To avoid going head-to-head with Sunday’s Super Bowl, the NBA only had a couple of afternoon tilts on Sunday. As a result, there is a juicy nine-game main slate to start the work week on both DraftKings and FanDuel. None of the teams in action are on the second game of a back-to-back set, and only the Bucks and Timberwolves have two straight contests to start the week.
With just a few days before the All-Star break, teams are trying to get their players as healthy as possible for the final stretch of the season. Several key injury situations could impact Monday’s slate, so be sure to refresh the NBA Models for the latest updates and adjustments.
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.
Note: Projections and Leverages 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
The Mavs have won four straight games following the return of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and they’re in a great matchup Monday night when they host the Wizards. Doncic has the highest median, ceiling, and floor projection on the entire slate, and even though he’s the most expensive player on the board, he ranks in the top five of Projected Plus/Minus at point guard on both DraftKings and FanDuel, indicating he still offers good value.
Doncic and the Mavs have the highest implied team total on the slate against Washington, who ranks first in the NBA in pace and fourth-worst in defensive rating. Since the Mavs also like to play fast, this should be a great game environment for Luka to post a huge number as long as it doesn’t turn into a blowout early.
In his 11 games over the last month, Doncic has exceeded his high salary-based expectations nine times on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He has produced 1.82 DraftKings points and 1.72 FanDuel points per minute while averaging 40 minutes a game with a 36.3% usage rate. Even with Irving back to share the load, Luka has still lit it up. He matches 12 Pro Trends on DraftKings, more than any other player on the slate, and he also brings an 88% Bargain Rating on that site. On FanDuel, he also matches 12 Pro Trends, the second-most on the slate.
Value
With Fred VanVleet (adductor) out another game, Amen Thompson should again be one of the best value plays on the board. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards and all shooting guards on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He is cheaper on DraftKings, where he has an 88% Bargain Rating.
Thompson has exceeded salary-based expectations on DraftKings in seven of his last 10 games and five of his last six. He has posted two double-doubles in his three games filling in for FVV, producing 1.03 DraftKings points and 0.98 FanDuel points per minute while playing 32.3 minutes per game with a 16.7% usage rate. Even though he’s not taking a ton of shots, his non-scoring numbers, especially his rebounding, make him a strong value option against the Knicks.
Fast Break
Coby White has had a breakout season for the Bulls and should be in a spot to produce good numbers against the Hawks on Monday. He has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard on FanDuel and the sixth-highest on DraftKings. He has exceeded salary-based expectations in four of his last five games, averaging 1.10 DraftKings points and 1.03 FanDuel points per minute in 40.4 minutes per game.
Taking on Luka and the Mavs, Tyus Jones is a strong midrange option. He has scored 14+ points with 8+ assists in four straight games for the Wizards, exceeding salary-based expectations in each of those contests. He averaged 1.20 DraftKings points and 1.15 FanDuel points per minute over that span and logged 30.3 minutes per game. While the Wizards continue to struggle, Jones has continued to carry enough work to be a solid fantasy option.
Also, stepping into a larger role with VanVleet out, Aaron Holiday is the best bargain point guard on the board. He exceeded salary-based expectations in each of the three games VanVleet has missed and has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards on DraftKings, where his salary is only $3,600, giving him a 91% Bargain Rating. On FanDuel, he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all point guards under $6,000.
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
While most of the fantasy attention for the Spurs rightfully goes to Victor Wembanyama (discussed below), Devin Vassell has put together a strong month of results and deserves a look on this slate against the Raptors in Toronto. Vassell has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all shooting guards on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel. He ranks in the top seven at the position in ceiling, median, and floor projection on both DraftKings and FanDuel and on DraftKings, he only has the 12th-highest salary at the position, along with a 91% Bargain Rating.
Vassell led the team with 34.6 minutes per game over his last 14 contests, posting a 24.9% usage rate. He produced 1.06 DraftKings points and 1.01 FanDuel points per minute by scoring at least 15 points in each of those games and averaging 22.0 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per contest.
He has exceeded salary-based expectations in 10 of his last 12 games on DraftKings and 11 of 14 on FanDuel. The Raptors have been a favorable matchup for shooting guards lately, and Vassell is a good way to get a high ceiling at a midrange salary on Monday.
Value
While he doesn’t score a ton of points, Alex Caruso does all the “little things” that coaches and teammates love to talk about. His formula hasn’t always resulted in fantasy production, but lately, he has been producing good numbers in an expanded role for the Bulls since the team lost Zach LaVine (foot) for the season. On Monday, Caruso has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Caruso hasn’t scored double-digit points in any of his last four games but has exceeded salary-based expectations in three of those contests due to exceptional non-scoring stats. He finished with multiple blocks in five of his last six games, including two four-block games in his last three contests. He averaged 0.87 DraftKings points and 0.91 FanDuel points per minute in his last nine games while logging 33.7 minutes per game.
