Monday presents an eight-game slate, and DraftKings continues to offer a plethora of huge tournaments. Below are some of my favorite studs and values at each position.
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Point Guard
Stud
James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls, $11,400 - After being rested on Saturday, Harden will return on Monday, just in time for this marquee matchup with the Bulls. Chicago ranks 22nd in defensive efficiency and this clash of two of the best teams in the East carries a huge 229.5 point O/U game total on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Prior to missing Saturday, Harden was generating 59 DKFP per game across his first four starts in a Sixers uniform and he should carve up this soft Bulls defense for a huge stat line of at least 55 DKFP this evening.
Other Options: Dejounte Murray ($11,100, questionable)
Value
Brandon Williams, Portland Trail Blazers @ Minnesota Timberwolves, $3,800 - With the Blazers down to the league minimum eight players on Saturday, Williams was a huge spark off the bench, scoring 26.5 DKFP across 27 minutes vs. the Wolves. The rookie logged the final 17.5 minutes of this contest and handled a 26.6% usage rate, which ranked second for the Blazers in the loss. Now, while Portland will be getting Josh Hart back tonight, they will remain very understaffed, with eight players ruled out, most specifically, Anfernee Simons (quad), Damian Lillard (core) and Jusuf Nurkic (foot).
In this situation, Williams could get the spot start at point guard, but even if he doesn’t, the 22-year-old should receive 25-30 minutes of action and a healthy usage rate. Williams is amassing one DKFP per minute this season and smashing value should be an easy task for him in this rematch with the Wolves, who rank third in pace.
Other Options: Malik Monk ($5,400), Gabe Vincent ($4,800), Tre Jones ($3,500, if Murray is out)
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Shooting Guard
Stud
Tyler Herro, Miami Heat vs. Houston Rockets, $7,200 - Kyle Lowry (personal) will remain unavailable tonight and Herro has been excellent in these past four games sans the veteran, contributing 41 DKFP in 33.5 minutes per game. With a team-high 29.4% usage rate, Herro supplies 1.1 DKFP per minute with Lowry off the court and on the menu for Monday is the No. 1 matchup in fantasy basketball in the Rockets.
This season, Houston ranks dead last in defensive efficiency and fourth in pace. Additionally, the Rockets are playing their second game in two nights. Herro should surpass 40 DKFP and is the best way to attack the Rockets in this dream spot.
Other Options: D’Angelo Russell ($8,200)
Value
Jordan Poole, Golden State Warriors @ Denver Nuggets, $5,300 - Just like the Blazers, the Warriors will be extremely shorthanded tonight. For rest purposes, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins have been ruled out, while Draymond Green is still sidelined due to a back injury.
On the one occasion that Poole has been active with all four of these players inactive this season, the 22-year-old started at point for the Warriors and delivered a season-high 51.5 DKFP in a win over the Spurs last month. Overall, with those four players off the floor this season, Poole has produced 1.2 DKFP per minute, thanks to a team-high 31.6% usage rate. The guard is vastly underpriced for this huge role and is core play for this eight-game slate.
Other Options: Lonnie Walker IV ($4,600), Donte DiVincenzo ($4,500), Keon Johnson ($3,900, if starting)
Small Forward
Stud
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers @ San Antonio Spurs, $11,600 - After losing four in a row, James put the team on his back Saturday, scoring 77.5 DKFP and leading the Lakers to a much-needed win over the Warriors. This marked the superstar’s sixth effort of at least 50 DKFP in his past 10 starts, and now comes a plus matchup vs. the Spurs, who rank 19th in defensive efficiency.
Both San Antonio and Los Angeles rank inside the top 5 in pace and this contest’s total is up to a large 233 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Including a 61.8 DFKP showing against the Spurs back in December, James has provided 58 DKFP per game in totals of 225 points or greater this season and is one of the best studs to build around for Monday night.
Other Options: RJ Barrett ($8,000)
Value
Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $4,600 - With Anthony Edwards (doubtful, knee) expected to miss his fourth consecutive contest, McDaniels has to be considered. The 21-year-old has started in place of Edwards over the past three games and has collected 25.2 DKFP per game. Included in this run is a 32.3 DKFP performance on Saturday against the same Blazers club McDaniels will face tonight.
Portland ranks second-to-last in defensive efficiency this season and as noted above, they will be extremely thin this evening. Minnesota is going to produce a huge amount of points tonight, and McDaniels is an excellent cheap way to gain exposure to the club in this beautiful spot.
Other Options: CJ Elleby ($4,500), Max Strus ($4,100), Damion Lee ($3,400, if starting)
Power Forward
Stud
Josh Hart, Portland Trail Blazers @ Minnesota Timberwolves, $7,400 - With Lillard, Simons and Nurkic missing, Hart should operate as the Blazers’ top option. When these three players have been off the court, Hart has garnered a team-high 35.5% usage rate.
Compared to Portland, who ranks 18th in pace, the Wolves rank third and in this uptempo spot, Hart brings a ceiling north of 40 DKFP and is an elite option for GPPs.
Other Options: DeMar DeRozan ($9,700, better if Nikola Vucevic is out), Jimmy Butler ($8,500)
Value
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors @ Denver Nuggets, $4,500 - Starter or not, Kuminga is a great target with the Warriors undermanned. In the one contest that Curry, Green, Thompson and Wiggins missed earlier this season, Kuminga recorded 28.75 DKFP in 28.6 minutes against the Spurs. Furthermore, when the rookie has been on the floor without those four players, Kuminga’s usage has ranked second on the team at 26.8%, resulting in 1.1 DKFP per minute.
Going against this Nuggets squad that is on the second leg of a back-to-back, Kuminga is a safe investment for over 25 DKFP.
Other Options: Otto Porter Jr. ($4,600)
Center
Stud
Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Portland Trail Blazers, $10,600 - With Edwards sidelined Saturday, Towns destroyed the Blazers for 69.75 DKFP. Take Edwards off the court this season and Towns’ usage rises 5.4 percentage points to a huge 33.4%. The center scores 1.54 DKFP per minute with this immense role and will be on his home floor, where Towns has been 2.5 DKFP per game better than when on the road this season.
As we saw Saturday, the Kentucky product has a massive ceiling in this situation and is without a doubt one of the better pay-up options on the board tonight.
Other Options: Nikola Jokic ($12,600), Bam Adebayo ($8,700), Rudy Gobert ($7,900)
Value
Trendon Watford, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, $5,100 - Opposite of Towns, Watford is also a value that needs to be utilized. When these two clubs met on Saturday, the rookie notched a double-double of 39 DKFP in 32 minutes. Watford has now scored over 30 DKFP and logged over 30 minutes in back-to-back tilts, and should continue to see heavy minutes with the Blazers remaining short-staffed.
While his salary has reached a new career-high, Watford is still way too cheap for his current role and is one of the best values on the slate tonight, particularly with his ability to be rostered as a forward or center.
Other Options: Drew Eubanks ($5,000), Neman Bjelica ($3,500), Tristan Thompson ($3,200, if Vucevic is out)
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