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
Leading this small three-game slate in ceiling projection is Spurs’ point guard De’Aaron Fox. Superstar Victor Wembanyama continues to be out, while shooting guard Stephon Castle is questionable to play. Keep an eye on Castle’s status because that would increase Fox’s production and usage rate in this spot.
The Spurs draw an elite matchup against the Pelicans who rank 28th in defensive rating, allowing 123.2 points per game. They are nearly double-digit road favorites, implied for a slate-high 122.75 points.
Fox is averaging 42.5 DraftKings points per game and has scored at least 25 points in nine of his last 10 games. He also has the highest projected usage rate for tonight’s slate. Despite everything looking perfect for Fox, he is drawing less than 15% projected ownership making him the best contrarian pay-up option. Fox will immediately differentiate a lineup, which is intriguing on this small slate.
Value
After making it to the NBA Finals last year, it has been a disappointing season for the Pacers. However, they have won three of their last five games and are 2.5-point home favorites against the Kings tonight.
Starting point guard Andrew Nembhard has the second-highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate and the third-highest projected ownership at over 40%. Priced in the mid-range, Nembhard is the best way to get exposure to a Pacers’ offense that is implied for score 119.5 points in this matchup.
Nembhard is averaging a career-high 17.2 points and 6.3 assists per game with a 23.9% usage rate. With no Tyrese Haliburton, Nembhard has done a fantastic job orchestrating the Pacers’ offense leading them in assists. He has captured at least six assists in seven of his last eight games while also scoring the ball at a career-high clip. Nembhard has a 37.7% optimal lineup rate in our NBA Sims tonight.
Fast Break
Russell Westbrook has seen his price tag continue to drop, but he is still starting and leading the Kings in assists, rebounds, and steals per game with Domantas Sabonis out. Similar to Fox, Westbrook is drawing less than 15% projected ownership, making him a strong contrarian tournament play. He has displayed a ceiling that is difficult to get on this slate. Westbrook recorded a 16-point, 14-assist, 12-rebound triple-double a little over a week ago. Against the Pacers, Westbrook should be able to shine.
TJ McConnell is another cheap way to get exposure to the Pacers’ offense. At his $4,500 salary, McConnell has been a boom-or-bust fantasy option recently due to his inconsistent playing time. In his last seven games when playing 15+ minutes, McConnell is averaging 31.62 DraftKings points per game compared to just 11 points per game when he plays less than 15 minutes. Our model has McConnell projected for 18 minutes tonight making him a fantastic salary saver on this three-game slate.
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
Anthony Edwards has recorded back-to-back poor performances, but has displayed a ceiling worth getting exposure to. Edwards had a six-game streak at the end of November where he averaged 38.3 points and 56 DraftKings points per game shooting 55.6% from the field and 48.4% from distance.
Edwards is the most expensive player on the slate but has the third-highest projected ceiling, which is why his projected ownership is close to 10%. The Timberwolves have won five straight games and are nearly double-digit home favorites against the Suns, who have lost six of their last seven games.
The Timberwolves lost by one point in their last meeting, but Edwards filled up the stat sheet with 41 points, five rebounds, four assists, four steals, and one block accumulating 63.2 DraftKings points. Do not let Edwards’ last two games deter from how strong of a play he can be when his offense is clicking.
Value
A big reason why the Suns have stayed someone afloat has been the excellent play of combo guard Collin Gillespie. With Devin Booker and Jalen Green off the floor this season, Gillespie has a team-high +3.57 DraftKings Plus/Minus and a +5.04% usage rate increase. Those numbers will increase even more if Dillon Brooks, who is questionable to play tonight, is also ruled out.
Gillespie’s salary has skyrocketed through his recent play, but he still has the third-highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate with a near 50% projected ownership. Where he shines above everyone else is his 58.7% optimal lineup rate, which is comfortably the highest on the slate.
