Monday features a seven-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
Friday night was an anomaly game for point guard Cade Cunningham. He was in foul trouble, and the Pistons won by 38 points, which led to Cunningham only playing 22 minutes. He was on his way to a solid game with 11 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, but the limited playing time led to a poor output.
The Pistons continue to lead the Eastern Conference with a 38-13 record and are 2.5-point road favorites against the Hornets, who are red-hot, winning nine straight games. In a potential close contest, that makes Cunningham look much better in this spot. He leads all point guards in projected ceiling on this slate.
Cunningham leads the league in assists with a career-high 9.7 per game and has recorded a points and assists double-double in five of his last eight games. Priced at $10,000, Cunningham is drawing a little less than 15% ownership. He is a strong contrarian option in tournaments in this favorable matchup tonight.
Value
With point guard and shooting guard eligibility, Collin Sexton is one of the best value plays on this seven-game slate. Sexton was traded to the Bulls last week and played 29 minutes in his first game. He had 17 points on 14 field goal attempts with four assists and three rebounds for 25.2 DraftKings points.
Sexton is projected to play around 29 minutes again tonight due to the Bulls likely playing without Josh Giddey and Tre Jones, who are both doubtful. Sexton will likely come off the bench, but that won’t stop him from handling the ball a majority of the time. He has a pretty high 25% projected usage rate tonight.
At his $4,600 price tag with dual guard eligibility, Sexton is easy to fit into all lineup builds. He is a near lock for cash-game contests with his 35.4% optimal lineup rate in our NBA Sims, which is the highest for this position. The Bulls are also favored on the road against the Nets, who rank 26th in defensive rating.
Fast Break
Keyonte George missed three games with a left ankle sprain and then played 13 minutes Saturday night and unfortunately sprained his right ankle, so he is ruled out for tonight’s game. With George out, that sets the stage for point guard Isaiah Collier. When George has been off the floor this season, Collier leads the Jazz with a +6.1 DraftKings Plus/Minus and a +3.59% usage rate boost. Over the last three games, Collier has erupted for an average of 20.7 points, 14.3 assists, and 53.4 DraftKings points per game.
Despite Franz Wagner being questionable to play after missing nine straight games, it is recommended to get exposure to Magic point guard Jalen Suggs. Over his last two games, Suggs is averaging 13.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 3.5 steals, 3.0 blocks, and 52.8 DraftKings points per game with one triple-double. He has been dominating on both ends of the floor. The Magic are a slate-high 10.5-point favorite against the Bucks and have an opportunity to keep climbing the Eastern Conference standings.
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
After three straight games averaging 34.7 points and 54.3 DraftKings points per game, Anthony Edwards struggled against the Clippers with 23 points in a 19-point loss. Looking to bounce back, the Timberwolves are 6.5-point favorites against the Hawks, implied for 122.5 points, the second-highest on the slate.
The Hawks are a below-average defensive team that ranks third in overall pace. The Timberwolves rank 10th in pace, so expect an up-tempo game environment with plenty of opportunity for a ceiling game. The Timberwolves lost by 24 points against the Hawks in December, but Edwards still poured in 30 points.
Projected for less than 10% ownership, Edwards will be a contrarian pay-up option. He has a 31.3% projected usage rate and ranks third in the league in scoring, averaging a career-high 29.6 points per game. Edwards is one of the best tournament plays whenever he plays, especially at this ownership level.
Value
Herbert Jones has been a fairly consistent value play recently with spikes of ceiling performances. He is another player who can be productive on both ends of the floor. He is averaging a team-high 1.6 steals per game and 8.6 points per game in his last seven games. He is also projected to play over 32 minutes.
Jones has the second-highest projected Plus/Minus at the shooting guard position behind Collin Sexton. The benefit to Jones is he also has small forward eligibility. The Pelicans have the third-highest implied team total at 119.5 points, which makes Jones a cheap way to get exposure to this high team total.
Over his last seven games, Jones is averaging over 22 DraftKings points per game. That is more than enough to pay off his cheap salary, especially with shooting guard and small forward eligibility. Jones is projected for around 25% ownership tonight, making him a strong value play in all formats.
