This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We'll begin the week with an eight-game slate that begins at 7:00 p.m. ET. My favorite endorsements for FanDuel are below. Enjoy!
SLATE OVERVIEW
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
We were stingy against a few teams, but most of our exposure went to Charlotte and Washington. The Miami-Chicago contest also received a lot of attention. If I were to dig deeper into any contest, it would be the Warriors-Rockets matchup, where several players were on the cut line for my endorsements.
INJURIES
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report. Although 16 teams are in play tonight, there aren't any new injuries that haven't been covered previously. Use your best judgment when evaluating ongoing injury scenarios elsewhere on the slate, as there are several to consider.
ELITE PLAYERS
We have only four players with five-figure salaries this evening. While I continue to like Domantas Sabonis ($10,400), he is on a back-to-back, which warrants a slightly lower exposure. I endorsed a Sabonis/Porzingis stack at PF and rode that to fistfuls of cash across the board yesterday, and while I will go that way again, I am interested in getting Stephen Curry ($9,000) involved against Houston. He played 40 minutes Saturday after a two-game absence, and his previous contest against Houston yielded a solid total. The high projected total also warrants a look at Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,000), but the lack of solid values on the slate may limit your ability to get multiple elites involved. We saw a slight regression from Julius Randle ($8,700) after a back-to-back, but I like the matchup against the Timberwolves. The duo of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert won't be an easy task, but Randle put up games of 57 and 31 points against them last season.
Also consider: Brandon Ingram, NOR
($8,400) vs. SAC
EXPECTED CHALK AND OTHER TARGETS
Nikola Vucevic, CHI
($7,700) vs. MIA
In the season's early stages, few teams have fared as poorly against opposing frontcourts as the Heat. Although Vucevic had an average night when the teams faced each other over the weekend, it's a blip on the radar among several productive outings against the Heat dating back to last season. The public may veer away from the price tag after the modest game, but Vucevic should bounce back with a better feel of his opponent.
James Harden, LAC
($7,200) @ SAN
FanDuel has Chris Paul ranked ahead of Harden tonight, and I think that's a mistake. There are several guys above him that I would fade over Harden against the Spurs tonight, and while he isn't performing at an old-school Harden level, he needs around 35 FDFP to be relevant. The Clippers enjoyed a long weekend of rest, and this is a pretty good matchup against an average backcourt defense.
Aaron Gordon, DEN
($6,900) @ DET
Detroit's interior is banged up and they haven't covered their losses as effectively as the Nuggets have without Jamal Murray. Denver lost a heartbreaker to the Pelicans over the weekend, and the team will be ready to right the ship against the injury-depleted frontcourt. Gordon's aggressiveness sets up well in this matchup, and I'll gladly take him below 7k.
Jalen Green, HOU
($6,500) @ GSW
Although Fred VanVleet has cut into Green's production at times, this is a meager salary compared to the potential production against the Warriors. He came close to a double-double against Golden State three weeks ago, and if he can replicate that total, he's well worth $6,500. I'm also a fan of his dual eligibility.
Mark Williams, CHA
($6,500) vs. BOS
We can target several big men with PF eligibility, and Williams represents an excellent way to save cash at the center position. One would think that the Celtics are faring reasonably well against opposing centers, but they're actually in the middle of the pack versus the position. I still think Vucevic is a better call, but Willams isn't far behind as a budget candidate.
Also consider: Miles Bridges, CHA ($6,400) vs. BOS
VALUE PLAYS
Duncan Robinson, MIA
($6,000) @ CHI
Since his insertion into the starting lineup for Tyler Herro, Robinson has averaged 19.6 points, 4.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds and most importantly, converting over 45 percent of his shots from downtown. Long-range sharpshooting has always been Robinson's strength, and he can rack up points quickly if he is dialed in. He drained four of five attempts against the Bulls over the weekend. I would expect similar success for Monday. Kyle Lowry ($5,300) is also trending up and had 27 FDFP against the Bulls in the first game of the two-game tilt.
Khris Middleton, MIL
($5,400) @ WAS
Middleton got some time off for injury management over the weekend, so he should be fresh and ready to go on the road against the Wizards. His minutes are being closely managed, but the extra day of rest could result in a slight uptick in minutes. The endorsement isn't variance-free, so I am also fine with considering Bobby Portis ($6,300).
Bilal Coulibaly, WAS
($5,100) vs. MIL
This game has the highest projected total on the slate, and Coulibaly has enough upside games on his resume to warrant an add at this salary. He cooled off in his last game against the Knicks, but his game log is littered with numbers that easily pay off his salary.
