Monday features a nine-game NBA slate that has five games with teams as double-digit favorites. I don’t expect blowouts to affect playing time too much so early in the season with the possible exception of Golden State. who is playing the second game of a back-to-back and their third game in the last four days.
With almost a week of the season under our belt, we are starting to get a feel for how rotations will work out and how much playing time players will get on a nightly basis. However, we are still early enough in the season that there is plenty of value to be had even on very good players playing in favorable matchups.
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One Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF/PF – MIL): $11,100 vs. NY
While LeBron James still tries to find his way in L.A., I’m going to opt for Antetokounmpo as my top stud to pay up for if you want to go that route with your lineup construction. Antetokounmpo has put up at least 25 points and 15 rebounds in each of his first two games. He’ll face the Knicks on Monday, a team that he averaged 26.7 points and 10.7 rebounds against last season in three meetings. Another 25 and 15 night is well within reach for the Greek Freak.
Monday features a nine-game NBA slate that has five games with teams as double-digit favorites. I don’t expect blowouts to affect playing time too much so early in the season with the possible exception of Golden State. who is playing the second game of a back-to-back and their third game in the last four days.
With almost a week of the season under our belt, we are starting to get a feel for how rotations will work out and how much playing time players will get on a nightly basis. However, we are still early enough in the season that there is plenty of value to be had even on very good players playing in favorable matchups.
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One Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF/PF – MIL): $11,100 vs. NY
While LeBron James still tries to find his way in L.A., I’m going to opt for Antetokounmpo as my top stud to pay up for if you want to go that route with your lineup construction. Antetokounmpo has put up at least 25 points and 15 rebounds in each of his first two games. He’ll face the Knicks on Monday, a team that he averaged 26.7 points and 10.7 rebounds against last season in three meetings. Another 25 and 15 night is well within reach for the Greek Freak.
Core Plays
Jimmy Butler (SG/SF – MIN): $8,000 vs. IND
Butler didn’t play on Saturday as he got a day off for rest on the second game of a back-to-back since he didn’t play during the preseason while the Timberwolves looked for a trade partner. The lack of playing time in the preseason and trade distractions don’t seem to be affecting Butler’s play on the court as he has put up 28.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists his first two games of the season. The Wolves will face the Pacers on Monday as a small Vegas favorite in a game with a high Vegas total. Sounds like the perfect combo for another strong effort from Butler.
LaMarcus Aldridge (PF/C – SA): $7,800 @ LAL
Much like Butler, Aldridge is a player that has a high floor with some upside and is very reasonably priced. Aldridge had a monster game in the opener against the Timberwolves with 21 points and 19 rebounds before falling off in his second game against the Trail Blazers (12 points, eight rebounds). Look for a performance closer to the first game on Monday with a favorable matchup against the Lakers who gave up 19 points and 12 boards to Clint Capela and 16 points and nine rebounds to Jusuf Nurkic in their first two games.
Rudy Gobert (C – UTA): $7,500 vs. MEM
I debated this spot between Gobert and Enes Kanter ($7,300) who are similarly priced and have had similar production so far this season. I’m giving the edge to Gobert since I have some concerns that Kanter could lose a few minutes if the Bucks go with a small-ball lineup, while Gobert should get all the minutes he can handle defending the Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol. Gobert has been his usual double-double machine over the first two games while averaging 17.5 points and 13.0 rebounds per contest.
Klay Thompson (SG – GS): $5,600 vs. PHO
Thompson has been slow out of the gate this season shooting just two-for-16 from three-point range while averaging just 13.7 points through the first three games. Look for Thompson to have an opportunity to find his shooting stroke at home against the Suns, who allowed the second-most points to opposing SGs last season. I’m also not concerned about Thompson’s minutes even in a potential blowout.
Value Plays
Lonzo Ball (PG – LAL): $5,500 vs. SA
The Lakers will be a little shorthanded on Monday after the suspension of Rajon Rondo and Brandon Ingram for their involvement in the skirmish with the Rockets over the weekend. That will open up more minutes for Ball, Josh Hart ($5,100), and Kyle Kuzma ($5,500) who are all potential value options to consider for DFS lineups. Ball had his minutes limited a little bit to start the season, but reportedly looked great in Sunday’s practice and could be ready to jump into the 30-plus minutes range with Rondo out the next few games. He’ll face a Spurs team that doesn’t seem to have the defensive prowess of past years.
Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF – MEM): $5,200 @ UTA
The Grizzlies rookie out of Michigan State, Jackson Jr., has played over 25 minutes in each of his first two games while averaging 17.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per night. Jackson could join the starting lineup on Monday and see an increase in minutes with the loss of starting PF JaMychal Green for a few weeks with a broken jaw. Jackson doesn’t get the easiest of matchups on Monday against the Jazz, but the combination of increased minutes and his low salary should still allow him to reach at least five or six times value on his cost.
JaVale McGee (C – LAL): $4,900 vs. SA
McGee is only playing about 20 minutes per night but has been very effective in those minutes averaging 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per game. He should continue to get some easy buckets with LeBron James drawing all of the defensive attention and good passers like James and Ball feeding him. If you want to try to fit in Antetokounmpo, then you’ll probably need to pay down at center for a guy like McGee.
Isaiah Canaan (PG – PHO): $4,300 @ GS
Canaan has been the starting PG for the Suns to begin the season. He has played over 30 minutes in each of the first two games while putting up a solid average of 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists for the up-tempo Suns. There should be plenty of fast-paced action on Monday with the Suns visiting the Warriors in the game with the highest Vegas point total on the slate. Canaan has exceeded six times his current salary in each of his first two games and with is salary just creeping upwards he is still a strong value option.
Brad Richter is a correspondent at FantasyPros and a contributor at DailyOverlay and GoingFor2. For more from Brad, you can view his archive or follow him @RotoPilot.
