This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Monday's slate begins at 7:00 p.m. EST, and there are some definite game-time calls waiting that could open up some value in the player pool.
SLATE OVERVIEW
WAS (-4.5) vs. DET O/U: 217.5
SAC (-4) @ BKN O/U: 224.5
NYK (-8) vs. OKC O/U: 206.5
CHI (-5.5) vs. SAS O/U: 234
MIL (-15) vs. POR O/U: 232
TOR (-4.5) @ NOP O/U: 222
DEN (-10.5) vs. ORL O/U: 224.5
UTA (-13.5) vs. HOU O/U: 229.5
GSW (-5.5) @ LAC O/U: 222.5
One big question early in the evening will be Brooklyn's starting lineup. We did not endorse any part of the Nets' frontcourt due to the uncertainty at the position, but if early news reveals a scheme with two big men, we can certainly move exposure in that direction. The total for MIL/POR could be a bit deceiving because of the blowout risk, but Portland's starting five is worth a look in that spot. The Bulls and Spurs should also get an extended look.
INJURIES
WAS Kristaps Porzingis (trade)- OUT
Porzingis can't be used yet. We'll highlight our top Washington play shortly.
BKN Kevin Durant (knee) - OUT
BKN Kyrie Irving (home game) - OUT
BKN Ben Simmons (conditioning) - OUT
BKN James Johnson (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
The Nets will be super confusing Monday, especially in the frontcourt. With all of the big men fully healthy, they could end up utilizing two or three of them in the lineup. The only stable pivot here is Cam Thomas ($7,100), who is guaranteed to have a solid role in the backcourt.
OKC Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) - OUT
Tre Mann ($3,800) and Ty Jerome ($3,800) remain the top guard pivots for SGA, but this isn't a spot I am particularly fond of Monday.
NYK RJ Barrett (ankle) - OUT
NYK Mitchell Robinson (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
NYK Cam Reddish (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Robinson is perpetually questionable, so our main focus will be on finding the best pivot for Barrett's production. Evan Fournier ($5,300) gets minutes that suggest a preference, but Alec Burks ($5,000) and Kemba Walker ($4,500) can still emerge as great point-per-minute options in this scenario.
CHI Zach LaVine (knee) - OUT
CHI Lonzo Ball (knee) - OUT
Coby White ($6,400) and Ayo Dosunmu ($6,500) are in plum spots against the Spurs despite slightly elevated salaries.
HOU Dennis Schroder (trade) - QUESTIONABLE
Keep an eye on Houston's starting lineup. It should help us assess exactly how the Rockets plan on utilizing Schroder. If he starts, I'm all for taking a GPP flier on him.
UTA Rudy Gobert (calf) - QUESTIONABLE
Gobert is in the most significant wait-and-see spot on the slate. If he fails to suit up, Hassan Whiteside ($7,300) will likely get the most production, but contending with Udoka Azubuike ($4,600) for time makes him a risky proposition.
ELITE PLAYERS
The issue with many of our elites is the potential blowout risk in their games. This particularly applies to Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,400) and Nikola Jokic ($11,300), who face the Trail Blazers and Magic, respectively. For my money, Jokic is in the better spot, because there's a slightly better chance for this game to be somewhat competitive.
Looking at the guards on top, Dejounte Murray ($10,800) is practically a bargain, but I'm not as keen on DeMar DeRozan ($10,400) at his salary on the other side of this matchup. Quin Snyder will give Donovan Mitchell ($8,800) all the run he can handle, and he's also eminently more affordable. Fred VanVleet ($8,600) is also in a great spot against the Pelicans. He poured in 46.8 FDFP against New Orleans earlier this season.
Also consider: Pascal Siakam, TOR ($10,300) @ NOP
EXPECTED CHALK AND CORE TARGETS
Kyle Kuzma, WAS ($7,700) vs. DET
With Spencer Dinwiddie gone and Bradley Beal out, Kuzma continues to be the primary engine for the Wizards. Despite a slightly elevated salary, I have no problem endorsing Kuzma, who has triple-double upside and a penchant for double-double production as well. He's a solid upper mid-range guy for your lineups.
Klay Thompson, GSW ($6,700) @ LAC
Monday will be Thompson's first game against the Clippers, and though it will be interesting to see how he sets up against them, it's a good idea to just roll with him anyway. He's shooing over 50 percent from three-point range over his past five games while averaging 22.5 points per game over the same span.
VALUE PLAYS AND STACKS
We're going to do something a little different in the Value Plays section. There are some interesting stacks to consider for this slate, and although you can cherry-pick values from them as well, they deserve to be bunched together to give a more drilled-down explanation of their upside.
Anfernee Simons ($6,900), Josh Hart ($6,400), Justise Winslow ($6,000) POR @ MIL
Simons is going to be a valuable asset for Portland in the future, but both Hart and Winslow have shown promise since their recent transfer to RIP City. Winslow has rattled off three consecutive games with 34 FDFP or more, and Hart turned in 23 FDFP in his Portland debut. We don't need to elaborate on Simons' upside at his salary,
Cole Anthony ($6,900), Wendell Carter ($6,800), Jalen Suggs ($6,000) ORL @ DEN
These players represent a great stack if you think Orlando can keep this game competitive, which would definitely be a contrarian opinion. Even as underdogs, Anthony and Carter can deliver in a blowout. Suggs is the riskier option, but the rookie is running hot. He posted his first career double-double in Orlando's last game, and could provide huge benefits if his minutes and shot volume are high.
Reggie Jackson ($6,400), Marcus Morris ($5,700) LAC vs. GSW
The Clippers tend to run a very tight rotation, and it's most evident in the backcourt. Jackson's averaged just over 36 minutes in his past two games, and standout production has followed. Similarly, Morris has seen his minutes increase in the last two games, and he was a couple of rebounds away from eclipsing 30 FDFP in those matchups.
Devin Vassell ($5,800), Lonnie Walker ($3,800) SAS@ CHI
While Vassell has been the logical pivot for the departed Derrick White, Walker woke up with 30 minutes in the last game and did some of the same work. While I still believe Vassell is the better option, pivoting to Walker could really help out your salary cap if things get tight.
My favorite values from the Injuries section: Cam Thomas, Kemba Walker
