It’s Monday, and what better way to start the week than with a big, NBA slate and some FanDuel action? As always, we’ll name values, studs, and fades for the day’s DFS festivities. Let’s get right to it!

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Most Value Per Dollar 

Of the 10 games on the slate, only two have over/unders above 230 – SAC/NO and POR/MIL. These will be the games to target when setting lineups, though Milwaukee is favored by 10 over Portland, while New Orleans is just a four-point favorite over Portland. The latter should offer plenty of value plays with upside.

Because of the large slate, there are great plays available in all tiers at all positions. If you want to pay up, going for at least one elite PG and one elite C makes the most sense, but you have a ton of flexibility on tonight.

Below is a list of the top-10 players of the day expected to generate the most value relative to their salary.

For a full list of odds and point spreads, visit BettingPros

LaMelo Ball (PG – CHA): $6,300 at MIA
Ball was underpriced Friday, so we took advantage, and it paid off. Let’s do that again tonight. the rookie went off for a season-best 57.5 FD points Saturday as  Terry Rozier exited with an ankle injury. Rozier is questionable tonight, and is it possible we see LaMelo make his first NBA start?    

Harrison Barnes (SF – SAC): $6,100 at NO
All he does is produce. Barnes has come out of nowhere this season with a revived game that has made him highly valuable in season-long formats as well as a typically-affordable DFS play. Prior to Saturday’s dud, he averaged 22.7 points, 6.7 boards, and 5.3 dimes across his last three games. The game environment is too juicy to pass up Barnes at this price. 

Lonzo Ball (PG – NO): $5,700 vs. SAC
Another day, another Ball brother in a DFS article. Lonzo has turned it on in his last two games, averaging better than 38 FD points per contest. He doesn’t need to score a lot of points to hit value, as he’s doing it across the board with assists, rebounds, and steals. 

Jarred Vanderbilt (PF – MIN): $5,500 at CLE
Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid will be GTDs tonight, and if one or both are out, there should be additional run available for Vanderbilt. The rookie has impressed this season, and while there have been some ups and downs in his production, he has legitimate 40-point upside at a discounted price.

Gary Trent (SG – POR): $5,500 at MIL
Trent has become a staple in the Blazers’ starting lineup, and he’s made good on his bevy of minutes, averaging over 31 FD points across his last three games, including a season-high 37.2 Saturday against the Bulls. Tonight’s matchup with the Bucks projects as the highest-scoring game on the slate. Sign me up.

Tyrese Haliburton (SG – SAC): $5,400 at NO
Both Haliburton and Buddy Hield have been balling over the last couple of weeks, though Hield comes in $1.1K more expensive. I’d rather pay down for Haliburton – a guy seeing similar minutes who possesses similar upside in a fantastic matchup.

Immanuel Quickley (SG – NYK): $5,200 at CHI
Quickley has balled out recently, plain and simple. He’s scored at least 33 FD points in three of his last four games and piled up at least 25 real-life points in each of his last two. What’s most encouraging is that he’s averaged just under 24 minutes over the last week after playing sparingly to start the season. As long as he continues to see minutes in this range, Quickley makes a great tournament target. His $5.2K price tag is quite appealing here.

Xavier Tillman (PF – MEM): $5,100 at SA
Tillman has posted at least 20 FD points in six straight, taking advantage of Jonas Valanciunas‘ absence along the way. He’s got a stellar matchup with San Antonio on tap, and Valanciunas will sit this one out. 

Cam Reddish (SG – ATL): $4,600 vs. LAL
With De’Andre Hunter out of the lineup, Reddish should enjoy some additional run, and his price is far too low for a guy who’s likely to see minutes in the low 30’s.

Hassan Whiteside (C – SAC): $4,000 at NO
Whiteside is a constant risk this season, but there’s reward to be had. He’s seen his minutes trend up over the last week and played 20 in two straight. The per-minute production is what we’re looking for, and at only $4K, he makes a nice pivot in tournaments. I’m not touching him in cash games, though.

Studs Worth Their Salary

• Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) $11,600: He’s gone for at least 60 FD points in three straight and faces a generous Portland defense tonight.
• Andre Drummond (CLE) $8,800: Are you kidding me? This price against the most vulnerable fantasy defense out there? Drummond is a huge value.
• Jimmy Butler (MIA) $8,700: Butler went off for 30/7/8 and 50.4 FD points in his return. He’s still vastly underpriced given the huge upside.
• Nikola Jokic (DEN) $10,900: He just obliterated the Jazz for 74.9 FD points last night, and any time his price falls below $11K, he’s an instant value.

Notable Players to Fade

• Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) $10,500: Even if he’s able to return from a multi-game absence tonight, I’m not willing to spend $10.5K on him in his first game back.
• Devin Booker (PHO) $7,600: Just like Towns, I’m fading Booker if he’s able to return from a hamstring injury that’s kept him out of action for four straight.
• Chris Paul (PHO) $7,800: If Booker returns, Paul’s value instantly takes a hit. Even if Booker remains out, there are better options on the slate with similar or cheaper salaries.
• Luka Doncic (DAL) $10,700: He’s scored 45 or fewer FD points in each of his last three games and four of five. The over/under on PHO/DAL is a paltry 215, and similar to Paul above, there are better options than Doncic in this price range.

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Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.

Zachary Hanshew is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.