Kicking the week off right, Monday’s schedule is slated for a heavy nine-game slate with the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves all operating on a back-to-back. As usual, tip-off locks at 7 p.m. EST.
Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel 
Point Guard
Ja Morant (MEM): $8,000 @ GSW
Morant is finally expected to return after a four-game absence, so make sure to keep an eye on his status and any potential minutes restrictions that may follow. If Morant is cleared, he’s a great play tonight as the Golden State Warriors rank 25th in defensive rating and 19th in pace. Morant was playing great prior to the injury, scoring 45+ FanDuel points in three of his last four games. The quick pace of this contest plays right into the hands of Morant.
Markelle Fultz (ORL): $6,200 @ MIL
Fultz does not possess a good matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks which rank 1st in defensive rating and 1st in pace, but the game does pose some intrigue because of the speed of which the Bucks operate. Although it is a tough matchup – both individually and as a whole – Fultz should have plenty of opportunities to jack up shots in a game where the Orlando Magic are very likely to be playing keep-up. Just as a note, Fultz has struggled in his past two contests.
Kicking the week off right, Monday’s schedule is slated for a heavy nine-game slate with the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves all operating on a back-to-back. As usual, tip-off locks at 7 p.m. EST.
Check out today’s NBA Shot from FanDuel
Point Guard
Ja Morant (MEM): $8,000 @ GSW
Morant is finally expected to return after a four-game absence, so make sure to keep an eye on his status and any potential minutes restrictions that may follow. If Morant is cleared, he’s a great play tonight as the Golden State Warriors rank 25th in defensive rating and 19th in pace. Morant was playing great prior to the injury, scoring 45+ FanDuel points in three of his last four games. The quick pace of this contest plays right into the hands of Morant.
Markelle Fultz (ORL): $6,200 @ MIL
Fultz does not possess a good matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks which rank 1st in defensive rating and 1st in pace, but the game does pose some intrigue because of the speed of which the Bucks operate. Although it is a tough matchup – both individually and as a whole – Fultz should have plenty of opportunities to jack up shots in a game where the Orlando Magic are very likely to be playing keep-up. Just as a note, Fultz has struggled in his past two contests.
Shooting Guard
Donovan Mitchell (UTA): $8,200 vs. OKC
With starting PG Mike Conley being ruled out, the intrigue for Mitchell skyrockets. As a primary ball-handler, Mitchell will be given more opportunities to score and facilitate, which is a great endeavor when facing the Oklahoma City Thunder as they rank 14th in defensive rating and 22nd in pace. The matchup is only average, but Mitchell poses a potential star-studded option at a non-premium price. Mitchell has struggled to reach value this season, but this is the perfect opportunity for Spida to get back on track. Mitchell ranks 10th in the league in usage rate, a number that can only go up with Conley sidelined.
Norman Powell (TOR): $5,700 @ CHI
Starting SG Fred VanVleet’s status needs to be monitored as it will wholeheartedly decide whether or not Powell will be an option tonight. VanVleet was injured in last night’s game, though he ultimately returned to the bench. If VanVleet is held out, Powell is likely to be inserted into the lineup – once again – as a starter at the two-spot. Powell doesn’t offer much intrigue at all as a bench option on a healthy Toronto Raptors team, but as a starter, he’ll have enough playing time and opportunities to reach value. The Chicago Bulls rank 12th in both defensive rating and pace. Powell scored 23.7 FanDuel points in the last contest against the Bulls this season.
Small Forward
Paul George (OKC): $8,700 @ IND
George sounds like he’ll play on the second leg of a back-to-back, but like some of the other players in this lineup, ensure you’re eyeing his status as we near tip-off. The status for Kawhi Leonard is also unknown, which surely relates to PG13. It’s a homecoming game for PG13 as he’ll visit the Indiana Pacers, his former team. George is coming off a strong 54.2-point performance last night in only 25 minutes of playing time. The Pacers are a tough matchup as they rank 8th in defensive rating and 23rd in pace, but the usage rate should skyrocket for George if Leonard is ultimately held out for load management.
Jae Crowder (MEM): $5,700 @ GSW
Crowder has generally been steady as a rock for the Grizzlies, and he gets a nice boost with a good matchup against a weak defensive team in the Warriors. Crowder is coming off two strong performances that saw him score over 27 FanDuel points in both of his past two contests. The pace in this game should allow multiple players to return value and Crowder is a decent bet with his defensive ability.
Power Forward
Daniel Theis (BOS): $4,600 vs. CLE
The projected lineups have Theis likely to start at the five-spot tonight for the Boston Celtics, which increases the intrigue for the big-man. The Cleveland Cavaliers are not a good defense as they rank 27th in defensive rating but only 24th in pace, but that probably won’t matter much for Theis. His role will be to clean up around the rim, protect the paint, and to pull down as many rebounds as possible. The Celtics have the 4th highest implied total of the night.
Royce O’Neale (UTA): $3,900 vs. OKC
O’Neale offers virtually no upside, but the choice to pay-down at the four-spot tonight is very real and O’Neale offers a decent option at a cheap price. Not only is O’Neale a starter, but the absence of Conley should afford him a few more opportunities, and it doesn’t take much to return value at his current price tag. O’Neale is coming off a strong performance in which he totaled 29 FanDuel points.
Center
Jonas Valanciunas (MEM): $8,800 @ GSW
Valanciunas has been priced up aggressively, but he has one of the best matchups of the night as the Warriors aren’t good against opposing big-men. JV has typically always been one of the best per-minute producers in the league, which is why it’s crucial to monitor his playing time. JV is coming off only 20 minutes in his latest game (20.2 FanDuel points), but the contest prior saw him register 28 minutes of playing time (totaling 58.1 FanDuel points). Valanciunas – and the remainder of his teammates – have a great opportunity in a positive matchup against the Warriors tonight.
Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
Sosa Kremenjas is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Sosa, check out his archive and follow him @QBsMVP.
