Welcome to a Monday eight-game NBA DFS slate. I hope everyone had a great winning weekend, and here is to start the week off right. With May finally upon us, we have reached the month of the NBA playoffs. The DFS season may be coming to an end but don’t quit now, as this is a great time to bring in some winnings. 

Eight games mean there will be just the right amount of value for your lineups. Early on, I like the Pistons as a great opportunity for some value, and I expect the Warriors Pelicans game to be high scoring. 

Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool

Most Value Per Dollar

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

T.J. McConnell (PG – IND) $5,200
Obviously, follow injury news, but assuming Malcolm Brogdon will miss tonight’s game with his injury, McConnell will be locked and loaded to return the best value on the slate tonight. The Pacers guard will see an obvious minutes boost that makes his $5,200 price tag quite appealing. Furthermore, the Pacers find themselves in a wonderful fantasy matchup in an incredible pace-up spot vs. the Wizards. 

Killian Hayes (PG – DET) $4,400
Hayes has played at least 29 minutes in his last two outings, and I expect him to reach north of 30 tonight. With all the Pistons’ injuries, Hayes will be forced into a higher usage role while seeing the floor more, a great recipe for a solid fantasy outing. He has the ability to reach 30 FanDuel points and is an option in both GPP and cash tournaments.  

Josh Jackson (SG – DET) $5,200
Not to sound too repetitive, but Josh Jackson is in a similar position as Killian Hayes, and for the same reason I like Hayes tonight, I can see Jackson return 6X value tonight. It’s not as if Jackson has been excellent of late, but his minutes have been there, and this is as best of a buy-low spot as any for the Pistons guard. 

Daniel Theis (PF – CHI) $5,300
For a bit of a contrarian play this evening, I’m going with Daniel Theis. Nikola Vucevic is currently questionable, so if the Bulls center plays, then maybe don’t roster Theis in your lineups while the Bulls go up against a tough opponent in the 76ers. Theis should see a minutes and usage bump that will make him worth the $5,300 price tag. He is a GPP only play but should be low-owned, so he offers solid leverage.  

Rui Hachimura (SF – WAS) $3,900
In his last four games returning from injury, Hachimura’s usage has slowly crept up, and his minutes have consistently stayed above 28 minutes. While I prefer Hachimura in GPP lineups, you can use him in cash lineups for some salary savings. The Wizards’ small forward is a bit dependent on scoring, but he has the ability to rebound the ball, and I expect him to tally north of 20 FanDuel points. 

Willy Hernangomez (C – NO) $5,000
Again, monitor the injury news because if Steven Adams is in, obviously do not play Hernangomez. Otherwise, he is a great option, and since he is a center, his ownership will be inherently low. The Pelicans center makes a great GPP option in a big pace-up spot against the Warriors.   

Saben Lee (PG – DET) $3,500
As another value pick from the Pistons lineup, Saben Lee has a chance to return the highest value on the team. The Pistons guard has been a 1.00 FPPM guy in his last 10 games, and I see him playing right north of 20 minutes tonight to return phenomenal value.

Patrick Williams (SF – CHI) $3,800
If Vucevic is out, the whole Bulls lineup should see a fantasy boost. I expect Patrick Williams not only to see the floor more but with a higher usage rating as well. Williams has played north of 30 minutes in each of his last two games, and last time out vs. the Hawks, he tallied 26 FanDuel points. Even if Vuc does play, I could still see Williams as a solid GPP choice for tonight.    

Tobias Harris (PF – PHI) $6,900
On the other side of the ball, Tobias Harris represents a great potential to return the best value out of any power forward. The Chicago defense is not great, and Harris has been playing at a rate of 1.14 FPPM over his last five games. I see him playing around 35 minutes, making a solid GPP or cash option.  

Check out our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet for the top bets of the day

Studs Worth Their Salary

• Nikola Jokic (DEN) $10,900: I’m not gonna spend too much time on this. Just play The Joker in your cash lineups.  
• Steph Curry (GSW): $9,700: In a pace-up spot against a bad defense, I am all over playing Steph. He will be highly owned, so while he is essentially a cash game lock, it’s not a terrible idea to fade him in GPP’s. 
• Bradley Beal (WAS): $9,100: While Russell Westbrook has the higher ceiling, the overlap of scoring distributions makes me prefer playing Beal at a discount because they are both capable of reaching 50 FanDuel points.

Notable Players to Fade

• Zion Williamson (NO) $9,000: Yes, the Warriors represent a solid fantasy matchup, but Zion is simply too risky for me at his price tag. I’m going elsewhere at the power forward position.      
• Michael Porter Jr. (DEN) $8,200: The small forward position is never easy to fill, but I still would fade Porter tonight. The Lakers are a tough matchup, and it will be tough for Porter to pay off his $8,200 price.  

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.

Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool

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.

Ryan Coleman is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Ryan, check out his archive and follow him @ryancoleman_98.