Monday features a five-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
Note: Projections and Leverage Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
There is only one player priced above $9,900 tonight: Lakers point guard Luka Doncic. Doncic easily has the highest projected ceiling on this five-game slate. There is plenty of value on this slate to fit in Doncic, but he is still projected around a very reasonable 20% ownership.
Austin Reaves has yet to play since Christmas Day, leaving nearly the entire offense to run through Doncic. He has posted several ceiling performances, especially recently. In his last three games, Doncic is averaging 34.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 69.3 DraftKings points per game.
Doncic has one triple-double and two double-doubles in his last three games with six total steals. He will now draw an elite matchup against the Bulls, who rank 24th in defensive rating and fifth in pace.
Value
Brandin Podziemski is currently projected for the highest Plus/Minus in our NBA Models . Over his last six games, Podziemski has been one of the best midrange players to target. During that time, he is averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 33.2 DraftKings points per game.
The Warriors are playing a back-to-back against the Timberwolves after beating them 111-85 last night. Podziemski was productive in his 22 minutes last night, stuffing the stat sheet with 12 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals.
With Jimmy Butler out of the lineup, Podziemski’s usage rate jumps over 20%, and he has played the most minutes on the team with Butler off the floor this season. Podziemski is a great value in all formats with his dual guard eligibility. He is pulling in the highest optimal lineup rate at 46.3% in our NBA Sims.
Fast Break
Staying with the Warriors’ backcourt, Stephen Curry is the second-best ceiling point guard to target tonight. In back-to-back games, Curry has recorded exactly 47.5 DraftKings points with a majority of his production coming from scoring the ball. He has averaged 32 points per game in his last two games, while shooting 46.7% from the field and making 11 3-pointers. Curry is favorably priced on DraftKings at $9,000 and will continue to see a significant boost to his production without Butler the rest of the season.
Payton Pritchard has displayed an excellent ceiling of late, making him a strong play in tournaments. He is priced under $7,000 in a strong matchup against the Trail Blazers. Pritchard is having his best season since entering the NBA. He is averaging a career-high across the board in points, rebounds, and assists per game. Pritchard will be a popular option, drawing just over 25% projected ownership, but it is deserving given the matchup and his recent play.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
The Timberwolves have struggled with four consecutive losses, but it is not Anthony Edwards‘ fault. In that four-game stretch, Edwards is averaging 36.3 points and 52.7 DraftKings points per game. He has posted at least 50 DraftKings points in three of those four contests. He has been a scoring machine.
Not only is Edwards averaging a career-high 29.7 points per game this season, but he is also shooting a career-best 49.9% from the field and 41% from behind the arc. He has been efficient despite his volume increasing. Last night against the Warriors, Edwards posted a 36-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Despite losing by 26 points last night, the Timberwolves are 7.5-point home favorites in the rematch. They are implied for a slate-high 120.5 points, and Edwards is easily the best player to target from this team.
Value
Kevin Huerter has been a boom-or-bust option, but his upside makes him a strong tournament option at his price tag. Huerter has recorded at least 26 DraftKings points in three of his last four games. He has scored double-digit points in six of his last eight games, but he only had five total points in his two dud performances.
Huerter will draw a favorable matchup against the Lakers, who have not defended the perimeter well. They are allowing opponents to shoot 37.1% from behind the arc, which is the sixth-worst mark in the league.
Priced at $4,200 with shooting guard and small forward eligibility, Huerter is easy to fit into all lineup builds. He has the second-highest projected Plus/Minus at this position and is projected to play 24 minutes with a near 20% usage rate.
Fast Break
Donovan Mitchell leads the shooting guard position in projected ceiling and is coming in at less than 10% projected ownership. Similar to the other studs on this five-game slate, Mitchell has been amazing lately, with back-to-back games with over 55 DraftKings points. He has flirted with a points and assists double-double in both games while averaging 34.5 points per game. The Cavaliers have a respectable 116.5-point team total, making Mitchell a great contrarian pay-up option in tournament builds tonight.
Both Derrick White and Anfernee Simons have nearly identical 16% ownership projections for the Celtics. Both guys have some appeal at different price points. White is priced at $7,700 with a higher ceiling and more consistency. Simons comes off the bench but can catch fire, just like he did with 21 points and five 3-pointers in his last outing. Both are good options in this favorable matchup against the Trail Blazers.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Sticking with the Celtics, Jaylen Brown has been one of the best players in the league this season. With no Jayson Tatum, Brown has taken over for the Celtics, leading them with a career-high 29.8 points per game.
In his last five games, Brown is averaging 32.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 56.4 DraftKings points per game. During that stretch, he has one triple-double and two double-doubles and has posted over 50 DraftKings points in each contest. He has been consistently dominant, and tonight should be no different.
For some reason, Brown is the cheapest he has been since January 10th at $9,700, but he leads the slate with a 37.7% projected usage rate. Drawing just over 10% projected ownership, Brown is one of the best ways to differentiate lineups.
Value
The Cavaliers are dealing with a ton of injuries right now, providing a boost to role players like Dean Wade. Darius Garland and Max Strus are out, while De’Andre Hunter and Sam Merrill are listed as questionable to play tonight. Wade will likely draw another start and play close to 30 minutes.
The only downside for Wade is that his usage rate is projected to be below 10%. However, getting that much playing time at only $4,000 is hard to pass up. Wade has averaged 22.6 DraftKings points per game over his past three contests, and he’s projected for similar playing time on Monday.
