Monday features a small three-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
Comfortably coming in with the highest projected ceiling on the entire slate is Cade Cunningham. He is coming off back-to-back points and assists double-doubles. Over his last four games, Cunningham is averaging an impressive 30.3 points, 10.5 assists, 8.3 rebounds, and 63.6 DraftKings points per game.
Cunningham is the clear-cut best pay-up option. He is projected to have around 40% ownership with a usage rate north of 30%. The Pistons have won five straight games and are 1.5-point favorites at home against the Spurs tonight. They continue to lead the Eastern Conference with a 42-13 record.
Cunningham has flirted with triple-doubles recently and is second in the league, averaging a career-high 9.9 assists per game. His ability to stuff the stat sheet in a variety of ways gives him the edge on this small three-game slate. No other guard comes close to what he can provide from a ceiling perspective tonight.
Value
With Ja Morant out and being on the outside of the playoff picture, the Grizzlies are starting to build for the future. They are giving their young players more playing time, and that includes rookie Javon Small. The young point guard still comes off the bench but provides a spark and is priced under $4,000 tonight.
Over his last seven games, Small has played over 20 minutes in each game. During that stretch, he is averaging 11.3 points and 25.1 DraftKings points per game, which is more than enough to pay off his cheap price tag. Small has the highest projected Plus/Minus at the guard position and the second-highest on the slate. He has two games in his last four where he recorded 38.5 DraftKings points, proving his ceiling.
There is plenty of value available tonight, but Small is one of the best to target on this small slate. He is projected for over 30% ownership and is one of the best values in a stars and scrubs lineup build.
Fast Break
Amen Thompson is coming off a 43-DraftKings point game against the Knicks, where he stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and one block. However, in his previous five games, Thompson recorded less than 30 DraftKings points. He is a boom-or-bust option, which is why his salary hovers around $8,000. The Rockets are 13.5-point home favorites against the Jazz and have the highest implied team total on the slate at 121 points. He is worth getting exposure to on this small slate.
Keyonte George is questionable to play with an ankle injury. He has missed four straight games, so keep an eye on his status throughout the day. If he is able to suit up, George is a strong mid-range play in all formats. He is averaging a career-high 23.8 points per game this season. If George is out, Isaiah Collier becomes one of the best plays on the slate. Even alongside George, Collier has displayed a ceiling worth getting exposure to. Both priced in the mid-range, George and Collier will be strong contrarian options.
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
Despite being priced with a $6,000 price tag, Ty Jerome is the stud shooting guard to target. His projected ceiling is only one point lower than DeMar DeRozan, who is $1,300 more expensive. Jerome also has point guard and shooting guard eligibility, making him easy to fit into all lineup builds tonight.
Jerome is another Grizzlies player that will benefit from Ja Morant being out of the lineup. Since coming back from injury, Jerome only has one game where he recorded less than 32 DraftKings points. He has at least one steal in all seven games and is averaging 19.3 points and 34.8 DraftKings points per game.
The crazy part about Jerome’s recent success is that he has only played between 20-22 minutes. If he ever gets more than that, then he is going to be a priority and likely break the slate. He is projected for an over 30% usage rate and around 30% projected ownership. Jerome is a strong play at his reasonable salary.
Value
Second-year pro Reed Sheppard has scored double-digit points in each of his last five games. During that time, Sheppard is averaging 14.4 points, four assists, and 29.1 DraftKings points per game while shooting 51.9% from the field. His salary has somehow decreased to $4,700, making him an elite value option.
In our NBA Sims, Sheppard has the highest optimal lineup percentage at 35.9%. Despite being only projected to play 24 minutes, Sheppard has a 24% usage rate projection and would get playing time if the Rockets blow out the Jazz. They are heavy favorites, which makes Sheppard that much more appealing.
Along with the high optimal lineup rate, Sheppard is also drawing over 40% projected ownership, which is the third-highest on the slate. Playing against an actively tanking team that ranks dead last in defensive rating, Sheppard already looks like a great value play with upside to be a phenomenal value in all formats.
