Monday features a small four-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 four-game slate in projected ceiling is Pistons’ Cade Cunningham. The point guard position is top-heavy tonight, but Cunningham is the best option despite back-to-back poor performances. The Pistons won by 43 points last game, and in the game prior to that, Cunningham shot 3-for-16 from the field.
This is a great bounce-back opportunity for Cunningham, who has had a ton of success in this matchup against the Celtics. These teams have already played three times this season, with the Pistons winning two of three. In those contests, Cunningham is averaging 33 points, 7.7 assists, and five rebounds per game.
Cunningham has particularly been dialed in from long distance against the Celtics, shooting 50% from deep, making four 3-pointers per game. He may be the most expensive player on the slate, but it is deserving.
Value
Heat guard Davion Mitchell has missed the last two games due to a shoulder injury but is probable to play tonight. In his first full season with the Heat, Mitchell has started every game he has played and is averaging a near double-double with 9.1 points and a career-high 7.7 assists per game.
The Heat will be without Tyler Herro, so there will be more usage to go around. Projected to play 30 minutes, Mitchell is second on this slate in projected Plus/Minus. Priced at $4,700, Mitchell is a cheap way to get exposure to the best game environment on the slate that has a 238.5-point total.
In his last eight games, Mitchell has exceeded 25 DraftKings points in five of those contests. The Heat lead the league in pace this season, which bodes well for the quick point guard filling up the stat sheet.
Fast Break
Tyrese Maxey is not far behind Cunningham in projected ceiling and is $400 cheaper. Maxey draws an elite matchup against the Pacers, who have an Eastern Conference-worst 10-33 record. Maxey is coming off a game where he stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, nine assists, five rebounds, five steals, and two blocks for 55.8 DraftKings points. Joel Embiid is questionable due to knee injury management. Keep an eye on his status because Embiid being out would provide a significant boost to Maxey’s production.
Stephen Curry rounds out this star-studded position and comes in much cheaper than Cunningham and Maxey. At $9,100, Curry can still reach a ceiling worth targeting in tournaments. The Warriors have won 11 of their last 15 games and are 5.5-point home favorites against the fast-paced Heat, implied for a slate-high 122.25 points. They are the best team to target tonight, and the head of the snake begins with Curry. He continues to lead the league in perimeter shooting, making 4.5 3-pointers per game this season.
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
Devin Booker is another player to monitor tonight, being questionable with ankle soreness. If he is able to suit up, Booker is in a great spot against the Nets, who rank 24th in defensive rating this season. Booker leads the Suns in scoring and assists per game and is the main reason for the team’s sudden success.
Opponents against the Nets are shooting 48.6% from the field and 37.2% from behind the arc, both of which rank towards the bottom of the league. That is music to Booker’s ears, who has struggled shooting the ball this season at only 45.2% from the field and a career-low 30.1% from downtown.
The Suns are the only road favorites on the slate at 8.5 points. Make sure his ankle is good to go, and Booker is going to be a strong pay-up option in all formats at his respectable $8,800 price tag.
Value
Moses Moody has put together three straight games with a positive Plus/Minus while shooting the lights out. During that three-game stretch, Moody is averaging 15.7 points and 23.5 DraftKings points per game while shooting 64% from the field and 65.2% from behind the arc. 26 of his last 28 field goal attempts have come from long distance, and he has made at least four 3-pointers in each of his last three games.
This is a perfect matchup for Moody to launch more perimeter shots. The Heat have allowed 40 3-pointers attempted per game, which is the fourth-highest in the league. With so much attention drawn to other Warriors players, Moody goes under the radar but is not afraid to let it fly. Priced at $4,000 with shooting guard and small forward eligibility, Moody is one of the better value plays on the board.
Fast Break
Norman Powell leads the shooting guard position in projected ownership at nearly 30%. Powell has been an elite pickup for the Heat leading the team in scoring with a career-high 23.8 points per game. He is shooting over 40% from behind the arc for the fifth time in his last six seasons. During the month of January, Powell is shooting a ridiculous 50.8% from the field and 45.7% from distance. Mainly known for his scoring, Powell should thrive in this up-tempo matchup, especially with Tyler Herro out of the lineup.
Celtics’ guard Payton Pritchard is in danger of missing his second straight game due to injury, which would make Derrick White more appealing. With Pritchard out last game, White dished out a season-high 12 assists in the Celtics’ 26-point blowout victory over the Hawks. Like many Celtics players without Jayson Tatum, White is averaging a career-high 18.1 points per game. Projected for 10% ownership in this spot, White is a strong contrarian play in tournaments if Pritchard is unable to play tonight.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Despite being $2,000 cheaper than Jaylen Brown, Jimmy Butler is the premier pay-up small forward on this four-game slate. Butler missed the last game due to personal reasons but will be back on the floor tonight. He has scored 30+ points in two of his last three games while still being a menace on the glass.
At his $8,100 salary, Butler is currently projected for the highest ownership on the slate at 37%. His optimal lineup rate is 45.3% in our NBA Sims, which is the second-highest. It is difficult to get away from Butler in this revenge matchup against the Heat. He is simply too cheap for his projected output.
Butler has also recorded 50+ DraftKings points in two of his last three games. His projected ceiling is only one point lower than Brown’s, but his price tag is more appealing. Butler is one of the best plays available.
Value
Staying with the Warriors’ forwards, Butler’s good friend Buddy Hield is arguably the best value on the slate. At his $3,300 salary, Hield leads the slate by a wide margin in projected Plus/Minus. He is projected to play 20 minutes, which will be more than enough time for the sharpshooter to pay off his price tag.
