This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Monday's slate features eight games with a plenty of viable options for well under $6,000. One situation to monitor ahead of tip-off is Miami's, where several players are going to be game-time decisions. If Goran Dragic, Luol Deng, and Hassan Whiteside are all sidelined, there are some real bargains to be had. Here are Monday's value plays, excluding Miami's bargain options.
Monday's Value Plays
Point Guards
Mike Conley, MEM, $6,200: Conley kind of gets lost in the shuffle with all the other great point guards out there, but he deserves consideration for one of your point guard spots Monday. He doesn't have the ceiling that other point guards offer, but Conley is consistent. He has put up at least 27 FanDuel points in four of his last five games and gets one of the best matchups on the slate Monday. Chicago has been getting killed by opposing point guards since Derrick Rose went down with another knee injury, allowing the most FD points to opposing point guards over the last five games.
Shooting Guards
J.J Redick, LAC, $4,800: Redick has ramped up his scoring in the wake of Los Angeles' rash of injuries. He's averaging 18.5 points per game in March compared to 14.4 ppg in February and 13.6 ppg in January. Taking it a step further, Redick is taking almost six more shots per game in March than any other month this season, averaging 17 FGA (a little inflated by his 27 shots on Thursday, but he hasn't taken less than 12 in a game this month). For under $5K, Redick is a solid value play that plays a bigger role in his team's offense than most of the other options in that price range. He should remain a good play as long as Jamal Crawford (calf) is sidelined.
Gary Neal, MIN, $4,300: Neal has been on a hot streak lately, highlighted by his 27 points in 21 minutes Saturday against Portland. While it's hard to imagine he repeats that level of production Monday, he has been getting enough minutes lately to be worth considering. During his four-game streak of scoring in double figures, Neal has shot 50 percent from the field on 12 attempts in 28 minutesper game. As long as Neal has received at least 20 minutes of run, he's been a good candidate to outplay his price tag recently.
Small Forward
Danilo Gallinari, DEN, $5,400: Gallinari is coming off a dreadful shooting performance Saturday where he went 3-for-15 from the field but still managed to put up 27 FD points. He has had at least 23 FD points in five straight games and seven of his last eight. Gallinari draws a matchup with the Knicks, who are in the top 10 in most FD points allowed to opposing small forwards over the last 10 games.
Gerald Henderson, CHA, $5,500: Like Gallinari, Henderson has been quietly consistent of late. He's averaging 25.1 FD points over his last 10 games and has only had one outing under 20 FD points in that span. Henderson has also been good against Washington this season, averaging 22 points (on 57% FG), 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals in two games against the Wizards. If you're looking to save at small forward, Henderson is worth a look.
Power Forwards
Andrea Bargnani, NYK, $5,600: Outside of his clunker of an outing against Sacramento last week, Bargnani has been very solid of late. If you exclude that game, he's averaging 33.2 FD points over his last five. Although Denver has a semblance of a pulse after last week's coaching change, it's still thin up front. Bargnani should be in line for a productive outing Monday against a Denver team that's allowing the second most FD points to opposing power forwards over the last 10 games.
Nikola Mirotic, CHI, $5,500: Mirotic's situation is a little more up in the air than Bargnani's on Monday given that Taj Gibson may be available. Still, Mirotic has been playing so well lately that he deserves a good chunk of playing time regardless of whether Gibson is back because Chicago is so banged up elsewhere. Keep an eye out for Gibson's status prior to tip-off, but if he's out, Mirotic should match his recent production on Monday against Memphis.
Center
Al Jefferson, CHA, $8,400: Monday's selection of centers is top-heavy, with few viable options under the $7K threshold. That said, Jefferson is a reliable option if you're not looking to spend $9,500-$10,800 on DeAndre Jordan or DeMarcus Cousins. Hassan Whiteside is a game-time decision for Miami with an ankle injury, and the fact that he was benched in his last outing is disconcerting. Jefferson is averaging 20 and 10 over his last five games, and that could very well continue against Washington on Monday.