Fast Break
Walter Clayton is another Grizzlies guard that looks promising on this three-game slate. The rookie from Florida was acquired at the trade deadline and has played three games for the Grizzlies. In those three contests, Clayton is averaging 9.3 points, 5.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 24.3 DraftKings points per game. He has over 20 DraftKings points in each game with the Grizzlies providing a safe floor. Clayton also hasn’t shot well recently, which is promising for his future outlook. The rookie is another strong value play.
Previously mentioned DeMar DeRozan is the highest-priced shooting guard on tonight’s slate. The Kings have lost 16 straight games and are by far the worst team in the league this season. Even with some veterans like DeRozan, they can’t buy a win. DeRozan played 35 minutes last game and recorded 20 points, five assists, two steals, one block, and one rebound. The Kings should be able to keep this game competitive against the Grizzlies even on the road, making DeRozan an interesting tournament option.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Since the All-Star Break, Kevin Durant has recorded back-to-back games with 30 or more points. Priced under $9,000, Durant is the second-most popular play on the slate, nearing 50% projected ownership. He leads the Rockets in scoring and is averaging 41.5 DraftKings points per game in his 18th overall season.
The Jazz will be without Jaren Jackson Jr. for the rest of the season, which makes their defense crumble even more. Favored by double digits, Durant has a fantastic opportunity to put up another 30-point game before getting subbed out. If this game is competitive, Durant’s ceiling is that much higher tonight.
Not only are the Jazz the worst defensive team in the league, but they also play at the second-highest pace, which makes this an excellent matchup for the Rockets. Durant is simply too cheap for this spot against the Jazz. Even if he plays limited minutes, he will obliterate this poor defense by scoring the ball.
Value
Going back to the Grizzlies’ well for more value with small forward Jaylen Wells. He has started all 54 games for the Grizzlies this season and is averaging a career-high 12.4 points and 21.4 DraftKings points per game. He has over 25 DraftKings points in five of his last seven games and 35 in his last contest.
Wells scored a season-high 25 points against the Heat last game, shooting 10-for-13 from the field and 3-for-5 from behind the arc in 27 minutes. He remains under $5,000 and has by far the highest projected Plus/Minus at the small forward position. He is another player on this slate that seems way too cheap.
Wells has a 32.5% optimal lineup rate, which is the second-highest at this position behind Durant. He will be a popular value play, but deservedly so, given his recent performances. The Grizzlies are also 4.5-point home favorites against the Kings, implied for 119.5 points, which is the second-highest total on the slate.
Fast Break
Keegan Murray has dual forward eligibility and is favorably priced at $5,700 tonight. Murray missed several games in January and February but has returned to play two games since the All-Star Break. In those two contests, Murray has picked up right where he left off, averaging 17.5 points, five rebounds, and 33.5 minutes per game. He recorded 30 DraftKings points in each game and will be a focal point in the Kings’ offense. This matchup against the Grizzlies features the highest total on the slate at 233 points.
Rookie Ace Bailey is the most expensive he has been all season at $6,300, which is a big reason why his projected ownership is under 10%. However, the price increase is justified with Bailey averaging over 30 DraftKings points in each of his last seven games. In his last game against the Grizzlies, Bailey scored 20 points on 19 field goal attempts with a 27.1% usage rate. He will likely be a priority for the Jazz moving forward throughout the rest of the season. The rookie is a strong contrarian option on this small slate.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Alperen Sengun is another Rockets’ star that is worth getting exposure to. He has power forward and center eligibility, which makes it easy to fit in his high ceiling. Sengun has a safe floor for cash-game contests, but also a ceiling worth targeting in tournaments. He displayed that ceiling in with a triple-double earlier this month against the Thunder. He should have no problem feasting on the Jazz tonight.
With no interior presence since Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic are both out, Sengun will have no competition in the paint or on the glass. He is projected to play 33 minutes and has by far the highest projected ceiling at the power forward position. Sengun has a great chance for another triple-double.
Playing Sengun and Durant together is not recommended despite the juicy matchup. Choose wisely between the two because they both should have their way against the Jazz, but the case for Sengun is he has the slightly higher optimal lineup rate and has dual eligibility with power forward and center.
