Monday’s six-game slate presents a solid opportunity to begin the DFS week with a bang, particularly because only one team – the Houston Rockets – is operating on a back-to-back. The night features a lot of intriguing teams and matchups.
Check out today’s NBA Sharpshooter from DraftKings 
Guards
Chris Clemons (PG – HOU): $3,000 @ MEM
The Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies contest is one you’d be wise to find exposure to, because both teams rank top-3 in pace, in the bottom-third of defensive rating, and the game leads the night in implied total. Clemons made his rookie debut on Sunday, accumulating 24.3 DraftKings points, ultimately getting run as the Rockets got blown out by the Miami Heat. Tonight, Russell Westbrook is expected to sit out, giving Clemons the perfect opportunity – by volume and opponent – to put together a strong night, smashing his value. Expect Clemons to be a chalky play.
Monday’s six-game slate presents a solid opportunity to begin the DFS week with a bang, particularly because only one team – the Houston Rockets – is operating on a back-to-back. The night features a lot of intriguing teams and matchups.
Check out today’s NBA Sharpshooter from DraftKings
Guards
Chris Clemons (PG – HOU): $3,000 @ MEM
The Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies contest is one you’d be wise to find exposure to, because both teams rank top-3 in pace, in the bottom-third of defensive rating, and the game leads the night in implied total. Clemons made his rookie debut on Sunday, accumulating 24.3 DraftKings points, ultimately getting run as the Rockets got blown out by the Miami Heat. Tonight, Russell Westbrook is expected to sit out, giving Clemons the perfect opportunity – by volume and opponent – to put together a strong night, smashing his value. Expect Clemons to be a chalky play.
Bradley Beal (SG – WAS): $9,400 @ DET
The least surprising news of the season is Beal needing to shoulder the majority of the load for his Washington Wizards team. Beal is currently ranked 11th in usage rate in the league, and now faces the Detroit Pistons which rank 24th in defensive rating. Not only are the Pistons weak defensively, they rank 19th in pace, but the Wizards rank 4th. There won’t be any player with more opportunities to score points in this contest, and Beal could very well pay dividends on a night where many are likely to play James Harden or Kyrie Irving.
Luke Kennard (SG – DET): $5,000 @ WAS
The Wizards simply aren’t a good defensive basketball team as it stands. The Pistons are likely to miss Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, Tim Frazier, and Reggie Jackson again tonight, providing Kennard with plenty of opportunities to play longer minutes, remain a starter, and collect more offensive usage. Kennard is coming off a 34.3-point performance in his last game on Saturday and can build off it as a cheaper volume play.
Ja Morant (PG – MEM): $6,600 @ HOU
The rookie point guard is coming off a 39.3-point performance in his last contest on Saturday night against the Phoenix Suns and has the opportunity for an even bigger workload with Jaren Jackson Jr. being doubtful for tonight’s contest. Both the Rockets and the Grizzlies love to push the ball as evidenced by their top-3 statuses in pace, and the Rockets are also 29th in defensive rating. If those stats weren’t sweet enough, Westbrook’s absence becomes an even bigger deal for Morant, leaving him with a lesser workload as a defender.
Forwards
Brandon Ingram (SF – NO): $7,200 @ BKN
Outside of his last contest, Ingram has played like an absolute superstar, topping his performances game-by-game. Ingram suffered a head injury on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, ultimately missing the entire second half, though he isn’t on the injury report and passed concussion protocol after his departure. If suited up, the matchup is a juicy one with both the Brooklyn Nets (7th) and the New Orleans Pelicans (9th) ranking in the top-10 in pace. The Nets rank 19th in defensive rating, and Ingram individually ranks 28th in usage rate in the league. The onus of “scorer” has clearly fallen on Ingram’s shoulders on his new team, and he’s done an admirable job of stepping up to the plate thus far.
Brandon Clarke (PF – MEM): $4,800 @ HOU
Starting power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. is currently listed as doubtful, potentially providing Clarke with an increased role in tonight’s matchup with the Rockets. Clarke has been relatively productive coming off the bench for the Grizzlies, and as I noted earlier for Clemons, this game represents the highest potential in the night for a fast-paced and high-scoring contest. Clarke is coming off a monster 40.8-point performance against the Suns on Saturday. One thing to note: Clarke is currently listed as probable on the injury report due to a back injury, so keep an eye on his status.
Eric Paschall (PF – GS): $5,000 @ POR
The Golden State Warriors are simply running out of bodies at this point. The team will miss Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Kevon Looney tonight, with the latter two directly impacting Paschall. Quickly seeing an increased role, Paschall has stepped up, registering 34.5 DraftKings points in his latest contest. The Portland Trail Blazers matchup isn’t amazing, but they do rank 17th in defensive rating and 8th in pace, providing whatever Warriors are left with a chance to hit value.
Centers
Hassan Whiteside (C- POR): $6,400 @ GS
The Warriors are the worst defense in the NBA, ranking 30th in defensive rating, and only look to be getting worse with Draymond Green sidelined for the next handful of games. They also rank 15th in pace, providing the Trail Blazers – which rank 8th in pace – a premier opportunity to score a lot of points. Whiteside missed Saturday’s game with a sore knee, though he’s expected to suit up tonight. Regardless, keep an eye out for his status prior to tip-off.
Andre Drummond (C – DET): $10,400 @ WAS
The Wizards rank 27th in defensive rating in the league, and the Pistons are going to miss their highest-ranking usage player in Derrick Rose in this contest. Drummond is a beneficiary, though nothing can really stop the man who’s collected 20 points and 20 rebounds four times already in 2019. Drummond has a chance to collect all the stats he possibly he can, barring any foul trouble. The Wizards present an easier matchup for him to work his offensive game.
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Sosa Kremenjas is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Sosa, check out his archive and follow him @QBsMVP.
