Monday night starts off the week with a huge 11-game NBA slate. While the big slate gives us plenty of options, it is a night where a bunch of the high-priced studs might not take the floor. This opens up some mid-priced value and leads me to a more balanced approach for lineup construction. Keep an eye on the status of James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo in particular as their availability will drive a lot of the roster decisions Monday night.
Note that some of the stats referenced in this article are my custom defense versus position (DvP) calculations that combine both season-long data and data from last five games along with blending similar positional production allowed together.
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One Stud
LeBron James (SF/PF – LAL): $11,200 @ MEM
Truth be told, I will likely skip playing a high-priced stud in my main cash lineup on Monday night. That said, if I do pay up for someone, it will be James. With so many studs either out or questionable to play, it really limits the pool and James and the Lakers have the most to play for as they try to work their way into a playoff spot. James has averaged almost a triple-double in two meetings with the Grizzlies this season, averaging 21.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game. He has scored at least 27 points in three straight outings and will need a big game to get a win on the road.
Monday night starts off the week with a huge 11-game NBA slate. While the big slate gives us plenty of options, it is a night where a bunch of the high-priced studs might not take the floor. This opens up some mid-priced value and leads me to a more balanced approach for lineup construction. Keep an eye on the status of James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo in particular as their availability will drive a lot of the roster decisions Monday night.
Note that some of the stats referenced in this article are my custom defense versus position (DvP) calculations that combine both season-long data and data from last five games along with blending similar positional production allowed together.
Create DraftKings lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
One Stud
LeBron James (SF/PF – LAL): $11,200 @ MEM
Truth be told, I will likely skip playing a high-priced stud in my main cash lineup on Monday night. That said, if I do pay up for someone, it will be James. With so many studs either out or questionable to play, it really limits the pool and James and the Lakers have the most to play for as they try to work their way into a playoff spot. James has averaged almost a triple-double in two meetings with the Grizzlies this season, averaging 21.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game. He has scored at least 27 points in three straight outings and will need a big game to get a win on the road.
Core Plays
Chris Paul (PG – HOU): $8,300 vs. ATL
If James Harden sits out on Monday, then Paul becomes a lock for me. He put up 23 points and 17 assists on Saturday with Harden out and gets a very appealing matchup on Monday against the Hawks. The Hawks have allowed increased production across the board to PGs this season with more points (+9.4%), rebounds (+2.2%), assists (+6.9%), and steals (+14.6%). Paul is a solid option even if Harden suits up, but drops from a must-play to merely a good option.
Ben Simmons (PG/SF – PHI): $8,000 @ NO
With Joel Embiid still out, Simmons will continue to be one of the main beneficiaries. In the two games since the break, Simmons has averaged 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. He gets a sensational game environment on Monday against the Pelicans in a matchup with the highest Vegas total on the slate. It’s also great to get a PG that you can plug into the SF slot on DraftKings. Simmons should flirt with a triple-double Monday night.
Lauri Markkanen (PF/C – CHI): $7,900 vs. MIL
Markkanen has been on a tear for the Bulls. He has put up at least 41 DraftKings points in eight straight outings while averaging 26.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game during that stretch. One of those games was a 20-point, 17-rebound effort against the Bucks for 51.25 DK points. Markkanen will get another matchup with Milwaukee, which is expected to be without Giannis Antetokounmpo. When a player has a floor of about five times his salary, he has to be given strong consideration.
Khris Middleton (SG/SF – MIL): $6,300 @ CHI
Speaking of the expected absence of Antetokounmpo, that means increased usage for the rest of the Bucks starters including Middleton. He has seen a 6.6% usage increase with Antetokounmpo off the court this season. Meanwhile, he has averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists for 39.2 DK points in three previous meeting with Chicago. Middleton is coming off a big 28-point night in his last game that he’ll look to carry over into Monday night. Bucks guards Eric Bledsoe ($6,400) and Malcolm Brogdon ($5,400) should also be given consideration if Antetokounmpo is out.
Value Plays
Nikola Mirotic (PF/C – MIL): $5,400 @ CHI
Sticking with the Bucks, look for Mirotic to have his breakout game for his new team on Monday night. He should see an increase in minutes and usage if Antetokounmpo is out and will visit one of his former teams with a trip to Chicago to face the Bulls. Mirotic put up 17 points and six rebounds in just 18 minutes on Saturday and should push his playing time into the mid-20s on Monday night.
Jarrett Allen (C – BKN): $5,100 vs. SA
There are a variety of other players that can fill the center slot for you on DraftKings Monday night, but Allen should also be considered at his current price and production. Allen has produced three straight double-doubles with 11.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game during the streak. He has also blocked nine shots in the last three games and could continue to put up some secondary stats to increase his upside on Monday against the Spurs. He put up 31.75 DK points in a previous meeting with the Spurs thanks to two blocks and two steals, even though he only corralled three rebounds that night.
Eric Gordon (SG/SF – HOU): $4,600 vs. ATL
The recommendation of Gordon is dependent on the status of Harden for Monday’s game against the Hawks. If Harden sits out, then Gordon becomes a strong value option in a great matchup. He put up 25 points against the Warriors on Saturday with Harden out and should get plenty of minutes and shots if Harden misses Monday’s game. The Hawks give up increased production in every fantasy category to wings this season.
Kelly Olynyk (PF/C – MIA): $3,900 vs. PHO
Olynyk should see a slight bump in minutes on Monday with James Johnson likely to miss the game. He can produce a good fantasy line when given the minutes and he draws a very favorable matchup on Monday with the Suns coming to town. The Suns have given up increased points (+5.7%), rebounds (+6.0%), assists (+8.7%), steals (+15.6%), and blocks (+20.2%) to PFs this season. Olynyk is priced at a point that could yield him 10x his salary if he gets 30-plus minutes of court time.
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Brad Richter is a featured writer at FantasyPros and a contributor at DailyOverlay. For more from Brad, you can view his archive or follow him @RotoPilot.