Playing 34 minutes in his last game against the Timberwolves, Gillespie was fantastic scoring 20 points and contributing seven rebounds, four assists and two steals for 39.2 DraftKings points. A repeat performance without Booker, Green and potentially Brooks is definitely in play tonight.
Fast Break
Trey Murphy has a ceiling projection only three points lower than Edwards, but is $1,700 cheaper. Murphy is projected for a slate-high 54% ownership and a 52.9% optimal lineup rate, which is second to Gillespie. Plugging in Murphy and Gillespie is the best way to start cash-game lineup builds tonight. Jordan Poole and Zion Williamson remain out for the Pelicans, boosting the production and usage rates for Murphy. Priced at $7,800, Murphy is arguably the best play on this small three-game slate.
Zach LaVine is coming off the best game of his season, scoring 42 points against the Heat. He shot 12-for-24 from the field and a blistering 8-for-13 from behind the arc. He is another boom-or-bust fantasy option, but if LaVine’s shot is falling, he can rack up fantasy points in a hurry. The Pacers are a defense worth attacking with their 21st ranking in defensive rating. LaVine is affordable at $6,800 and is projected for less than 20% ownership. He is another great contrarian option to target tonight.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
After a slow start to the season, Saddiq Bey has been one of the Pelicans’ best players recently. Over his last eight games, Bey is averaging 19.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 39.4 DraftKings points per game with four points and rebounds double-doubles. He has also added 11 steals during that stretch.
Bey has the highest projected ceiling and ownership at the small forward position. The Spurs defense takes a major hit without Wembanyama in the lineup. In 10 games without the league-leading shot blocking, the Spurs have a 117.1 defensive rating compared to 112.9 with him on the floor. Their rebounding rate also takes a major hit, making it possible for Bey to capture another double-double.
Despite losing nearly every game and playing on a depleted team, Bey and Murphy have been excellent and are worth consideration tonight against a Spurs team without their superstar.
Value
Speaking of the Spurs, Keldon Johnson leads the small forward position in projected Plus/Minus by a wide margin. He has been the Spurs leading rebounder without Wembanyama. Johnson will continue to come off the bench, but he is still averaging 13 points and a career-high 6.5 rebounds per game.
Since the middle of November, when Wembanyama went down, Johnson is averaging 15.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 29.6 DraftKings points per game. He has scored double-digit points in every game during that time with two double-doubles. That is more than enough to pay off his $5,200 price tag. Johnson also has small forward and power forward eligibility making him easier to fit in all lineup builds.
Johnson will be another popular value play considering the Spurs have the highest implied team total on the slate. He is a cheap way to get exposure to the Spurs’ offense tonight.
Fast Break
Similar to Johnson, Devin Vassell is another great option for the Spurs. He would also benefit if Castle is unable to play. Vassell has been a scoring machine recently averaging 22.5 points per game in his last six contests. Where he excels is perimeter shooting. Vassell is shooting a career-high 40.1% from behind the arc and has made at least three 3-pointers in six of his last eight games. The Pelicans are allowing a league-high 41.8 3-pointers attempted per game from their opponents, which is great news for the sharpshooter.
Jaden McDaniels has recorded over 37 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, which is an incredible value at his sub $6,000 salary. McDaniels does a little bit of everything for the red-hot Timberwolves. He leads the team in steals per game and is averaging a career-high 16 points per game while shooting 53.5% from the field and 48.6% from downtown. In his last game against the Suns, McDaniels had 13 points, five rebounds, and four steals. He is a cheap way to get exposure to the Timberwolves tonight.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Pascal Siakam is by far the most popular pay-up option on this three-game slate. He is coming off an incredible 36-point, 10-rebound double-double where he shot 13-for-24 from the field and 5-for-7 from deep accumulating 56.5 DraftKings points. Siakam is the Pacers’ top option this season with no Haliburton.
Siakam is averaging a career-high 24.5 points per game and leads the Pacers in both scoring and rebounding. His accuracy has depleted, but his volume is the highest it has ever been since joining the Pacers. He is projected to have a 30% usage rate tonight and is drawing 34% projected ownership.