Value
Precious Achiuwa has seen his playing time increase since the All-Star Break, and he has not disappointed. Achiuwa has scored 14 points in back-to-back games with one game recorded double-digit rebounds and 40 DraftKings points. His ceiling is fantastic in this matchup against the Grizzlies’ weak frontcourt.
Even at his modest 23-minute projection, Achiuwa has shown the ability to be in the optimal lineup builds. Playing for the tanking and injury-riddled Kings, Achiuwa will likely see increased playing time throughout the end of the year. At $4,500, he does not have to do much to return his value in this spot.
In their last game against the Heat, the Grizzlies gave up 70 points in the paint. Even though Achiuwa has shown the ability to stretch the floor, he still flies around and scores most of his points in the paint. He is shooting 50.8% from the field this season. This is a great spot for Achiuwa to showcase his skill set tonight.
Fast Break
Lauri Markkanen has the second-highest ceiling projection at the power forward position, but it is difficult to get exposure to him given the Jazz are actively tanking and will take him out of the lineup in close games. Deploy Markkanen in tournaments only, but even that is tough at his $8,100 price tag. Our NBA model projects Markkanen to play only 25 minutes and have a sub-5% ownership, which is the lowest amongst the stud options. Maybe play close to 5% in tournaments, but do not get carried away.
Taylor Hendricks is another great value play at the power forward and center position. He has also displayed the ability to post a double-double recently when the matchup suits him, and this one does against the Kings. This season, their numbers are decreasing; the Kings rank 28th in rebounding percentage at 47.9%. With one double-double and another game where he was close in his last four contests, Kendricks is an incredible value tonight. The best part is he only costs $4,100 on this slate.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Coming in second in projected ceiling is Spurs’ young star Victor Wembanyama. He dominated the Kings in his last game with a massive 28-point, 15-rebound double-double, where he added six assists, four blocks, and one steal for 67.2 DraftKings points. He is always a candidate for a huge ceiling performance.
Wembanyama will draw a much tougher matchup tonight against the Pistons’ frontcourt. He is matchup-proof, and this should be a competitive game, which will likely increase his playing time. Even with our model projecting him to play under 30 minutes, Wembanyama is popping as an elite pay-up option.
Wembanyama has the highest projected usage rate on the slate at 33.3%. He is the most expensive player, but deservedly so given his potential. The Pistons rank second in defensive rating, third in rebounding percentage, and third in points allowed in the paint. It is still very difficult to get away from Wembanaya.
Value
Projected for the highest Plus/Minus on this three-game slate is Maxime Raynaud. Priced at $6,100, Raynaud has been incredible lately. He has back-to-back double-doubles since the All-Star Break, averaging 16.5 points, 13 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 41 DraftKings points per game during that stretch.
Raynaud actually has three double-doubles in his last four games starting for the Kings. The 7’1″ rookie is shooting 55% from the field this season and has been incredible scoring in the paint. He will draw the same positive matchup that we discussed with Achiuwa, but Raynaud has been simply better recently.
Our NBA Sims has Raynaud with a slate-high 53.9% optimal lineup rate, and he is the only player that is drawing over 50% projected ownership. Even with his salary increasing, Raynaud is the best value play on the slate. He has shown the ability to play nearly 40 minutes in competitive games, which this should be.
Fast Break
Being tasked with guarding Wembanyama tonight is Jalen Duren. He is also coming off a huge double-double in his last game against the Bulls with 26 points and 13 rebounds for 48.8 DraftKings points. His blocks and steals are not nearly at the level of Wembanyama, but he can score and rebound with the best centers in the league. Duren is also favorably priced at $7,500, which is intriguing. The Spurs are a great interior defense, but on this small slate, it is worth getting exposure to Duren in this matchup.
Another rookie that we can target tonight is Kyle Filipowski, who has also seen his playing time increase recently with the Jazz. The rookie from Duke has averaged 40.9 DraftKings points per game in his last two contests with 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. During that time, he has added eight steals and two blocks. His salary has jumped rapidly, but Filipowski has been a strong fantasy asset lately. He also has power forward and center eligibility, making it easy to fit him into multiple lineup builds.
Pictured: Victor Wembanyama
Photo Credit: Imagn
