Welcome to the Monday NBA DFS slate. The playoffs are here and the series’ have been a lot more interesting than I would have expected. If you’re going to do 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. It’s a little bit less important on a three-game playoff slot but it’s still necessary because any edge is helpful for late swaps. Also it’s important to know you have an extra hour to tinker with your lineups before lock tonight as Pistons-Magic doesn’t tip until 8:00 PM ET. 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
Nikola Jokic (C – DEN)
- DraftKings: $12,500
- FanDuel: $12,700
With his back against the wall returning to Denver against a shorthanded Minnesota squad, who else to go to but Nikola Jokic. For the kind of fantasy production we’ve seen out of Jokic, he’s been relatively quiet these playoffs and the Timberwolves have done a great job keeping him at bay. He’s only gone over 60 fantasy points twice in the series but I’m going right back to the well. No one has a higher ceiling and getting over 60 still gives him about a 50/50 chance of being in the optimal lineups with the low totals in the other two games. Additionally with the value plays, it will be straightforward finding options to mix and match your lineups with that still allow you to get to other high ceiling players. I project him closer to 65 here so I’m guessing he’ll end up in over half my lineups tonight.
Cade Cunningham (PG – DET)
- DraftKings: $10,000
- FanDuel: $10,200
After slowly coming back from his collapsed lung, I wasn’t sure what to make of the Detroit star for the opening series but so far, he’s looked stellar. Cunningham has scored over 51 fantasy points in two of three outings so far against Orlando and he’s going to have to do so tonight to avoid falling into a 3-1 series hole. He will play heavy minutes, maybe more than 40, and his usage is at an all-time high at 36 percent throughout these playoffs. He’s an easy go to on the slate today.
Ayo Dosunmu (SG/SF/PF – MIN)
- DraftKings: $5,800
- FanDuel: $6,400
Basically your free square of the day, Ayo will likely be owned in over 80 percent of lineups tonight and it makes sense. Without Donte DiVincenzo or Anthony Edwards, a lot of Minnesota players will get bumps tonight in fantasy ownership, none higher than the Illinois product. Of course Dosunmu is coming off a monumental game, scoring 43 real life points to go with 54 fantasy points in a Minnesota win. Tonight, he will have to play as many minutes and I don’t expect the same production but even getting him to 30 fantasy points might be enough to make him an optimal play, and that’s a low floor.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
Naz Reid (PF/C – MIN)
- DraftKings: $5,100
- FanDuel: $5,500
Like I said, a lot of Minnesota players will get boosts today simply from the injuries. Naz Reid tallied 35 fantasy points last time out and offers a solid floor again tonight as he should play at minimum 25 minutes. This game is already the highest on the slate by a healthy margin so Reid was already looking like a decent play before anyone went down. Denver’s defense is better at home but we’ve seen Reid produce already in this spot and he didn’t get too big a pay bump to move me off of him. Just to cover my bases, Julius Randle, and Jaden McDaniels are next up for me as ideal cash plays from Minnesota.
Tobias Harris (PF/SF – DET)
- DraftKings: $6,200
- FanDuel: $6,200
Tobias Harris has been producing in these playoffs, not going below 34 fantasy points in any of his three games so far. That’s the kind of production we’re looking for tonight as he should play at least 33 minutes here. He’s an efficient hooper who shot 50 percent from the field last time out and has the chance to record a double-double. Cade and Harris are your two main plays from Detroit and it’s hard to imagine a peak ceiling out of Harris, but the floor is steady to trust in cash lineups.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG – OKC)
- DraftKings: $10,200
- FanDuel: $10,300
Leading the series 3-0 as double-digit road favorites means Oklahoma City is essentially playing with their food right now. However, there’s still a chance Phoenix has some fight in them and forces the Thunder to play a full 40 minutes. Considering there’s only two other games to choose from, it’s shocking to see how low owned players in this game are. I’m not even sure if SGA will get to 20 percent ownership tonight but he’s played 38 minutes in consecutive games and reached 60 fantasy points last time out. He’s a pivot off Jokic at high ownership and still has a reasonable chance to make it in the optimal lineup with his talent. SGA isn’t getting enough love here so make sure to sprinkle him into your lineups tonight. Honestly, pick anyone from this game and they’re likely lower owned than they should be whether it’s Chet Holmgren or Dillon Brooks.
Jamal Murray (PG/SG – DEN)
- DraftKings: $9,000
- FanDuel: $9,400
I hate to go back-to-back with point guards here on such a smaller slate but considering the game environment, the amount of ownership going to Minnesota players, and the Jokic love, Murray is simply under owned here. He’s not exactly forgotten about as he’s still coming in around 20 percent ownership on early projections but with the same argument for Jokic needing to step up with Denver’s back against the wall, the same applies to Murray here. He’s gone over 45 fantasy points three times already this series and we’ve seen 60-plus point games three different times over his final seven regular season games for even better ceiling potential.
NBA DFS Value Plays
Bones Hyland (PG/SG – MIN)
- DraftKings: $4,200
- FanDuel: $4,600
Bring out your Bones! Not to cook baked bread, but there’s a lot of value across the slate for Minnesota. Hyland tallied 21 fantasy points last game and I see him getting there again tonight. He received a big price bump but his salary ROI is still projected over 5.0X and that’s invaluable on a slate like today. There is risk here so I’d keep it to GPP plays if able but given the game environment and the amount of trickle down usage expected in this game, I’m confident he can get over 20 fantasy points.
Goga Bitadze (C – ORL)
- DraftKings: $3,400
- FanDuel: $3,700
If you’re seeking some pure punt plays to go with the higher salary guys, Goga Bitadze is your option. He’s tallied double-digit production in two of his three games so far and I expect a bounce back after last time out. He’s projected around 17 fantasy points tonight so don’t expect him to go nuclear and save your lineups but he’s simply a utility click if you overspend elsewhere which is a fine roster construction strategy.
Some other value options include Cameron Johnson, Bruce Brown, Ajay Mitchell, and Duncan Robinson
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