Welcome to the Monday NBA DFS slate. It’s been a good start to the season. If you’re going to play NBA DFS, you have to keep in mind lineup announcements and stay tuned for late swapping. That is going to be the easiest way to stay ahead of the field and in the money.
There are only three games tonight, so you’ll have to get creative. In the end, it’s about making the right choices and picking your spots, which is why I’m here. Let’s break down the top plays for this slate.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
Welcome to the Monday NBA DFS slate. It’s been a good start to the season. If you’re going to play NBA DFS, you have to keep in mind lineup announcements and stay tuned for late swapping. That is going to be the easiest way to stay ahead of the field and in the money.
There are only three games tonight, so you’ll have to get creative. In the end, it’s about making the right choices and picking your spots, which is why I’m here. Let’s break down the top plays for this slate.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
NBA DFS Core Plays
- DraftKings: $9,400
- FanDuel: $8,300
De’Aaron Fox is a lock on FanDuel and a solid option on DraftKings. Either way, we’re starting with the Spurs guard for tonight’s slate. With no Victor Wembanyama, Fox has buoyed the San Antonio offense, and his price has continued to inflate on DraftKings. But with a three-game slate, you need to value raw points.
Fox might not project for a big return on investment (ROI), but he is still projected as one of the highest scorers. It also helps that the Spurs face New Orleans. Not only is this defense ranked third-worst in the league, but this game features the highest total of the slate. Stephon Castle is questionable. If he’s limited at all, that’s only more run for Fox. The Kentucky product has shown a ceiling of over 60 points. With the high usage rate and lacking defense, this is looking like a ceiling game for the Spurs guard.
- DraftKings: $8,800
- FanDuel: $8,700
I’m surprised by how often Pascal Siakam shows up in this article with the Pacers’ 5-18 record and second-worst-ranked offense, but I keep going back to the Pacers frontcourt option. Siakam averages over 34 minutes a night and has been steadily on the rise, with a usage rate up to 34%.
Sacramento plays worse on the road and ranks as the fifth-worst defense. The Kings also allow the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards. If they are going to struggle, it would be against Siakam. It also doesn’t help that Keegan Murray is questionable.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
- DraftKings: $6,700
- FanDuel: $6,600
With no Devin Booker for the second straight game, we have a clear value-ceiling combination for Collin Gillespie. He may have had a dud of a performance last time out on Friday, but Monday is a different story.
Minnesota isn’t exactly the easiest defense, but when Gillespie is on the court, he has a usage rate of 24%. He will see the court for over 30 minutes. That combination against any team is a high floor for someone who is sub-$7,000. It’s a three-game slate, so it’s hard to really find someone who is a lock to return value. Gillespie ranks high on that board given today’s options.
- DraftKings: $8,500
- FanDuel: $8,100
It’s hard to find a player as consistent as Julius Randle. In his 23 games, the Timberwolves power forward has scored fewer than 30 fantasy points once. That’s insane. The total isn’t exactly high in this game, but Phoenix has its fair share of holes in its defense.
While Randle has gone over 50 fantasy points in six different games this season, he’s yet to ascend past 60 DraftKings points in a game all season. He can be sprinkled into GPP lineups just because of how few games there are, but he’s an ideal cash option at the current pricing.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
- DraftKings: $7,800
- FanDuel: $8,200
For GPP options, I’m starting with who I expect to be the highest usage option on the lowest rostered team. The Pelicans are pretty decimated as is, which already gives a leg up for Trey Murphy to see more time on the court. Zion Williamson, Herbert Jones and Jordan Poole are all likely to miss Monday’s game, barring any changes.
Recently, the Pelicans guard-forward has seen a 27% usage rate while playing nearly 37 minutes a game. For the GPP aspect, Murphy has reached 60 DraftKings points multiple times this season, and that’s what we’re going for tonight. Rostership is still coming in for the first run of projections, but even with how bad New Orleans is, Murphy will be low-rostered.
- DraftKings: $7,500
- FanDuel: $7,300
Is there anyone who’s a better GPP play than Russell Westbrook? The Sacramento guard’s pricing has been a roller coaster this year, getting all the way up to $8,400, but it’s settled and is sub-$8,000 for this slate. Westbrook has shown he still has it with multiple 60+ DraftKings point efforts this year. The Pacers rank in the top 10 in pace of play while still ranking in the bottom 10 in defense.
They are capable of being dominated, even with how Westbrook is currently playing. He has sat around a 25% usage rate this season, and that’s only been increased of late with no Dennis Schroder. That also means more minutes. Westbrook will get his fair share of rosterhsip, but he still has the ceiling worth chasing in deeper field GPPs. I would also throw Zach LaVine in this grouping as well.
NBA DFS Value Plays
- DraftKings: $4,900
- FanDuel: $4,900
I’ll remind everyone that Luke Kornet is questionable, but assuming he starts, the Spurs big man will be heavily rostered on this shortened slate. Obviously, there’s no Victor Wembanyama tonight, so Kornet will get plenty of run.
Kornet hasn’t scored fewer than 20 fantasy points in six straight outings. Not only is he a solid floor option, but with the friendly opponent of New Orleans, it’s easy to see a potential ceiling as well. If Kornet ends up out, Jeremy Sochan or Bismack Biyombo might be pivots.
- DraftKings: $5,800
- FanDuel: $6,100
For a cheaper GPP center option, consider Mark Williams out of Phoenix. He’s not as cheap as Luke Kornet, but Williams has a higher ceiling. Just last week, the Suns center scored 55 DraftKings points in Sacramento.
Minnesota is in the bottom half of allowing opposing centers to score from a fantasy perspective, but I expect Williams to play around 28 with an 18% usage rate. That should be plenty for returning value on this slate. While he’s a riskier option, he’s not a bad choice on a three-game slate.
