This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Here we go with a six-game slate on Monday, February 4.
I'll be looking towards the Atlanta-Washington matchup tonight. Both of these teams rank in the top 10 in possessions per game and bottom five in overall defensive efficiency. That's an excellent recipe for fantasy upside, and the corresponding 233 over/under adds confidence as well. Bradley Beal, Otto Porter, Tomas Satoranksy, John Collins and Trae Young are all firmly in consideration through all formats.
Per usual, we have several injuries to monitor with potential for more while moving closer to tip-off. You'll want to stay in the loop with RotoWire's NBA News Feed before setting your final lineups. As of Monday morning, these are the situations we are looking at:
Jamal Murray is questionable. Monte Morris and Malik Beasley have been very good in his absence.
Derrick White is out. Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills could see an uptick in the wake of this news.
These notable players will continue to miss time: Anthony Davis, Julius Randle, Nikola Mirotic, Elfrid Payton, Gary Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, Victor Oladipo, Clint Capela, TJ Warren, Markieff Morris, John Wall, Dwight Howard
With that, I'll be breaking down the best fantasy choices on DraftKings for Monday. The following write-ups contain a blend of cash game staples, bargain fillers, and tournament pivots.
GUARDS
Bradley Beal – WAS vs. ATL ($9,100): I'll be looking for upside out of Beal tonight, as you literally couldn't get a better matchup than this. His opponent, Atlanta, ranks first in pace and dead last in defensive efficiency to opposing backcourts. Beal will continue to run the Washington offense with Wall sidelined, leading to 44-plus fantasy points in four of his past five. I'm expecting the Wizards' guard to surpass that total with realistic 50-plus expectations in this salivating draw.
Jrue Holiday – NO vs. IND ($8,700): The matchup doesn't look great on paper, but Holiday will shoulder another heavy workload with New Orleans shorthanded. The Pelicans' guard has responded with 45-plus fantasy points in seven of his last ten, and he'll see plenty of volume to flirt with that level of production tonight. Holiday is definitely on my short list for guards through all formats. In fact, you'll notice throughout this column that the Pelicans-Pacers tilt is a sneaky-good hotbed for fantasy potential. Most of that is derived from respective injury situations.
Trae Young – ATL at WAS ($7,600): Don't look now, but Young is on fire. The rookie has been nothing short of amazing while hitting 44 or more fantasy points in four of his past five games. He has clearly found a groove, something that could easily continue against a Washington team that ranks 26th in defensive efficiency to opposing point guards. Young's salary hasn't fully caught up to his recent level of production, presenting a nice value opportunity.
Other guards to consider: James Harden – HOU at PHX ($12,900), Tomas Satoransky – WAS vs. ATL ($5,600), Cory Joseph – IND at NO ($4,100)
FORWARDS
Otto Porter Jr. – WAS vs. ATL ($5,900): As mentioned in the introduction, this Washington-Atlanta game looks like a fantasy goldmine. The Hawks rank first in pace and 26th in defensive efficiency against the small forward position. That opens the door for Porter to come up big. The Wizards' forward is playing with confidence following a well-rounded 38.25 FP performance vs. Milwaukee on Saturday. He's looking at a much easier draw to build on that total.
Kenrich Williams – NO vs. IND ($4,300): Williams is way too cheap when considering the inflated role for New Orleans' injury-plagued rotation. He has averaged 33 minutes and 33 fantasy points over the last three games, which could be his baseline so long as the Pelicans are depleted. The matchup against Indiana doesn't look great from a defensive efficiency point of view, but Williams is vastly underpriced when considering his full-time role for the Pelicans. Play him without hesitation tonight.
Thaddeus Young – IND at NO ($5,800): Young sits on the other side of this New Orleans-Indiana matchup, looking to take advantage of the Pelicans' frontcourt injuries. Not having Davis and Randle around to protect the rim adds assurance to the situation, and New Orleans ranks 24th in defensive efficiency to opposing frontcourts over the past five games. Young has hit 35 or more fantasy points in two straight games, and I'm expecting him to settle into that role with Oladipo out for the season.
Other forwards to consider: Giannis Antetokounmpo – MIL at BKN ($10,900), Josh Jackson – PHX vs. HOU ($5,700), Khris Middleton – MIL at BKN ($6,400)
CENTERS
Jahlil Okafor – NO vs. IND ($7,100): As mentioned several times in this article, the Pelicans will remain shorthanded with Davis, Randle, Mirotic and Payton all out. That leaves Holiday and Okafor to carry the offense in an effort to remain competitive. Okafor has been doing his part while averaging 38 fantasy points over the past seven games. He'll be called upon for a heavy role yet again, which could elevate him beyond that average in a tight home draw (one point spread) against the Pacers. Okafor is still underpriced when considering his legitimate 40-50 fantasy point potential.
Marvin Bagley III – SAC vs. SA ($5,500): Bagley has topped 34 fantasy points in three of his past five games. It's worth noting that he has surpassed 33 minutes in two-thirds of those games. If he sees that kind of playing time, then he should respond with great fantasy value. It's encouraging to see that Sacramento is giving him more run, and now is the time to buy-low. Facing a San Antonio team that ranks 26th in defensive efficiency to opposing power forwards doesn't hurt either.
Other centers to consider: Myles Turner – IND at NO ($6,300), Jarrett Allen – BKN vs. MIL ($5,100)