Fast Break
Donovan Mitchell is essentially the same play as Anthony Edwards on this seven-game slate. He is projected for under 10% ownership but has a ceiling that is worth targeting. Mitchell is only $200 cheaper than Edwards and has back-to-back games with over 50 DraftKings points. Despite teaming up with James Harden, that did not slow down Mitchell at all last game, where he poured in 35 points, shooting 13-for-24 from the field. He has the highest projected usage rate on the slate at 33.9% tonight.
Hornets’ sharpshooter Kon Knueppel has been fantastic during the team’s nine-game winning streak. Over his last five games, Knueppel is averaging 22.2 points per game while shooting 51.5% from the field and 47.7% from behind the arc. Knueppel ranks seventh in the league in 3-pointers made per game and is shooting an absurd 42.5% from downtown in his rookie season. The matchup against the Pistons is not ideal, but Knueppel did have 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in their only meeting this season.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
The small forward position is yet again the worst among the five for this seven-game slate. Leading this position in projected ceiling is Hornets’ forward Brandon Miller, who ranks third in salary. Miller has struggled in his last three contests but did score 20+ points in 10 straight games before the struggles.
Most of Miller’s success depends on how he shoots the ball. He is averaging a team-high 20.4 points per game with a 28.1% usage rate. The volume will always be there regardless of the opponent; it just comes down to whether or not his shot is falling. In his last game against the Pistons, Miller only shot 4-for-16.
Projected for nearly 20% ownership, Miller is one of the best mid-range plays on the slate. He is only $7,500 with a near 30% projected usage rate. That is difficult to find at the small forward position. If the Hornets are going to keep this game competitive, Miller will need to be a big reason why they are scoring the ball.
Value
The most popular small forward on the slate is Pelicans’ Saddiq Bey. Priced at only $6,000, Bey has been filling up the stat sheet recently. He recorded over 50 DraftKings points last game, posting a near double-double with 30 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in a four-point victory over the Timberwolves.
That was Bey’s fifth game in his last eight where he recorded over 45 DraftKings points. He has been on a tear scoring the ball and also has two points and rebound double-doubles during that time. The Pelicans have one of the worst records in the league, but Bey is averaging a career-high 16.7 points per game.
It is rare for a 14-40 team to be 7.5-point favorites, but that is the situation tonight. The Kings have a worse record and rank 28th in defensive rating. The Pelicans should have no problem lighting up the scoreboard, and Bey will have a great opportunity to get his and easily return fantasy value tonight.
Fast Break
Playing in the same game, rookie Nique Clifford is another popular value play on tonight’s slate. The Kings have several injuries, which is forcing Clifford into a larger role this season. He is coming off the best game of his young career with 30 points, four rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and two steals for 50.5 DraftKings points. The Pelicans rank 27th in defensive rating, so this is an incredible matchup for another ceiling performance from the rookie. His salary has risen to $5,200 but is still a fantastic option.
Lauri Markkanen is likely overpriced for his recent outputs but is still capable of a ceiling performance and is worth targeting in tournaments. He does not see that much of a boost in production or usage rate without Keyonte George but has scored 27 points in three of his last four games. The Heat and Jazz are the top two teams in pace this season, which is why this game has by far the highest total on the slate at 240.5 points. This is a good spot to get exposure to Markkanen, who is projected for only 5% ownership.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Jalen Johnson has been one of the best fantasy producers recently and is worthy of his rising $10,700 price tag. Over his last four games, Johnson is averaging an absurd 28.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 11 assists, and 66.8 DraftKings points per game. During that time he has posted three triple-doubles with six steals.
Johnson has the second-highest projected ceiling on this seven-game slate and is still only drawing around 10% projected ownership. The Hawks have won six of their last nine games, and Johnson is the main reason. He has been a monster on the glass and scoring the ball at will regardless of the opponent.
The Timberwolves are in the top 10 in defensive rating, but that did not slow down Johnson in their only matchup this season. He had yet another double-double with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists while shooting 15-for-22 from the field. Johnson totaled 63 DraftKings points in that December meeting.
