We have a nine-game slate to kick off our NBA week and there are some very high-scoring teams on the board. You may want to consider doing some sort of game stack if you are looking for a tournament option. There are plenty of good cash games options tonight as well along with some value plays due to some injuries.
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Guards
Elfrid Payton (ORL): $7,200 vs. LAC
The Magic have a number of injuries right now so Payton will become one of their top offensive options tonight. He is up against the Clippers who are giving up 44 DraftKings points per game to point guards this season. He is looking like a bit more of a GPP option tonight considering he hasn’t reached 5x value in any of his last four games. He has the double-double upside you want for a tournament. With the potential for increased usage due to the injuries, he will reach and exceed 5x value.
Donovan Mitchell (UTA): $7,000 @ CHI
Mitchell is an exciting young player for the Jazz who has been putting up good numbers on a nightly basis. He does, however, have a bit of variance when it comes to how many fantasy points he can score. Over his last 10 games, he has a high of 53 DraftKings points and a low of 23 DK points. That is a very large difference, but being a rookie it should be expected. Regardless of potential inconsistencies, he is in a good spot tonight. He is up against the Bulls who are giving up 42 DraftKings points per game to shooting guards which is 11th worst in the leagueReally solid match up for him tonight, and should be able to hit somewhere in the middle, when it comes to his fantasy point production.
We have a nine-game slate to kick off our NBA week and there are some very high-scoring teams on the board. You may want to consider doing some sort of game stack if you are looking for a tournament option. There are plenty of good cash games options tonight as well along with some value plays due to some injuries.
Create Optimal DraftKings lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool
Guards
Elfrid Payton (ORL): $7,200 vs. LAC
The Magic have a number of injuries right now so Payton will become one of their top offensive options tonight. He is up against the Clippers who are giving up 44 DraftKings points per game to point guards this season. He is looking like a bit more of a GPP option tonight considering he hasn’t reached 5x value in any of his last four games. He has the double-double upside you want for a tournament. With the potential for increased usage due to the injuries, he will reach and exceed 5x value.
Donovan Mitchell (UTA): $7,000 @ CHI
Mitchell is an exciting young player for the Jazz who has been putting up good numbers on a nightly basis. He does, however, have a bit of variance when it comes to how many fantasy points he can score. Over his last 10 games, he has a high of 53 DraftKings points and a low of 23 DK points. That is a very large difference, but being a rookie it should be expected. Regardless of potential inconsistencies, he is in a good spot tonight. He is up against the Bulls who are giving up 42 DraftKings points per game to shooting guards which is 11th worst in the leagueReally solid match up for him tonight, and should be able to hit somewhere in the middle, when it comes to his fantasy point production.
Forwards
Wesley Johnson (LAC): $4,100
Johnson could see more minutes again tonight as Danillo Gallinari missed Monday’s game, and his status for tonight’s game is unclear. The Clippers are yet another team that is dealing with a number of injuries. We want to take advantage of this before their prices increase. Johnson is up against the Magic tonight who are giving up 41 DraftKings points per game to small forwards which is 10th worst in the league. His production has been a bit inconsistent over his recent stretch of games, but if we know he is a starter tonight he should be in a good spot.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL): $11,300 @ NO
Antetokounmpo has a 35% usage rate for the Bucks which is highest on the team, and he does nearly everything will the ball. He is averaging 1.45 fantasy points per minute this season and is a triple-double threat every night. If you have the salary for him, he isn’t the type of player you want to pass on knowing the potential point ceiling he has. Over his last 10 games, he has a low of 45 DraftKings points and a high of 68 DK points. We should see that be on the higher end tonight since he is up against the Pelicans who are giving up about 46 DraftKings points per game to forwards. He should be one of the high-priced building blocks you are looking at tonight.
Centers
Dwight Howard (CHA): $7,600 @ HOU
If you like a good DFS narrative then this is the spot for you. Join me on a stroll down narrative street. Dwight Howard is up against his former team tonight, the Houston Rockets. I always like these spots for players as they often play a bit harder in these games and really try to pile on the points. It also helps that Howard has been playing well over the past week or so as he has 36 or more DraftKings points in six of his last 10 games. The Rockets fall in the middle of the pack when it comes to defense vs centers so Howard should be viable in all formats tonight.
Steven Adams (OKC): $6,400 @ IND
We all know that the Thunder have some very clear top options on offense, and Adams often goes overlooked in DFS. He has 30 or more DraftKings points in six straight games and is looking like a great cash game option tonight. He is up against the Pacers who are giving up 59 DraftKings points per game to centers, dead last in the league. It’s a prime spot for him, and with this game having a total set at 212 points we should see plenty of scoring and chances for Adams to fill the stat sheet.
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Thomas Vecchio is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Thomas, check out his archive and follow him @DFS_Tom.