FanDuel NBA: Monday Value Plays

Written by

Jeff Edgerton

Published on January 24, 2022

Monday's four-game slate on FanDuel begins at 7:00 p.m. EST. Let's begin with tonight's lines and totals.

SLATE OVERVIEW

CLE (-7) vs. NYK O/U: 203

CHI (-2) @ OKC O/U: 214.5

NOP (-2.5) vs. IND O/U: 214.5

PHO (-9.5) vs. UTA O/U: 222.5

The Jazz/Suns game is our smash spot for the evening. Numerous absences for the Jazz will provide value, and the high total should produce great numbers for several Phoenix contributors. The back-to-back status for Chicago and New York are of concern and should be considered as a kind of tie-breaker when deciding between players on these teams and other options at similar salaries. We have the added advantage of seeing a later top-off for Indiana, where one game-time call in particular is of great interest.

INJURIES

NYK Kemba Walker (knee) - QUESTIONABLE

NYK Mitchell Robinson (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE

Robinson sustained the injury Sunday, and it didn't appear to be serious. Walker may also return, so pivots in this spot aren't relevant.

CHI Lonzo Ball (knee) - OUT

CHI Zach LaVine (knee) - QUESTIONABLE

LaVine may return tonight, so Coby White ($5,700) is the best pivot option for Ball.

IND Domantas Sabonis (ankle) - OUT

IND Caris LeVert (calf) - QUESTIONABLE

IND Malcolm Brogdon (Achilles) - OUT

Indiana's stars remain absent, although LeVert is currently a game-time call. His presence would definitely change the landscape, but we can be assured that Goga Bitadze ($6,200), Torrey Craig ($5,600) and Duane Washington ($3,800) will continue to have significant roles. I have no problem with Chris Duarte ($6,700) if LeVert sits.

NOP Brandon Ingram (ankle) - OUT

NOP Devonte' Graham (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE

Pivots for the Ingram absence are tough to nail down, but Josh Hart ($6,500) and Garrett Temple ($3,600) are the most intriguing options.

UTA Donovan Mitchell (concussion) - OUT

UTA Rudy Gobert (calf) - QUESTIONABLE

UTA Bojan Bogdanovic (knee) - QUESTIONABLE

I don't expect Gobert to make it in this back-to-back, and with Hassan Whiteside out as well, Royce O'Neale ($5,300) is probably my favorite pivot despite the position mismatch. Jordan Clarkson ($5,600) is your guy in Mitchell's absence.

PHO Deandre Ayton (ankle) - DOUBTFUL

JaVale McGee ($4,700) is still the de facto choice in the pivot, but Bismack Biyombo ($5,800) has also helped out when McGee has struggled.

If LeVert plays, he is my top pivot from this section. I also like White, Clarkson and Hart.

ELITE PLAYERS

Due to the slate size, we'll move the bottom price down a bit in this section.

I'm skimming past some of the higher-priced options and heading to Devin Booker ($9,200), who is in a great spot against the short-handed Jazz. I'm also allowing a lot of exposure to Darius Garland ($8,700) despite a potential pace-down spot against the Knicks. Speaking of the Knicks, I think Julius Randle ($8,600) is also a confident addition despite the back-to-back.

Although DeMar DeRozan ($9,000) is on a back-to-back, I still like his chances after his massive 41-point tour-de-force in Sunday's loss.

EXPECTED CHALK AND VALUE PLAYS

Jarrett Allen ($7,500), Evan Mobley ($6,900) and Kevin Love ($5,200), CLE vs. NYK

I bunch this trio together because I think you can stack two of them tonight. Mobley is probably the best value relative to his salary, but don't discount Love, who has been very productive off the bench and has the potential to rack up fantasy scores in the mid-20's. All three of them can pay off their salary points, but you might be able to fade Allen due to the next endorsement.

Jonas Valanciunas, NOP ($7,500) vs. IND

No Sabonis? No Turner? It's hard not to see a smash number from JoVal, who will also need to absorb some of Brandon Ingram's production. We mentioned some other potential standouts above, but Valanciunas is probably in one of the most exploitable spots available tonight. I would give him max exposure with a high degree of confidence. He should be able to stand under the basket and collect rebounds in this one.

Josh Giddey, OKC ($6,000) vs. CHI

Readers of my column know that I go back to Giddey repeatedly, even while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to blow up the box score. Sure, he's bound to have a tepid total here and there, but this salary is too good considering his upside as the Thunder's second-best option. Since we have no metrics for Giddey versus Chicago yet, we have no idea how he'll match up, but a potentially gassed Bulls team on a back-to-back could result in an excellent night for the rookie.

Mike Conley, UTA ($5,700) @ PHO

It would be irresponsible not to mention Conley, even though his production hasn't been what he'd hoped in Donovan Mitchell's absence. Still, the Jazz may have to contend without Rudy Gobert tonight as well, and Conley's ball distribution and shooting skills will be needed more than ever. I still think Clarkson is the better backcourt option, but Conley isn't too far behind, with the potential upside to break 30 FP in the right scenario.

Cameron Johnson, PHO ($5,000) vs. UTA

Granted, Johnson has been only adequate since his return, but he was a shooting and scoring machine before his three-game absence. If his three-point shot is humming, Johnson can generate numbers in the mid-30's, and he recently went as high as 41.9 FDFP. He can pad his stat line with rebounds, but downtown is where he gets his worth. Facing a depleted Jazz squad may present the perfect opportunity and a spot in which he might also accumulate some garbage time.

Also consider: RJ Barrett, NYK ($6,400) @ CLE

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.