This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
We only have one game available for Monday evening, so we'll dive into FanDuel's single-game format to determine our best avenues for profit.
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.
While FanDuel's single-game format adjusts salaries to make up for the new environment, it differs from other sites with static numbers regardless of roster slot. You're looking for your top three scorers on any given night, followed by two additional utility spots without a multiplier. There is no salary penalty for putting a player in a multiplier. The three positions are as follows:
MVP - 2.0x
STAR - 1.5x
PRO - 1.2x
IMPORTANT: Both teams must be represented in your lineups.
INJURIES
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report. Below are some of the most recent and relevant injuries for Monday. Keep in mind that this is not a complete list. Use your best judgment when evaluating ongoing injury scenarios elsewhere on the slate.
NYK Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
The pool is seriously affected by this injury, so getting an update for Towns will be critical if he is out. If Towns plays, he is a front-runner for a multiplier position. If he misses, I am going to refrain from taking his replacement, Jericho Sims.
A successful strategy for single-game formats is wholly dependent on player balance, so I like to begin my construction by selecting my cheapest options first. Finding a minimum baseline while still allowing for three viable multipliers is our goal, so all utility options will usually fall well below FanDuel's position average of $12,000 per slot.
UTILITY CANDIDATES
OG Anunoby, NYK ($10,500)
Mikal Bridges, MYK ($10,000)
Gradey Dick, TOR ($9,500)
Miles McBride, NYK ($7,500)
Going with McBride jumps your slot average to $13,125, so taking him right off the bat is a sensible avenue. Anunoby's viability is directly tied to Towns' status, so I would use him without a second thought if Towns is absent. If Towns plays, I would select Bridges, who has become more consistent over the past two weeks. Gradey Dick is also viable, but we may not need to dip that low. Taking Bridges or Anunoby would leave us squarely in the 14k range per slot, which is more than enough to fill our coffers in the multiplier positions.
MULTIPLIER CANDIDATES
Jalen Brunson, NYK ($14,500) MVP, PRO
Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK ($15,000) PRO, STAR
Josh Hart, NYK ($11,500) MVP, PRO, STAR
Scottie Barnes, TOR ($16,500) MVP, PRO, STAR
RJ Barrett, TOR ($13,000) PRO, STAR
Towns' status affects our strategy a lot, and his hefty tag will take a lot of points off the board. I predict that the public will move off Towns due to the injury risk and the inability to keep ears to the ground during the day, so using Towns may be a path to uniqueness, especially if he is a game-time call.
If we didn't use Dick in the utility slot, it's time to select a Toronto option, and I think our pick is dependent on how much we spend on the Knicks in the multiplier spot. Using Brunson and Hart interchangeably gives us exactly $16,500 remaining assuming a McBride/Bridges build, so Scottie Barnes becomes an easy fit. Brunson, Hart and Barnes can be mixed and matched among the multipliers, but I think a combo of Brunson (MVP), Barnes (STAR) and Hart (STAR) is my favorite combination. If Towns is 100 percent, we veer into territory where RJ Barrett would be the better option. I would remove Hart if Towns played, which would dip the final slot to $13,000, and look at that - it's a perfect fit for Barrett!
In summary, here are my three favorite top-to-bottom builds:
CASH: Brunson, Barnes, Hart, Bridges, McBride
CASH:/GPP: Brunson, Towns, Barrett, Bridges, McBride
GPP: Brunson, Barnes, Bridges, Poeltl, Boucher