Hield has seen his playing time fluctuate throughout the season but is coming off a game where he played 18 minutes and contributed 14 points, three rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and one assist for 30.2 DraftKings points. If he gets the playing time we projected, Hield will be an incredible value option.
Hield leads all players with a 47.1% optimal lineup rate. We know the Heat struggle defending the 3-point line, which is where most of Hield’s production comes from. He is impossible to ignore tonight.
Fast Break
Similar to Derrick White, Jaylen Brown is drawing less than 10% ownership and will be a great contrarian play in tournaments. Regardless of the matchup, Brown is capable of massive scoring outputs. He had 41 points last game on an absurd 30 field goal attempts. Brown can provide peripherals, but when he is scoring like this he is going to find his way onto the optimal lineup. The Pistons rank second in defensive rating this season, but Brown is averaging 36 points and eight rebounds per game in their three meetings.
Michael Porter Jr. sat out the first leg of the Nets’ back-to-back last night due to rest but should be able to play tonight against the Suns. Having Porter Jr. on the floor keeps the Nets competitive. In his first season with the Nets, Porter Jr. is averaging a career-high 25.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Not afraid to let it fly, Porter Jr. has averaged 11.8 3-point attempts per game in his last five contests. Make sure Porter Jr. is suiting up, but he is another way to get different on this four-game slate tonight.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
We go from one lone bright spot to another with Pacers’ forward Pascal Siakam. After an NBA Finals appearance last season, the Pacers are the worst team in the Eastern Conference this year. One of the only bright spots has been Siakam, who is leading the team in scoring, rebounding, and steals per game.
Siakam has recorded 45+ DraftKings points in three consecutive games, averaging 24.7 points, eight rebounds, and five assists per game. The 76ers’ matchup will be much more appealing if Joel Embiid is not on the floor. Siakam would have a great chance at another double-double if Embiid is out.
Still priced under $9,000, Siakam has the highest projected ceiling at the power forward position. The Pacers do have one of the lowest team totals on the slate, but Siakam is still worth getting exposure to.
Value
Andrew Wiggins is another Heat player who could benefit from the absence of Tyler Herro. Wiggins has averaged over 30 DraftKings points per game in his last four contests and remains favorably priced under $6,000. He will also get a revenge matchup against the team he won an NBA title with tonight.
This small four-game slate should come preloaded with at least four players from the Heat and Warriors game. Wiggins is projected to play 32 minutes, and his projected ownership is 25%. In his first full season with the Heat, Wiggins has seen a dip in his scoring volume but an increase in his efficiency. He is shooting a career-high 40.2% from behind the arc and is grabbing nearly five rebounds per game.
Wiggins does not have the highest ceiling but has a safe floor and is a great cash-game option.
Fast Break
Paul George is also questionable to play tonight due to knee injury management. It hasn’t been the best year for George, who is averaging the lowest points per game since his first two years in the league. However, he is starting to play much better recently, averaging 17.4 points and 35.2 DraftKings points per game in his last five games. Coming in playing that well, this is a great spot against the Pacers for George to continue his recent success. If he is able to play, George will be a great forward option under $7,000.
Draymond Green is coming off one of his best scoring games of the season with 20 points with six assists and three rebounds for 33.2 DraftKings points. He made four 3-pointers and shot 8-for-14 from the field. Priced in the mid-range at $6,000, Green is still capable of stuffing the stat sheet with points, rebounds, assists, and defensive stats. His scoring has surprisingly increased lately, with double-digit points in four of his last six games. That boosts his ceiling, which is a big reason his projected ownership is currently 20%.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Most of this four-game slate boils down to whether or not Joel Embiid is able to play. At the center position no one comes close to his projected ceiling. He has a 33% usage rate and will draw a matchup against one of the worst interior defensive units in the league. If Embiid plays, he will dominate the Pacers.
The Pacers rank 29th in rebounding percentage at 47.6% and are allowing opponents to score 53.6 points per game in the paint, which is the fourth-highest in the league. In his one game against the Pacers this season, Embiid dominated with 39 points and nine rebounds while shooting 12-for-23 from the field. He accumulated 56.2 DraftKings points in 32 minutes. Simply put, if Embiid is healthy, he is an elite option.
Value
With power forward and center eligibility, Nikola Jovic has the fourth-highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate. Jovic is projected to play around 20 minutes, which should be more than enough to pay off his $4,100 salary. Playing this many minutes, Jovic has displayed a ceiling that is worth targeting tonight.
Jovic recently has been a boom-or-bust option. Even at his cheap price tag, Jovic is best used for tournaments due to his inconsistent production. Towards the end of December and early January, Jovic had a couple 40+ DraftKings points games; however, he has under 10 DraftKings points in four of his last five games. In those dud games, Jovic shot 3-for-19 from the field and 0-for-10 from long distance.
With Tyler Herro off the floor this season, Jovic has a team-high +2.65 DraftKings Plus/Minus.
Fast Break
Bam Adebayo has recorded 53+ DraftKings points in two of his last three games and will now draw a matchup against a smaller Warriors’ frontcourt. Against the difficult Thunder defense Saturday night, Adebayo dominated with a 30-point, 12-rebound double-double. His usage rate and production increase with Tyler Herro out of the lineup. Adebayo leads the center position with a 33.3% optimal lineup in our NBA Sims. He also leads this position in projected ownership at 27%.
Jalen Duren has been one of the best big men in the league this season. In his fourth year in the league, Duren is averaging a career-high 17.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He has been a walking double-double this season and is averaging 14 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in his three matchups against the Celtics. In his first game against the Celtics, Duren had a near 20-20 game with 24 points and 18 rebounds. He is more than capable of dominating this spot and is only drawing 15% ownership.
Pictured: Jimmy Butler
Photo Credit: Imagn
