FanDuel NBA Lineup Advice: Monday (12/10)

Welcome to another edition of NBA FanDuel lineup advice. We kick-off the week with a huge 11 game slate tonight providing a ton of different lineup construction options. When there are so many options with such a large slate I like to focus on games that look to provide high over/unders in addition to a close spread. So keep an eye on those Vegas numbers, paying attention to those can help be the deciding factor between players. This doesn’t mean completely ignoring players in the other games, but for me, such players have to be clear and obvious choices. Also with a large slate, it’s important to identify the superstar(s) that you can’t miss on and look to have the highest chance to meet value because choosing the wrong ones can sink you for the night.

This article is to highlight players I’ll be focusing in on and trying to get into my lineups tonight. My goal is to identify the players which I believe have the highest chance to return value and get your lineup into the green. I’ll list two players for each position with the exception of center which will have one. As always with the NBA, players can be listed out at a moment’s notice minutes before tip-off so please be careful and pay attention all the way up to that 7:00 pm (EST) start. As always I wish you the best of luck finishing in the green!

Check out today’s NBA Slam from FanDuel

Point Guard

Kyrie Irving (BOS): $8,500 vs. NOR
Kyrie will be fresh for tonight’s matchup against a Pelicans team that ranks 29^th against point guards as a result of playing just 22 minutes in a blowout on Saturday. Of all the starters on the Celtics Irving dominates usage, recording almost a full seven percentage points higher than Jayson Tatum who ranks second. He’d be a good option if you choose to fade Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons, which may not be a bad idea given their matchups against tougher, slower paced opponents. Also don’t forget this is the same Pelicans team Irving went for 26 points, five rebounds, 10 assists and five steals against just two weeks ago. Even if he falls short of a repeat performance it’s easy to take the chance Irving could exceed his desired 5x value of 42.5 FanDuel (FD) points tonight. With proven success, high usage rate and a cap-friendly salary in relation to other stars Kyrie Irving would be a solid play tonight.

Tomas Satoransky (WAS): $4,300 at IND
Satoranksy shows up in this article as a speculative option in the case John Wall does in face miss tonight’s game. Wall has been dealing with bone spurs in his heel on top of not feeling well, he missed practice on Sunday and remains highly questionable tonight. Enter Satoransky, who is more than a serviceable replacement. While the matchup is nothing to salivate over against a Pacers team ranking third against point guards, keep in mind the last time Satoransky started for Wall he posted a 14 point, four rebound, seven assist stat line. With such an affordable salary it’s easy to see a scenario in which he exceeds the 21.5 FD points needed to get to 5x value if he draws the start tonight. I wanted to highlight him because if Wall is listed out Satoransky could provide nice salary relief allowing you to spend up on guys around him.

Shooting Guard

Zach LaVine (CHI): $8,100 vs. SAC
This perhaps is one of the few no-brainers for the slate tonight. Zach LaVine draws a matchup with the Kings who rank 24^th against shooting guards, in a game with a 225 point over/under that should remain close until the end. LaVine is the lead dog and the number one option for a bad team meaning he will get all the opportunity he can handle tonight, add in the high-scoring game factor and LaVine is a near lock for lineups. Outside of Saturday’s debacle against the Celtics, LaVine has recorded 40 or more FD points in three of the past six games. Of all starting shooting guards on the slate tonight he owns the highest usage percentage at 31 percent. This mix of opportunity and matchup make LaVine a solid play this evening.

Jimmy Butler (PHI): $8,200 vs. DET
While Detroit does rank 14^th against shooting guards and plays at a slower pace (ranks 14^th in the league versus seventh for the 76ers), Jimmy Butler has been playing lights out the past couple games. He’s posted two straight games of at 50+ FD points, scoring 38 points in each of the past two. One of those games came against this same Detroit Pistons team on Friday. In that game, Butler posted a stat line of 38 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals resulting in 66.2 FD points. I’m not saying he will repeat that performance tonight, surely the Pistons will try to limit his effectiveness tonight. However, even with some regression Butler will need 41 FD points to get 5x value, which he’s done in three of the past six. In those three games, he’s reached 5x value he’s hit at least 55 FD points in each. Butler is a solid pick tonight due to matchup, recent play and his high floor/high ceiling combination.

