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NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday (2/28)

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday (2/28)

This feels like my first Monday article in a month. It’s bizarre to see the All-Star break happen this late into the season because most teams only have 20 games remaining. We love that since all but a handful of teams are out of it, leading to a sprint over the final two months of the season!

It feels like the games have been more spread out recently, and that’s certainly the case again here. After just five games on Sunday’s main slate, we have seven games here. That’s the ideal amount for DFS because it leaves us with numerous options while not overwhelming us. There’s a ton to discuss, though, so let’s kick things off with the schedule and odds!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet partner-arrow

  • MIN at CLE (MIN -1) O/U: 222
  • IND at ORL (ORL -1) O/U: 229.5
  • CHI at MIA (MIA -3) O/U: 225.5
  • TOR at BKN (TOR -3) O/U: 222.5
  • CHA at MIL (MIL -10) O/U: 241
  • SAC at OKC (SAC -4) O/U: 222
  • SAS at MEM (MEM -8.5) O/U: 234

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros partner-arrow

Injury Report

Core Plays

Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF – MIL): $12,000 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
Giannis is the best play on the slate, and it’s really not close. The former MVP is second in the NBA with 57.4 DraftKings points per game while establishing a 40-point floor. Both of those should be easy to reach here, with Charlotte ranked second in pace and 28th in points allowed. He’s killed them this season, too, averaging 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in their three matchups.

Pascal Siakam (PF – TOR): $8,400 DraftKings, $9,100 FanDuel
Siakam is in one of the best stretches of any player all season. He’s scored at least 34 DK points in 36 of his last 38 games, averaging 45 fantasy points per game in that span. That makes this price drop truly shocking, especially since he faces a Brooklyn team that ranks 20th in defensive efficiency ratings.

Jarrett Allen (C – CLE): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
The Fro earned himself an All-Star appearance this year with his stellar play, averaging a career-best 37 DraftKings points per game. His floor is equally as impressive, scoring at least 25 DK points in 45 of 52 games this season. We love all of that against Minnesota, with the Timberwolves ranked third in pace and 22nd in total defense. Not to mention, they also surrender the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers.

Cash Game Considerations

Ja Morant (PG – MEM): $9,700 DraftKings, $10,100 FanDuel
Ja is well on his way to a Most Improved Player Award this season, and it’s easy to see why. He’s averaging 47 DK points per game for the season, scoring at least 39 fantasy points in 15 straight outings. He’s also got a 52-point average in that span, taking over this offense in the absence of Dillon Brooks. We also love that San Antonio sits 27th in points allowed and fourth in pace.

Seth Curry (PG/SG – BKN): $5,900 DraftKings, $5,900 FanDuel
With KD, Simmons, and Kyrie all expected to miss this game, Curry should be running the show once again. We expect him to play 35 minutes, take 20 shots and handle the ball on every possession, making him a viable option for 40 DK points. If he does that at this sub-$6K price tag, you’ve got the best per-dollar play on the board.

Brandon Goodwin (PG – CLE): $5,200 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
The Cavaliers backcourt has been obliterated by injuries. Garland, LeVert, and Rondo are missing for the Cavs, leaving Goodwin with all the minutes he can handle. That led to BG playing 38 minutes in his most recent outing, dropping 24 DK points despite making just two shots. The simple fact is, they can’t get him off the floor, and it means he should be $1,000 more on each site.

GPP Targets

Isaiah Jackson (PF/C – IND): $5,800 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
It looks like Jackson will be the starting center in Indiana until Myles Turner returns. We love that with his per-minute averages, averaging 13.6 DK points per game across 10.4 minutes a night for the season. That incredible rate has carried over in bigger games, with Isaiah averaging 35.3 DK points per game across 23 minutes a night in the four games he’s played over 13 minutes. We have to believe he’ll play more than 13 minutes here, making him a great GPP play around $6K.

Andre Drummond (C – BKN): $6,100 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
It’s always frustrating to use Drum because of his role, but this dude is a monster when he plays. He’s averaging 1.3 DK points per minute for his career, dropping 46 DK points across 29 minutes in his most recent outing. Limited minutes are the only thing holding him back, but if he plays at least 25 minutes, Dre should be closer to $8K on both sites.

James Johnson (SF/PF – BKN): $4,100 DraftKings, $4,500 FanDuel
JJ is being asked to play big minutes right now, and it should continue with Irving, KD, Simmons, and Harris all out. That has led to Johnson averaging 23 DK points per game across 26 minutes a night over his last seven outings. That’s all you can ask for from such a cheap player, especially since he’s cracked 32 minutes in two of the previous three outings. We also don’t mind that he faces a Toronto team that owns a 21st OPRK against opposing forwards.

Value Plays

Tyler Herro (SG – MIA): $6,300 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
With Lowry expected to miss this game, we should see high-usage Herro. That dude is always a stud anyway, with Tyler totaling a 34-point average on the season. He’s done a lot of that damage with a full roster, and we love that his usage and role will increase with the starting point guard on the sidelines. That makes it hard to believe that he’s just $6K, particularly against a Chicago team that ranks 12th in pace and 18th in total defense.

Patrick Beverley (PG – MIN): $5,000 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel
Beverley has been in this article all season, and these sites continue to make him way too cheap. He’s scored at least 23 DraftKings points in 23 of his last 25 games, generating a 29-point average in that span. That’s absurd from a player barely cracking $5K, and he should thrive against a Cleveland team that’s playing with their third-string guards.

Isaiah Roby (PF/C – OKC): $4,600 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
This FanDuel price is a bit rich, but the DraftKings price is silly. Roby is averaging 27 DK points per game across 26 minutes a night across his last five fixtures. That’s unheard of from a $4,600 player, and the Thunder will need big minutes from him with Williams, Dort, Giddey, Jerome, Robinson-Earl, and Muscala all out for OKC. The matchup is the best part of this, though, with Sacramento sitting 29th in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.

Advantageous Pricing

  • Isaiah Roby (PF/C – OKC): $4,600 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
  • Malcolm Brogdon (PG/SG – IND): $7,100 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
  • Oshae Brissett (SF/PF – IND): $5,900 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
  • Bam Adebayo (C – MIA): $8,800 DraftKings, $9,900 FanDuel
  • Brandon Clarke (PF/C – MEM): $4,800 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel
  • Keita Bates-Diop (PF – SAS): $3,200 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
  • Lonnie Walker (SG/SF – SAS): $4,500 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
  • Tre Mann (PG/SG – OKC): $5,400 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel

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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.

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