The Carushow may go about it in an unorthodox way, but he does bring solid value at his midrange salary in this favorable game situation against the Hawks.
Fast Break
Donovan Mitchell has the highest ceiling, median and floor projection at shooting guard on Monday. Mitchell had a relatively quiet game with just 15 points on Saturday, but before that, he had been on a rampage with 25+ points in eight straight games. Over his last 10 contests, he has produced an elite rate of 1.49 DraftKings points and 1.45 FanDuel points per minute while playing 34.9 minutes per game. If you have the salary, he’s a great pay-up option against the short-handed 76ers.
On FanDuel, Immanuel Quickley has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard in a favorable matchup against the Spurs. He only had 10 points on Saturday against Mitchell’s Cavs but had 15+ points in four of his previous five contests. High-usage players like Quickley always bring a high ceiling when playing against the Spurs.
Quickley’s teammate Gary Trent has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on DraftKings and the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all shooting guards under $6,000 on FanDuel. Trent has made multiple three-pointers in 10 of his last 11 games.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
The Bulls continue to rely heavily on DeMar DeRozan, and he will look to continue his impressive run of production as the Bulls visit the Hawks on Monday night. DeRozan has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward on FanDuel and the second-highest on DraftKings, where he brings added power forward eligibility.
DeRozan has scored 20+ points and exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in seven of his last eight games and six of those games on DraftKings. He averaged 1.08 DraftKings points and 1.09 FanDuel points per minute while averaging over 40 minutes per game with a 25.1% usage rate.
On Monday, he has a 25.7% usage projection in his 38 projected minutes, which should be enough to make him a strong option to build around at forward.
Value
All season long for the Wizards, Deni Avdija has shown a high ceiling, but his playing time and production have been a little erratic. After the trade deadline, though, he has been getting consistent work and putting up big numbers. He had 24 points and 11 rebounds against the Celtics last Friday, and he followed that up with 21 points, 13 boards, and five assists on Saturday in a loss to the Sixers.
Avdija has averaged 1.04 DraftKings points and 1.02 FanDuel points per minute on the season, but over his last nine games, he has produced 1.11 DraftKings points and 1.09 FanDuel points per minute while playing just under 30 minutes per game.
The Wizards gave Avdija a big contract coming into this season, and it makes sense that they give their former top-10 overall pick plenty of playing time down the stretch to see how he fits in their overall plans. He has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward on DraftKings this Monday and the fifth-highest on FanDuel.
Fast Break
In his matchup against the Spurs, Scottie Barnes has the highest ceiling, median, and floor projection at small forward on DraftKings and the highest median and floor projection at the position on FanDuel. He seemed to take a minute to adjust to his new teammates Quickley and RJ Barrett, but he has returned to excellent production levels lately. On Saturday, he had a triple-double in the loss to the Cavs with 24 points, 10 boards and 10 assists. He can stuff the stat sheet when he’s on top of his game and should have a great opportunity to do that against the Spurs on Monday.
Brandon Ingram is another strong pay-up play to consider, especially if the Pelicans are cautious with Zion Williamson (foot, questionable). Ingram has exceeded salary-based expectations on FanDuel in six of his last seven games, producing 1.31 DraftKings points and 1.30 FanDuel points per minute. With Zion off the court during that stretch, Ingram has produced 1.43 DraftKings points and 1.40 FanDuel points per minute.
This season has been a roller coaster ride for Andrew Wiggins, but he has a good value projection on Monday when the Warriors visit the Jazz. He ranks in the top five at small forward on DraftKings in Projected Plus/Minus and brings the highest Projected Plus/Minus of any small forward with a salary under $6,000 on FanDuel. Wiggins has exceeded salary-based expectations in eight of his last 10 games on FanDuel and five of his last eight on DraftKings. He had a 20-point double-double against the Sixers last week and has scored double-digit points in eight of his last 10 games.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
As usual, when the Bucks are on the slate, Giannis Antetkounmpo is a high-priced option to build around and brings the highest ceiling, median, and floor projection at power forward. Just behind him in each of those categories and coming at a significantly lower salary is Spurs’ rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama. Wemby has a better Projected Plus/Minus than Giannis on this slate and a higher Pts/Sal. Since he comes so much cheaper, he’s much easier to build around while still bringing an elite ceiling.
