This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Monday's slate is one of those days where I will likely make my build a bit later in the day due to the injury question marks and a potential rest night from Giannis Antetokounmpo. All of the games possess remarkably high Over/Unders, with the Clippers/Lakers matchup at the Staples Center topping the list. It's also a game chock-full of playoff implications.
This is a game where LeBron James ($12,400) needs to kick it into high gear if he has any hope of saving the Lakers' season. The troubling thing about the King is that while we end up saying roughly the same thing over and over, the potentially explosive ceiling never seems to appear. While 50-60 FDFP is nothing to sneeze at, you should expect a little more than 50 FDFP if you're plopping down over 12K on FanDuel. I think you can see that sort of explosive potential a little further down on this slate, so while I think he has a place in some cash builds, I will likely only roster James in about 25% of my lineups tonight.
Here's a brief rundown of injuries on what looks to be a very clean slate. All ongoing injury situations won't be mentioned.
John Collins (illness) QUESTIONABLE: Collins didn't play on Sunday, and his status is still in doubt for Monday's game against Miami. Alex Len ($3,700) enjoyed a considerable boost in Collins' absence, and with Omari Spellman and Taurean Prince out as well, Alex Poythress ($3,500) played 26 minutes. Prince is expecting the birth of his child soon, so he will likely be out again, giving both of these pivots a bit more viability.
Hassan Whiteside (hip) QUESTIONABLE: Should Whiteside miss his fourth straight, Bam Adebayo ($5,500), will once again be the ideal pivot.
DeAndre Jordan (ankle) QUESTIONABLE: If Jordan can't make it, I expect Mitchell Robinson ($7,100) to see the most significant boost. He had a 16/13 line with four blocked shots against the Clippers on Sunday. Noah Vonleh ($3,900) should also pick up some of the slack.
Back-to-back teams: Hawks, Knicks, Clippers
POINT GUARD
Derrick White, SA vs. DEN ($6,200): I think point guard is a great spot to spend down tonight, although there's tremendous value at the top as well. White is on an upward trend of three consecutive games where he's crushing value at this price, and he'll need to bring it against a tough Nuggets defense. His two-game average against Denver leaves a bit to be desired (8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds along with 3.5 steals per game), but the Spurs should play aggressively as they strive to be playoff-relevant in the West.
Landry Shamet, LAC at LAL ($4,600): Why not ride the hot hand here? Shamet couldn't miss on Sunday against the Knicks, and the talented rookie seems to fit right in with the Clippers' offense. He did swift damage from long range while playing only 26 minutes, and I don't think the back-to-back will affect him that much. The truth is that Doc Rivers did some brilliant load distribution in that game, as no one saw more than 29 minutes, and I think that's all because they want to make a statement against the Lakers tonight.
Also consider: Trae Young, ATL at MIA ($9,200)
SHOOTING GUARD
I go from cheap to expensive at shooting guard, and I am sure I will favor the one-two punch of Luka Doncic ($9,800) and Donovan Mitchell ($9,300) on quite a few lineups. Doncic faces the Nets, who seem to have lost momentum since the break, while Utah travels to New Orleans, where – well, we all know about the dysfunction in the Big Easy. I don't need to regale you with statistical minutiae here – they're both solid plays with potentially high ceilings.
Kent Bazemore, ATL at MIA ($4,400): Should you feel the need to go low at this spot, you can't do a lot better than Bazemore, who remains favorably priced since returning from injury. I wouldn't expect miracles from him, but there are no must-drops below Bazemore, and even though he's a bit too expensive for a must-drop, this could be a night where he blows up.
Also consider: Jrue Holiday, NO at UTA ($9,200)
SMALL FORWARD
Josh Richardson, MIA vs. ATL ($6,900): There's a massive drop after Giannis and LeBron in this category, and if you're going with one of these guys, I like Richardson's reliable floor at this price. He's had great success against Atlanta so far this year, with an average of 21.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists to go along with 2.3 steals over three contests. You won't see a number much above 40 FDFP, however, so I like him as more of a cash target. For less money, I think Joe Ingles ($6,700) is a guy that could produce similar numbers, so go with your gut for who might have the higher ceiling here.
Will Barton, DEN at SA ($6,000): Barton ended up being a bit of a disappointment for me earlier in the week, but I'm going back to the well with him because the minutes and usage are there for a big total. Now that his injury woes are behind him, I think Barton is primed for some big totals down the stretch, and the Spurs are a little slower at the wing. This should result in several looks for Barton.
Also consider: Brandon Ingram, LAL vs. LAC ($8,000)
POWER FORWARD
Julius Randle, NO at UTA ($9,000): Should Anthony Davis decide not to grace us with his presence on Monday, then Julius Randle is the obvious pivot, but he also has considerable standalone value. As I look at my build I'm seeing how going low at center (see below) might result in a shortage of top-rated talent, and if you exclude Giannis or LeBron, you might be seriously behind the 8-ball in terms of output. This is why a relatively stable guy like Randle will be necessary if you go this route.
Dwight Powell, DAL at BKN ($6,300): If you've read any of my columns you know how much I like starting big men against the Nets, and Powell is your best fit for that option for the Mavericks. You can't use history as a metric with the new game script in Dallas, but Powell's seen as much as 51 FDFP over the past two weeks, so the GPP ceiling is there.
CENTER
Nikola Jokic ($11,200) is definitely playable here, especially if you faded the elites, but his history versus San Antonio isn't all that encouraging. Jokic can be matchup-proof, which is why he gets a mention. But I'll tell you right off the bat that if DeAndre Jordan sits, I'm going to pivot right over to Mitchell Robinson ($7,100) so that I can afford those shooting guards. And if I want to punt the position, look no further than...
Alex Len, ATL at MIA ($3,700): Couple the potential absences of Collins and Whiteside and you've got a perfect storm for Len, who should end up highly-owned after his excellent showings in back-to-back games against the Bulls. Obviously, you need to check the status of Collins before you go here. The center spot is one of the primary reasons why I'll wait a bit on my builds, so I don't get wedded to any particular path. Both Robinson and Len will require patience as we wait on breaking news.
MUST-DROP OPTIONS
Winning FanDuel players exploit this option regularly, and you should too! There are actually some great plays further down (Shamet, Len), but assuming they do well, we also want to give you some must-stop basement punts with potential.
Alex Poythress, ATL at MIA ($3,500)
Rodians Korucks, BKN vs. DAL ($3,600)
Josh Hart, LAL vs. LAC ($3,600)
Derrick Jones, Jr, MIA vs, ATL ($3,800)
