Monday features an eight-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
Excluding the last game, where the Lakers lost by 20 points and Luka Doncic only played 27 minutes, the stud point guard is averaging a near triple-double with 40 points, 11 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 74.6 DraftKings points per game. Doncic is the most expensive player on the slate at $12,000, but deservedly so.
The Lakers are still playing without LeBron James, and Austin Reaves is in danger of missing his fourth straight game. Keep an eye on Reaves’ status throughout the day. If he is unable to play, that would make Doncic an even better pay-up option. Another benefit for Doncic is this elite matchup against the Hornets. They rank fourth in pace and 24th in defensive rating, allowing 121 points per game.
Doncic is currently leading this eight-game slate in projected ceiling while being projected to play 38 minutes with a 35% usage rate. Projected for under 10% ownership, Doncic is a strong pay-up option.
Value
In his third season in the league, backup point guard Collin Gillespie is getting valuable playing time. Not only is he seeing his minutes increase, but Gillespie has also delivered career highs across the board in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game. He is averaging double-digit points and is shooting 38.2% from behind the arc with 2.6 made 3-pointers per game.
After coming back for one game, Suns’ shooting guard Jalen Green is out once again due to injury. That will create more opportunities for Gillespie. He will still come off the bench, but Gillespie is projected to play 26 minutes and currently has the highest projected Plus/Minus at the point guard position.
At his $5,200 salary, Gillespie is drawing a little over 20% projected ownership. He is averaging 27.4 DraftKings points per game, which has been more than enough to pay off his price tag.
Fast Break
The Pistons are a slate-high 11.5-point favorite, implied for 123.5 points. They are 8-2 leading the Eastern Conference, and a big reason for their success is star point guard Cade Cunningham. They have won six straight games, and during that time, Cunningham is averaging a double-double with 29.2 points, 11.2 assists, and 56.4 DraftKings points per game. The Wizards rank 29th in defensive rating while allowing a league-high 128.4 points per game. This is an incredible spot for Cunningham to continue his dominance.
Devin Booker has taken the starting point guard role for the Suns and run with it. The talented combo guard is averaging a career-high 29.3 points and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field and 41% from behind the arc. Booker is coming off a near triple-double last game and should thrive in a matchup against the Pelicans, where they are 8.5-point home favorites.
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
The Timberwolves have won their last two games by an average of 67 points. They played the Jazz and Kings and will get a rematch against the Jazz tonight, whom they beat by 40 points last Friday night. They are 7.5-point road favorites, with the Jazz ranking 25th in defensive rating this season.
Anthony Edwards is another star who was dealing with injuries to start the season. He is back now and has averaged 31.5 points and 47.1 DraftKings points per game in his last two contests. Edwards has the highest projected ceiling at the shooting guard position and the fourth-highest projected Plus/Minus.
In his last game against the Jazz, Edwards poured in 37 points while shooting 12-for-21 from the field and a staggering 7-for-12 from downtown. A repeat performance tonight would make Edwards an elite pay-up option in all formats, especially at his fair $8,600 salary.
Value
NBA journeyman Javonte Green is playing for his fifth team in seven seasons but has been a strong backup guard for the Pistons. Green has played 20+ minutes in each of his last four games, including 28 in his last game. That is valuable at his $3,700 salary with shooting guard and small forward eligibility.
Where Green separates from his pricing peers is his defense. That is why he is getting so much playing time. The Pistons value defense, and Green has recorded at least one steal in eight of his 10 games played.
Green will not have a high usage rate, but he has the third-highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate and is drawing around 25% projected ownership. There is also a chance that Green will get blowout run if the Pistons pull ahead of the Wizards quickly. There are plenty of outs for Green to be a great value play.
Fast Break
Donovan Mitchell is neck-and-neck in projected ceiling with Anthony Edwards but costs $600 more on DraftKings. A big reason for his dip in ceiling is Darius Garland being back in the starting lineup. Most of Mitchell’s fantasy production comes from his raw scoring totals. He is averaging a career-high 30.7 points per game, which is the fifth-highest in the league. However, Mitchell is only averaging 47 DraftKings points per game. The positive is the Cavaliers are implied for a slate-high 127.5 points tonight.
Desmond Bane provides a good mix of ceiling and value at his mid-range salary of $6,100. This is the cheapest he has been all season, which is why Bane is drawing the second-highest projected ownership at 20% at this shooting guard position. Bane has been a boom-or-bust fantasy producer in his first season with the Magic. Only get exposure to Bane in tournaments, especially with the Trail Blazers being so good at defending the 3-point shot to start the season.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
The small forward position continues to lack stud options. Franz Wagner leads all small forwards in projected ceiling but ranks 18th overall, proving it is beneficial to pay up at other positions.
Wagner has been a model of consistency this season but lacks overall upside, making it best to get exposure to him in a cash-game setting. Similar to his breakout season last year, Wagner is averaging 22.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 37.4 DraftKings points per game.
Wagner came close to his first points and rebounds double-double last game, which would boost his ceiling considerably. The Trail Blazers have been a solid rebounding team and defense to start the season, but when Wagner is reaching his ceiling, he can fill up the stat sheet in a variety of ways.
Value
Leading the slate in projected ownership at 40% and projected Plus/Minus is Pistons forward Ronald Holland. He is projected to start and play a little over 30 minutes, with Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart questionable to play with their injuries. In his last start, Holland finished the game playing 33 minutes and attempted 15 field goals but connected on three for nine points, accumulating 20 DraftKings points.