The Kings have the worst rebounding rate in the league at 46%, which bodes well for Siakam, who has the chance to record a back-to-back double-double. The Kings also rank 26th in defensive rating, while allowing opponents to shoot a league-high 50% from the field. This is a superb spot for Siakam.
Value
Timberwolves’ backup forward Naz Reid has started to get increased playing time and has been a dominant force off the bench. Reid has at least 30 DraftKings points in four-straight games and his salary remains affordable at $6,100 with power forward and center eligibility tonight.
During that four-game stretch, Reid is averaging 17.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 37.4 DraftKings points per game with five steals and two blocks. He is shooting 53.2% from the field and 50% from distance.
Reid has the third-highest optimal lineup rate at the power forward position and the second-highest at center. His dual eligibility makes him a perfect fit in cash-games and tournaments. Getting increased playing time recently and producing at an elite level, Reid is one of the better value plays available.
Fast Break
Harrison Barnes is another value option that can spike randomly with a great performance. He scored 31 points while making seven 3-pointers against the Grizzlies less than a week ago recording 49.8 DraftKings points. However, it was the only time in his last eight games where he exceeded 25 DraftKings points. He is a tournament-only play yet is drawing 30% projected ownership. There are plenty of other options even on the Spurs around his $5,000 price tag. It is difficult to justify his high projected ownership.
In his second year with the Timberwolves, Julius Randle has increased his scoring, rebounding, and assist numbers. He is leading the team in assists per game and has two triple-doubles this season. Randle has been a fairly consistent fantasy producer but is on a loaded Timberwolves team with plenty of options. He has the second-highest projected ceiling at the power forward position, but is only drawing 10% projected ownership. Randle is another strong contrarian pay-up option on this slate.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
The center position is the weakest it has been in a long time. The most expensive option is Derik Queen at $6,400. Queen is projected for around 5% ownership due to his disappointing recent play. However, Queen has displayed a ceiling if the Pelicans can somehow keep this game competitive.
When the Pelicans are not getting blown out, they are great options. They have a league-worst 3-21 record and are double-digit home underdogs against the Spurs. However, this game does have the highest total on the slate at 236.5 points and Queen should dominate the paint without Wembanyama.
Queen can contribute in all facets of the game. He is projected for a modest 27 minutes, but when games are competitive he has shown the ability to play nearly 40 minutes. Keep it close and Queen will shine.
Value
Rookie center Maxime Raynaud has been a valuable asset for the Kings recently without Sabonis. Raynaud drew his first start of his career last game and contributed with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double with two blocks. Priced at $5,000, that is more than enough to pay off his price tag.
Over his last four games getting extended playing time, Raynaud is averaging 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 30.4 DraftKings points per game while shooting 59.1% from the field. Raynaud is expected to start again tonight and play around 25 minutes making him a fantastic value option in all formats.
The Pacers are a strong matchup for opposing big men ranking 23rd in rebounding rate and 24th in points allowed per game in the paint. Raynaud will continue to be valuable without Sabonis.
Fast Break
Rudy Gobert is drawing the highest projected ownership at the center position above 30%. He recorded a double-double in his last meeting against the Suns and has recorded a double-double in two of his last three games. Gobert has been inconsistent recently, so prioritize him in tournaments only. However, he has also displayed a ceiling worth getting exposure to. Similar to the other Timberwolves’ players, Gobert is a boom-or-bust option, but the matchup is one he can take advantage of.
Luke Kornet is another value center who is popping in our NBA Models. The only issue with Kornet is he is questionable to play with an ankle injury. He was unable to play in Friday’s game, but has recorded 20+ DraftKings points in six-straight games. This would be an incredible matchup for Kornet with the Pelicans being one of the worst defensive teams in the league. If Kornet is unable to play, Jeremy Sochan, who has power forward and center eligibility at $4,100, would be another strong value option.
Pictured: Pascal Siakam
Photo Credit: Imagn
