nassir Little ($5,000), Garison Mathews ($3,900)
Power Forward
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks at Charlotte Hornets, $12,000 - Just like Middleton, Antetokounmpo benefited from Holiday’s absence and the beautiful matchup with vs. Hornets on Saturday, finishing with 70 DKFP. Antetokounmpo is now averaging 69.8 DKFP per game vs. Charlotte this season in two meetings and produces an elite 1.8 DKFP per minute with Holiday off the floor.
Antetokounmpo has the highest ceiling on the slate in this optimal situation and is well worth the hefty asking price.
Other Options: Domantas Sabonis ($10,300 - better if Malcolm Brogdon is out)
Value
Royce O’Neale, Utah Jazz at Detroit Pistons, $4,500 - With Gobert and Ingles missing the last two, O’Neale has collected 32 DKFP per game. In these two starts, the forward has logged 37 minutes a night, which is a huge upgrade from the 31.1 minutes per game O’Neale is averaging this season.
With Gay joining Gobert and Ingles on the inactive list, O’Neale is guaranteed to maintain this large workload and should be able to grind out over five-times value against this soft Pistons defense.
Other Options: Robert Covington ($4,900)
Center
Stud
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers at Houston Rockets, $11,000 - In this gorgeous spot vs. Houston, you have to love Embiid Monday. The defensively inept Rockets are giving up the fourth-most points in the paint, and when these two clubs met exactly a week ago, Embiid went off for 72.8 DKFP. Furthermore, when Maxey and Milton have been off the court this season, Embiid has posted a mammoth 41% usage rate, which is a 5.5 percentage-point upgrade from his 2021-22 average.
The center scores 1.6 DKFP per minute with this incredible role and is one of the best expensive values available for this seven-game slate.
Other Options: Jarrett Allen ($7,900), Jusuf Nurkic ($7,000)
Value
Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks at Charlotte Hornets, $6,800 - Portis has been forced into a much larger role with DeMarcus Cousins no longer with the Bucks. In these past two following the veteran’s release, Portis has logged 34.5 minutes a night, which has resulted in two straight double-doubles worth 43.9 DKFP per game. The 26-year-old is scoring 1.15 DKFP per minute this season and is a near lock for a double-double against this Hornets squad that is giving up the most rebounds in the league.
Portis is vastly underpriced for his upside in this potential shootout and is a no-brainer at this affordable cost.
Other Options: Hassan Whiteside ($5,200), Alex Len ($3,800)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $450K Fadeaway [$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 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.
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