Value
Currently second in projected ownership tonight is Nets’ forward Danny Wolf. The rookie from Michigan has been getting more playing time recently and contributing. Wolf stuffed the stat sheet last game with 16 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. He is a versatile big man that is still priced under $5,000.
The Nets will be without Michael Porter Jr. tonight, who has been one of the best scorers in the league this season. They also cut their second-leading scorer, Cam Thomas, making this offense wide open for Wolf and many other role players. With Porter Jr. and Thomas off the floor this season, Wolf is averaging a team-high +5.29 DraftKings Plus/Minus and a +3% usage rate boost. He is a phenomenal value tonight.
This is also a great matchup for Wolf to showcase his skill set. The Bulls rank 25th in defensive rating this season and are also without key starters tonight. Wolf has a 43.9% optimal lineup rate in our NBA Sims.
Fast Break
The power forward position is filled with fairly consistent players at the top of the pricing tier. The one player among this group who has spiked with ceiling games recently has been Paolo Banchero. He had his third 50-DraftKings-point game Saturday night in his last seven contests. He flirted with a triple-double with 23 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, while adding three steals and one block. Playing at home against the Bucks is another great spot for Banchero to potentially have another ceiling game.
Another value player that is going to get more playing time due to injury is Kings’ forward Dylan Cardwell. The rookie has back-to-back points and rebounds double-doubles, averaging 13 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 38.2 DraftKings points per game. He has shot 13-for-20 from the field during that time, adding five assists, three blocks, and two steals. Cardwell has actually had three straight games with double-digit rebounds. He has a great chance at another double-double against this weak Pelicans’ frontcourt.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Nikola Jokic is back to his regular self after suffering a scary knee injury in late December. He has posted a triple-double in back-to-back games, averaging 26 points, 14 rebounds, 13.5 assists, and 73.3 DraftKings points per game. He has the highest projected ceiling on this slate and is the premier pay-up option.
Similar to the other studs on this slate, Jokic is drawing less than 15% projected ownership. His salary has risen once again to over $12,000, but there is plenty of value to make sure to get exposure to the best player available. Pairing him and Jalen Johnson will give a lineup an incredible amount of upside tonight.
Jokic has a 32% projected usage rate and has a chance to play without Jamal Murray, who is questionable with an ankle injury. Aaron Gordon and Payton Watson are already ruled out, so this could be the Jokic show against the entire Cavaliers tonight. He is expensive, but find a way to get Jokic exposure.
Value
Leading the slate in projected Plus/Minus is Heat center Kel’el Ware. He will likely only play around 24 minutes, but that is more than enough time to pay off his $4,800 price tag. Ware erupted last game with a 19-point, 14-rebound double-double for 42 DraftKings points and shooting 8-for-13 from the field.
The Heat are likely going to be without both Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, who are nursing injuries. Despite both being out, the Heat are still 7.5-point favorites against the Jazz, implied for a slate-high 124 points. The Kings also rank 29th in rebounding percentage and 28th in points allowed in the paint at 54.1 per game. This is an incredible matchup for Ware, who has displayed a ceiling worth getting exposure to.
Ware leads the slate with a 51.1% optimal lineup rate in our NBA Sims. Playing him alongside Jokic is one of the best combos available. It takes up the center and utility positions but has so much upside tonight.
Fast Break
In non-Ware lineups, an immediate pivot is playing Bam Adebayo. He has the second-highest ceiling at the center position by a comfortable margin and is projected for less than 5% ownership. He is arguably one of the best tournament plays on the slate. He draws the same juicy matchup against the weak Jazz interior defense and has been playing great recently. Last game, Adebayo stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, eight rebounds, five steals, and three assists. He also benefits from no Herro and Powell tonight.
Jarrett Allen is going to have to play big minutes tonight to guard Nikola Jokic. Evan Mobley remains out due to injury, and Allen has been exceptional over his last three games, averaging 26.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 54 DraftKings points per game with five blocks and four steals. During that time, Allen has shot a remarkable 74.4% from the field. Priced in the mid-range at $7,000, Allen is difficult to ignore on this seven-game slate. He is drawing over 20% projected ownership and a 21% projected usage rate.
Pictured: Kel’el Ware
Photo credit: Imagn