Small Forward

Kevin Durant (GSW): $10,300 vs. MIN
Durant gets a matchup with a Timberwolves team that ranks 29^th against the small forward position in a game that sports a 226 over/under. While this game does have blowout potential I’m relying on the fact Kevin Durant leads the Warriors in usage, which gives him a chance the production needed would come early and often. In the prior matchup with Minnesota Durant produced 33 points, 13 rebounds and three assists resulting in 52.1 FD points. He’s also finished with 50 or more FD points in seven of the past 10 games, including 70+ FD points twice.  Golden State has an implied total of 118 points meaning there will be plenty enough to go around. Durant would be a smart pick tonight based on matchup, recent play, usage rate and the high implied total. His salary is also the most playable of the top three superstar small forwards tonight.

Nemanja Bjelica (SAC): $4,600 at CHI
Bjelica finds himself in this list as another cap-friendly option in a really good matchup against a terrible Bulls team who is going through a coaching change and fresh off a historic loss. Chicago ranks 23^rd against the small forward position in a game with an over/under of 225, meaning there should be plenty of opportunity for Bjelica to achieve the 21.5 FD points needed to get 5x value. He’s reached that number twice in the past four games and is coming off a six-point, 12 rebound performance resulting in 25.4 FD points on Saturday. While his scoring is very inconsistent he does offer upside with his rebounding and Chicago is a bottom three team in rebounding percentage, so his supplemental stats should help carry him in case his scoring isn’t there. He’s finished with at least five rebounds in five of the past six games and has scored in double-figures in four of the past six. Bjelica is a good option if you’re looking to save cap space and still get good value, he finds himself in a good matchup in a game with a high over/under.

Power Forward

Lauri Markkanen (CHI): $6,700 vs. SAC
This may seem like a lofty salary for a player on a bad team who is only four games back from a lengthy injury. This matchup is tough to ignore tonight however, both teams struggle defensively evidenced by the high over/under of 225. Sacramento ranks 26^th against power forwards and Markkanen is definitely a talented enough attacker to expose that matchup. He will need 33.5 FD points to get to 5x value, which he’s done in two of the four games since his return. Coincidentally both of those games he exceeded value he played over 25 minutes, it’d be easy to see him logging more than 25 minutes tonight. Markkanen ranks second on the Bulls in usage already, which is evidence of the opportunities he’ll be getting going forward. It’s a good chance to capitalize on a plus matchup in a high-scoring game with a player that ranks in the top two in usage on his team. He will carry double-double upside into this game and comes in at a very cap-friendly salary.

Jayson Tatum (BOS): $6,800 vs. NOR
New Orleans ranks 22^nd against the power forward position and is a pace-up matchup for the Celtics. This is good news for Jayson Tatum who ranks second on the Celtics in usage rate and who’s been very consistent of late. He’s recorded nine straight games of at least 20 FD points, which means he offers your lineup a solid floor.  Tatum is a near lock to get at least 11 shot attempts and is a more than capable rebounder. While his ceiling seems to be about 40-45 FD points, what you are paying for in Tatum is consistency and a stabilizing factor in your lineup. You could afford to take a risk elsewhere and deploy Tatum in your lineup with confidence. His appearance in this list is a result of recent consistent play, opportunity and the plus matchup.

Center

DeAndre Ayton (PHO): $6,600 vs. ORL
There was a question of whether or not DeAndre Ayton would play tonight, but it’s been confirmed he is good to go and will be in the starting lineup. This is good news as he will be available to take advantage of this matchup with the Magic who rank 25^th against the center position. Ayton offers double-double upside every night and is one of the lone bright spots on a bad Phoenix team. He’s recorded four double-doubles in the past eight games and has scored in double-figures in five straight. With Devin Booker listed out for tonight’s game, there will be more points to go around for the other members of the starting five. Ayton has scored in double-figures in each of the games Booker has missed. In addition, Ayton has averaged nine and a half rebounds per game over the past four games. It’d be safe to deploy him into lineups with a good chance of a double-double in this plus matchup.

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Chris Berg is a correspondent at FantasyPros. You can follow him on Twitter @bergey13.