In another edition of Def Pen NBA daily fantasy, I breakdown three top plays at each position for Monday. As my personal preference, I will be using FanDuel’s scoring system and lineup format to optimize the best lineup I see fit.
PG:
- Jrue Holiday $8,300: Holiday has been on an absolute tear as of late, putting up 40+ FanDuel points in seven out his last nine. Going up against a Suns defense that allows the 2nd most points per game in the league at 112.7, it would be smart to fit some Pelicans into your lineup tonight.
- Stephen Curry $9,400: Everyone knows what Steph is capable of. But with Fellow splash bro, Klay Thompson sidelined for this matchup, and his primary backup Shaun Livingston out as well expects a few more shots than usual to go Curry’s way. Not to mention he’s playing against the Nuggets who allow the 2nd most fantasy points per game vs opposing point guards.
- Dennis Schroder $6,900: If you’re looking for a guy who is a bit on the cheaper side with the potential for 40+, then Schroder is your guy tonight. Schroder is going up against Damian Lillard who’s personal defensive rating on the season is an abysmal 114. However do not be surprised to see Maurice Harkless covering Dennis for a large majority of the night, either way, Dennis is a solid play for his price and upside.
Other Notable PG plays: Russell Westbrook $12,600, John Wall $10,500, Malcolm Brogdon $5,200
SG :
- Will Barton $5,800: Kenneth Faried, Danilo Gallinari, and Darrell Arthur are already ruled out for this matchup. Going up against a team that loves to play small ball in the Warriors allows for Wilson Chandler (questionable) to slide over to the four with Barton playing the three. His high upside and explosive play with a projected high usage make Barton a very appealing, possibly low owned, play tonight.
- Bradley Beal $7,700: Beal has been on an absolute tear this season, averaging 22.3 points per game along with shooting 39% from deep. With a favorable matchup against OKC and a price tag sub 8k, Beal should be a pretty reliable fantasy option tonight.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: $11,300: Can’t ever really go wrong with Giannis, his extremely high upside allows for staggeringly high point totals. With Jabari Parker gone for the season, expect the Greek freak to continue to run the offense.
Other Notable SG plays: Tim Hardaway Jr. $5,700, Wesley Matthews $5,900, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $5,100
SF:
- Kevin Durant $10,100: Durant is going up against a weak Denver defense with Klay Thompson out, more shots will be available to the already lethal KD. Coming off a strong performance in OKC, Durant might be the best bet of the night.
- Kawhi Leonard $9,600: Kawhi Leonard being sub 10k still is pretty crazy if you ask me. Kawhi is one of the top players in league with the ability to put up 50+ fantasy points per night while scoring 57.8 just last night, Ka-why not start him?
- Gordon Hayward $8,100: There’s not many cheap options that are reliable plays tonight at small forward. The last ten games Hayward has been incredibly consistent if you’re looking for a safe play tonight to get you that 35-40 range Gordon is the way to go.
Other Notable SF plays: Wilson Chandler $6,600 (questionable), Harrison Barnes $6,200, TJ Warren/PJ Tucker $4,900 each.
PF:
- Nikola Jokic $10,100: It probably seems like I’m a Nuggets fan right about now. Since being inserted into the starting lineup in January, the Denver Nuggets have had the highest scoring offense in the NBA. With the rest of his frontcourt AFK, look for Jokic to feast even with a tough matchup.
- Nerlens Noel $5,400: Jahlil Okafor did not travel with the team due to a potential trade and with Joel Embiid still out with a slight meniscus tear expect Nerlens to go off against a team in the Hornets that is 7th worst in the NBA against opposing centers.
- Dario Saric $5,100: Is it too late now to say Saric? Dario has been on absolute fire as of late, putting up 41.1, 37.2 in his last two games fantasy point wise. He is becoming more of an integral part of this teams offense as time goes on and I expect him to overtake Ersan Illysova for the starting role at power forward sometime soon. But for now get him while the getting is cheap.
Other Notable PF Plays: Meyers Leonard $3,500, Anthony Davis $11,100, Draymond Green $8,300
C:
- Greg Monroe $5,800: Now you can never really trust Jason Kidd when it comes to centers, but going against his former team and coming off of a 36.6 point fantasy effort, Monroe is an appealing play tonight.
- Marcin Gortat $7,100: Gortat has been the model of consistency lately, putting up 30+ FanDuel points in eight straight games. Expect the trend to continue tonight vs. OKC.
- Hassan Whiteside $8,800: Whiteside is the highest priced center of the night, while there are not many great plays at center tonight if you’re looking for someone with homerun potential then Whiteside is your guy. The Magic are giving up the 8th most fantasy points to opposing centers on the season and Whiteside is a guy who could make that number balloon.
Other Notable C Plays: Dwight Howard $6,800, Marc Gasol $8,500, Andre Drummond $8,700
As always with NBA daily fantasy, make sure that you keep up with injuries and last minute scratches before the lineups lock at 7 PM EST.
All stats and data courtesy of basketball reference, team rankings, and RotoWire.
Personal Lineup of the Night (note: subject to change based on news/injuries):
