DraftKings NBA Lineup Advice: Monday (1/21)

As we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, the NBA brings us a smorgasbord of games throughout the day and night. DraftKings has split up the schedule into a five-game early slate and a four-game evening slate. This article will focus on the four-game evening slate that begins at 6 p.m. ET.

The night slate has some marquee teams on the docket, which should make for a fun DFS action. The one injury situation to watch is in Philadelphia with both Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler listed as questionable as of this writing. The small slate also gives us one obvious high-priced stud to keep jamming into our DFS lineups.

Note that some of the stats referenced in this article are my custom DvP calculations that combine both season and last-five-games data along with blending similar positions production allowed together.

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One Stud

James Harden (PG/SG – HOU): $13,200 @ PHI
James Harden continues to be the high-priced stud to roster every time he steps on the court. His salary on DraftKings is still not high enough for the insane run he is on. Harden “only” scored 48 points in the Rockets’ overtime win on Saturday against the Lakers after putting up 58 and 57 points in his two previous outings. He has topped 70 DraftKings points in six straight games. Look for more of the same in a road matchup against the Sixers in a game with a tight line and high Vegas total.

Core Plays

Ben Simmons (PG/SF – PHI): $8,600 vs. HOU
Ben Simmons is a solid option on Monday if all of the Sixers stars play. If Embiid and/or Butler are ruled out, then Simmons takes a leap into must-start territory. He has been on a role over his last nine games, averaging close to a triple-double with 19.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game. If Embiid sits, then Mike Muscala ($3,600) also comes into play. If Butler is out, Furkan Korkmaz ($3,000) gets back into the mix as a potential value option.

Rudy Gobert (C – UTH): $8,500 vs. POR
Rudy Gobert has been a monster down low for the Jazz over his last four games, averaging 18.8 points and 19.5 rebounds on his way to 56.9 DraftKings points per game. I would prioritize him over Simmons if Embiid and Butler play. Gobert has also been solid against the Blazers this season, recording 14.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game for 42.4 DK points. Keep riding the Jazz big man while he is dominating the glass.

DeMarcus Cousins (PF/C – GS): $5,700 @ LAL
DeMarcus Cousins produced about what I expected in his Warriors debut, tallying 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists in 15 minutes of action. Per ESPN’s Nick Friedell, he should see about 20 minutes on Monday night against the Lakers. That is plenty of time for him to flirt with a double-double and exceed five-times value on his still low salary, which only went up $200 since Friday’s last game. Keep taking advantage of Boogie’s cheap price tag for as long as possible.

P.J. Tucker (SF/PF – HOU): $5,300 @ PHI
With Clint Capela out, P.J. Tucker has actually been one of the biggest benefactors. He played 42 minutes in each of the last two contests while averaging 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game. The rebounding numbers have particularly jumped with the Rockets playing small-ball lineups that put Tucker down low to battle the big men. He should continue to log big minutes, which allows him to stuff the stat sheet.

Value Plays

Royce O’Neale (SF – UTH): $4,600 vs. POR
The Jazz remain short-handed in their backcourt, which opens up plenty of playing time for Royce O’Neale. He has played at least 36 minutes in four of his last five games. While his production can be volatile, he has put up at least 22 DK points in each of the four games when exceeding 36 minutes. He posted at least 32 DK points in three of those games. O’Neale has a decent matchup on Monday against the Trail Blazers, who have allowed a small uptick in points, rebounds, and blocks to SFs this season.

Ivica Zubac (C – LAL): $4,500 vs. GS
Ivica Zubac has re-emerged for the Lakers over the last two games, averaging 21.5 points and 9.5 rebounds. His playing time could disappear as quickly as it has surfaced, which likely limits him to a GPP play unless we get some news confirming that he will see 20-plus minutes on Monday night. Zubac put up 18 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes against the Warriors earlier this season, but that was without contending with Cousins on the other side.

Lance Stephenson (PG/SG – LAL): $4,000 vs. GS
With Lonzo Ball’s injury and Rajon Rondo not quite ready to return to the court, Lance Stephenson should receive more short-term playing time. Playing 25 minutes in the previous game in which Ball got hurt, Stephenson poured in 16 points to go along with four assists against the Rockets. An increase in minutes isn’t out of the question for Stephenson in an up-tempo matchup against the Warriors.

Andre Iguodala (SG/SF – GS): $3,900 @ LAL
In order to fit in Harden at the top, we’ll need to find some deep value somewhere to plug into our lineups. Andre Iguodala has provided solid and consistent production over his last four games, contributing 8.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while exceeding 22 DK points in each outing. He doesn’t have much upside but should be a safe, cheap option who allows you to roster Harden and some other high-upside players.

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Brad Richter is a Featured Writer and Correspondent at FantasyPros and a contributor at DailyOverlay. For more from Brad, you can view his archive or follow him @RotoPilot.