In his last couple of games, his rebounding numbers have dipped, but he continues to impress across the board. Over the last month, Wembanyama produced 1.76 DraftKings points and 1.70 FanDuel points per minute, with a massive 35.6% usage rate in 27.4 minutes per game. He was limited to 22 minutes on the back half of a back-to-back last week but returned to a 29-minute workload on Saturday in his most recent game.
With just two games before the All-Star break, the Spurs should be able to give Wembanyama his full workload on Monday night in Toronto. The Raptors have been a good matchup for power forwards after making over their frontcourt at the trade deadline. Wemby has a high ceiling as a strong power forward play on Monday, especially on DraftKings, where he has a 94% Bargain Rating.
Value
Against the Jazz, the Warriors offer two of the top value options at power forward. Jonathan Kuminga has surged lately and still has the top Projected Plus/Minus at power forward on FanDuel despite his rising salary. On DraftKings, Draymond Green has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward, and he has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on FanDuel. Since Kuminga’s salary has climbed so high, Green is probably the better value if you’re shopping in the midrange.
Draymond had a vintage performance on Saturday against the Suns with 15 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds in 30 minutes while helping the Warriors to their sixth win in seven games to get them back to the .500 mark. Green is a bit like Caruso in that he doesn’t take a lot of shots or score a lot of points but stuffs the stat sheet in enough other ways to make him a good value option to consider.
In his last 10 games, Green has averaged 1.09 DraftKings points and 1.09 FanDuel points per minute while playing 29.6 minutes per game.
Fast Break
With Khris Middleton (ankle) out, Antetokoumpo will have to carry a heavy load against the Nuggets on Monday. Over his last 10 games, he averaged 1.66 DraftKings points and 1.61 FanDuel points per minute in 34.3 minutes per game. If you can afford his salary, it’s hard to argue against his elite ceiling.
John Collins has out-produced salary-based expectations in nine straight games on both DraftKings and FanDuel and should continue to get more playing time after the trade of Kelly Olynyk (more below). Collins has produced 1.24 DraftKings points and 1.23 FanDuel points per minute over his last 13 games while playing 27.2 minutes with a 20.3% usage rate.
If you need to go cheap at power forward, veterans Jae Crowder and Grant Williams have the highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position under $5,000 on FanDuel. On DraftKings, Torrey Craig is a strong consideration as a punt play, with Olynyk and Williams also standing out as good plays under $5,000.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Like at power forward, a stand-by pay-up option tops the slate at center in Nikola Jokic, but there may be a stronger stud play who brings a similar upside at a lower salary just behind him. At center, that upper-tier stud is the Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic, who has been exceptional over the past couple of weeks and gets a good matchup against the Hawks, who still are without starting center Clint Capela.
Vucevic has exceeded salary-based expectations in seven straight games on FanDuel and five straight games on DraftKings. He averaged 1.26 DraftKings and 1.24 FanDuel points per minute over his 13 games in the past month and has stepped up to the next level in his last five games with 1.27 DraftKings and 1.28 FanDuel points per minute.
Against Orlando on Saturday, Vucevic dropped 26 points and 17 boards to post his fourth double-double in his five most recent contests. On Monday’s slate at center, Vucevic has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel and the fourth-highest on DraftKings.
Value
After the Jazz traded Olynyk to the Raptors, Walker Kessler should step into a bigger role for the rest of the season. Kessler has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at center on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel.
On the season, Kessler averages 1.09 DraftKings and 1.18 FanDuel points per minute but has only played 23.2 minutes per game. On Thursday, after Olynyk was traded, Kessler played 27 minutes against the Suns and produced 10 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks.
Kessler has at least three blocks in each of his last five games and has exceeded salary-based expectations on DraftKings in each of those contests. In those five games, he has averaged 1.34 DraftKings and 1.49 FanDuel points per minute. With more playing time available, he has a high ceiling against the Warriors on Monday night.
Fast Break
Jokic has been excellent coming into his showdown on Monday with Giannis. He has at least 23 points in 14 straight games, producing an elite 1.79 DraftKings points and 1.70 FanDuel points per minute. Like Giannis, he’s a great pay-up play if you have the salary to build around him on Monday.
The Grizzlies are leaning heavily on Jaren Jackson Jr. with all the injuries in their backcourt, and so far, JJJ has been up to the task, producing 1.27 DraftKings points and 1.25 FanDuel points per minute in 32.5 minutes per game over his last 11 games. Jackson has a 38.4% usage rate during that span and is projected for another heavy workload against the Pels on Monday.
If you need to go with a bargain at center, Isaiah Jackson has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the entire position on DraftKings with an extremely affordable $3,500 salary. On FanDuel, Olynyk has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of all centers under $6,000, and Trey Jemison of the Grizzlies has the highest among centers under $5,000.
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