Holland is one of the best values on the slate at his $4,300 price tag with dual forward eligibility. He is a cheap way to get exposure to the Pistons, who should roll against the Wizards. The Pistons in general will be the main team to target across DFS contests tonight, and Holland is a major priority.
Fast Break
Sticking with the Pistons’ forwards, Ausar Thompson is only $6,500 tonight and is very close to having the highest ceiling projection at the small forward position. Getting more opportunity to showcase his skillset, Thompson is averaging career highs across the board in points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game. He has ramped up his field goal attempts but hasn’t dipped in efficiency, shooting 50.4% from the field. Projected for over 25% ownership tonight, Thompson is another Pistons player worth targeting.
The Hornets continue to struggle, but rookie Kon Knueppel is off to a great start to his season. The versatile forward is averaging 16.4 points per game while shooting 40.5% from behind the arc. Nearly 65% of his field goal attempts have come from long distance, which bodes well in a matchup against the Lakers, who are below average at defending the perimeter. He is a direct pivot in ownership to Thompson at his $6,300 price tag and has scored 40 or more DraftKings points in three straight games.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Among the three obvious pay-up options tonight, Giannis Antetokounmpo is drawing the most ownership in a sneaky superb matchup against the Mavericks. This spot would look even better if Anthony Davis misses his sixth consecutive game due to a calf injury.
The Mavericks are allowing 55.6 points per game in the paint, which is tied for the third-most in the league. They also rank 23rd in rebounding percentage, which is music to the ears of Giannis, who is leading the league in scoring at 33.8 points and ranks fifth in rebounds at 12.3 per game.
Giannis is also $300 cheaper than Luka Doncic and is at a position that lacks other power forward talent. The Mavericks funnel their defense to paint scoring, so Giannis should feast in this matchup. He has the potential for another 80-point DraftKings scoring night like he has already done twice this season.
Value
Rookie Derik Queen is starting to find his groove in the league, scoring double-digit points in three straight games. During that stretch, Queen has displayed his versatility, averaging 12 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists and accumulating seven steals and two blocks for 33.3 DraftKings points per game.
After losing their first six games, the Pelicans have won two of their last three games. Playing Queen more has brought their team success, so getting him under $5,000 still is the time to pounce on his expanded role and opportunity. It helps that Queen also has power forward and center eligibility.
Having Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole out provides even more opportunity for Queen. They likely will struggle to win games and compete without their top two scorers, but that gives players like Queen a chance to have ceiling performances. This price is still simply too cheap.
Fast Break
Playing against each other, Paolo Banchero and Deni Avdija are both high-end targets at the power forward position. This game is projected to be the closest of the night, and both Banchero and Avdija are projected for around 15% ownership and similar ceilings. Banchero gets the slight nod in projected ceiling, but he is also $800 more. Do not sleep on Avdija, who has averaged 29.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 60.4 DraftKings points per game in his last two contests.
It is impossible to ignore what Timberwolves’ forward Julius Randle has done to start the season. He is averaging a career-high 25.2 points and a team-high 6.1 assists per game. Randle is shooting 54.9% from the field and 41.2% from behind the arc with a triple-double in two of his last four games, including a triple-double in his last matchup against the Jazz in only 26 minutes of action. If the Jazz can somehow keep this game competitive, Randle is going to be a phenomenal play at $8,100.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Now is the time to get a low-owned Victor Wembanyama. Projected for under 5% ownership and the lowest-owned stud options, Wembanyama still has the potential to break the slate regardless of the matchup. His last four games have been disappointing, but that does not take away his potential.
The Spurs are 3.5-point road favorites against the Bulls, who rank sixth in pace and in the middle of the pack in defensive rating. They are allowing 54.2 points per game in the paint, which is the seventh-highest in the league. The Bulls have also lost back-to-back games and three of their last four contests.
Wembanyama at $11,900 is the third option to Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but we have seen his ceiling, especially in the blocks department, where he leads the league, averaging 3.8 per game. The Bulls, for what it is worth, are allowing 5.8 blocks per game, which is the league’s seventh-highest.
Value
The last Pistons player to target tonight is center Jalen Duren. He has the second-highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate behind his teammate Ronald Holland. Duren has recorded 50+ DraftKings points in three straight games, averaging 24.3 points and 14.3 rebounds per game.
Duren is averaging career highs in points and rebounds per game while shooting 65.1% from the field. He is also averaging 1.3 blocks and one steal per game, providing even more upside. His price tag has risen to $7,700, but that is still popping in our NBA Models to be a strong value option.
The matchup against the Wizards frontcourt is one to attack. They are allowing 56 points per game in the paint, which is the second-highest in the league, and they rank 21st in rebounding percentage. Duren is in the running for one of the best pure plays on this eight-game slate.
Fast Break
Opposite of Jalen Duren is Wizards’ center Alex Sarr. In his second year in the league, Sarr is leading the Wizards in points, rebounds, and blocks per game. He is their young star that they are trying to build around. He may not be able to compete size-wise with Duren, but Sarr has displayed his versatility. He is averaging 18.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game this season. When game-stacking the Pistons and Wizards game, Sarr is the obvious play from the Wizards side.
Mark Williams is one of the best tournament plays to get away from the Pelicans’ chalk. He will be relatively popular himself, but he has a boom-or-bust profile that is worth targeting in tournaments. Williams has three games this season with over 44 DraftKings points and several under 30. Playing the Pelicans frontcourt is another matchup worth targeting since they rank 26th in both points scored in the paint and rebounding percentage at 47.3%.
Pictured: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Photo Credit: Imagn
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