Wade delivers fantasy production in a variety of ways on both ends of the court. He will play enough minutes that he can easily provide value on this five-game slate and is one of the best cash-game values.
Fast Break
Deni Avdija is in danger of missing his second-straight game with a back injury. Keep an eye on his status as we get closer to tip-off to see if Avdija is able to suit up. If he can play, Avdija will be arguably the lowest-owned stud option. The slow-paced Celtics give this game the lowest total on the slate at 224.5 points. However, Avdija has been incredible as the Trail Blazers’ top option. He leads the team in points and assists per game, averaging a career-high in both categories, while adding 7.1 rebounds per game.
Kevin Durant has averaged 34 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one block in back-to-back games for the Rockets and now draws a great matchup against the Grizzlies. He has shot a blistering 60% from the field and 52.6% from behind the arc in his last two games. The Rockets are a slate-high 10.5-point home favorite, implied for 117.75 points. His $8,700 salary is the cheapest he has been since early January, making him one of the better pay-up options at the small forward position.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
The power forward position is flooded with ceiling potential, with five players priced around the same range. 41-year-old LeBron James is arguably the best option of the bunch, playing without Reaves and being in one of the best matchups on the slate against the Bulls’ defense.
James has the highest projected Plus/Minus among the top small forwards and provides one of the safest floors available. The month of January has been the best month for James this season. He is averaging 24.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 52.1% from the field.
The Bulls are still susceptible to points in the paint, allowing 53.2 per game, which is the fifth-highest in the league. Even at his old age, James is still able to get downhill and score in the paint with ease.
Value
If Draymond Green can actually stay on the court and not get ejected, he will be one of the best value plays on the slate. With power forward and center eligibility and priced at $5,500, Green has the second-highest projected Plus/Minus and second-highest optimal lineup rate in our NBA Sims at 37.7%.
The Warriors have not played in a competitive game since January 5th. In their last 10 games, the average margin of victory has been 18.4 points. That has led to a massive decrease in Green’s playing time. During that stretch, Green is averaging only 25.4 minutes per game and hasn’t reached 30.
Our NBA Models have Green projected to play 28 minutes in this back-to-back against the Timberwolves, and if he can get back to that level, he should be able to return value. He is a cheap way to get exposure to this great game environment.
Fast Break
Franz Wagner remains out for the Magic, which will flood most of the offensive production to power forward Paolo Banchero. The Magic are playing the Cavaliers for the second-straight game after losing to them by 14 points Saturday night. In that game, Banchero scored 27 points to go along with five rebounds and two assists while shooting 50% from the field and behind the arc. The matchup is not ideal, but Banchero has a 27% projected usage rate and will be the Magic’s go-to option once again.
Julius Randle did not shoot well last night in the Timberwolves’ blowout loss. He shot 3-for-11 from the field, scoring just 11 points. However, he was able to provide six assists, five rebounds, three steals and one block while accumulating 33.8 DraftKings points. If his shot falls tonight, he will have a great opportunity to get back on track in the scoring column. Randle is a boom-or-bust high-end option that makes more sense for tournaments than cash games; he is only projected to draw around 5% ownership.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Alperen Sengun is the top center option on this five-game slate by a comfortable margin. He struggled last game against a difficult Pistons’ defense, but should have a much better game against the mediocre Grizzlies. Their defense allowed 62 points in the paint in their six-point loss to the Pelicans Friday night.
In his only game against the Grizzlies this season, Sengun had a massive double-double with 20 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists. He continues to rank second on the Rockets in scoring but leads the team in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game. He should be able to dominate the Grizzlies’ frontcourt.
Sengun has power forward and center eligibility and leads both positions in projected ceiling. Drawing 17% projected ownership, he is a strong pay-up option in all formats with the Rockets’ high team total.
Value
Rudy Gobert has seen his salary plummet to $6,100 and is now only $100 more expensive than backup Naz Reid. That seems criminal after recording a points and rebounds double-double in seven of his last 10 games. Gobert did struggle against the Warriors in his last game, but so did nearly everyone on the Timberwolves.
Gobert is second in optimal lineup rate at the center position behind Green at 31.8%. His price tag is impossible to ignore, and the Warriors do not have many big men to cause him problems with Al Horford ruled out. Gobert should have a great chance to post another double-double.
With the Warriors’ lack of frontcourt size, they rank 23rd in rebounding percentage at 49.1%. They are also now without Butler and his 5.6 rebounds per game. Gobert should be able to feast on the glass.
Fast Break
Evan Mobley should bounce back in a big way after struggling in his last outing. He shot just 4-14, producing 13 points and seven rebounds. In the two games before that, Mobley had massive points and rebounds double-doubles. Without Garland, Mobley should continue to post an elevated usage rate. Coming in at less than 10% projected ownership, Mobley is an intriguing option in tournaments.
Looking in the midrange, Jock Landale has needed to play bigger minutes recently with Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke, and Santi Aldama all out. Landale has stepped up in his last three games, averaging 19.3 points, 10 rebounds, and over 40 DraftKings points per game. That is more than enough to pay off his $5,700 price tag. He has posted a double-double in back-to-back games, but will have his hands full for another against the Rockets’ elite rebounding frontcourt. Still, Landale is simply too cheap.
Pictured: Brandon Podziemski
Photo Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
