Monday night’s nine-game NBA slate on DraftKings is one of those nights where watching the injury news throughout the day will be very important. The main team to keep an eye on is the Pacers, as they seem to have their entire roster listed as questionable leading up to game time against the Nets. Also, watch the status of Kyrie Irving on the other side of the court, because his absence could open up some value in the Nets’ backcourt like Spencer Dinwiddie. So, while I’ll recommend my top stud, core, and value plays of the night below, don’t be afraid to pivot off of them if news breaks to fit in some good value options with increased opportunities.

Note that some of the stats referenced in this article are my custom defense versus position (DvP) calculations that combines data from the season and last five games along with blending similar positions production allowed together.

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One Stud

Luka Doncic (PG/SG – DAL): $9,800 vs. SA
Of course, both James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo are viable high-priced stud options, but I prefer the combination of salary, floor, and ceiling for Doncic. Doncic has been on fire the last five games averaging 31.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.0 assists for just under 64 DraftKings points per game. He will be at home on Monday against the Spurs, who have allowed increased production in points (+7.4%) and assists (+10.3%) to point guards this season.

Core Plays

Paul George (SF/PF – LAC): $8,100 vs. OKC
Other than the injury situations mentioned in the intro, another one to watch is with the Clippers and the status of Kawhi Leonard. Leonard has missed the last two games, which has coincided with George’s return to the lineup. Despite seeing limited minutes in the low 20s, George has been lighting up the scoreboard with 37 and 33 points, respectively. He will face one of his former teams, the Thunder, on Monday, and he should continue to be highly efficient as long as Leonard remains out.

C.J. McCollum (PG/SG – POR): $7,300 at HOU
With a high Vegas total and up-tempo pace, getting some exposure to the Blazers/Rockets clash is probably a good idea. While the superstars such as Harden and Damian Lillard will cost a lot, McCollum comes into the game with a very reasonable salary. He has also been hot over the last four games, as he’s put up 24.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists for 42.8 DK points per game. The Rockets have allowed slight increases in points, rebounds, and steals to shooting guards this year and a league-high in three-point attempts to the position.

Zach LaVine (PG/SG – CHI): $6,900 vs. MIL
LaVine is considered probable to play on Monday when the Bucks visit Chicago. LaVine just went for 25 points and seven assists against the Bucks last week on his way to 46.8 DK points. He has averaged 28.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists over his last three outings. The Bucks have been vulnerable to shooting guards this season, and they’ve given up increased production in points (+1.9%), rebounds (+11.0%), assists (+4.8%), and steals (+5.6%).

Kristaps Porzingis (PF/C – DAL): $7,500 vs. SA
With the exception of a dud against the Celtics, Porzingis has produced at least 44 DK points in three of his last four games. He is starting to regain more consistency with his production. I would likely not use both Doncic and Porzingis in the same lineup, but if you want to opt for a more balanced lineup approach, you could use Porzingis instead of Doncic. He’ll face a Spurs team that has given up +10.6% more rebounds per game to opposing power forwards this season, so Porzingis should be on his way to a third straight double-double effort.

Value Plays

Mitchell Robinson (C – NYK): $5,400 vs. CLE
Make sure Robinson will suit up for Monday’s matchup with the Cavaliers before locking him into your lineup. As long as Robinson plays and gets 20+ minutes, he will exceed more than five times the value of his salary. In his last two games, Robinson has averaged 24.5 minutes with 16.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Look for similar numbers on Monday to go along with some increased upside in steals (+15.7%) and blocks (+26.1%) allowed by the Cavaliers to centers.

Nicolas Batum (SG/SF – CHA): $4,300 at TOR
Batum has returned to the court for the Hornets and instantly played 29 minutes in his first game back on Saturday. While his stat line of three points, nine rebounds, and six assists doesn’t look like anything special, it was still good for 26.75 DK points, which are over six times the value of his current salary. Another game with around 30 minutes of playing time against the Raptors on Monday should allow Batum to stuff the stat sheet again with some upside if he can actually squeeze off a few more shots than the four he took in the last game.

Daniel Theis (PF/C – BOS): $4,000 at PHO
Theis has played between 20-23 minutes in each of his last five outings. That has resulted in solid production with 9.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game during that stretch, and he’s produced at least 20 DK points in each game. Theis will battle against a familiar face with the Celtics playing the Suns and former Celtic Aron Baynes. Theis might not have big upside, but he should be a lock for about 22 minutes and 20-plus DraftKings points.

Donte DiVincenzo (PG/SF – MIL): $4,000 at CHI
DiVincenzo has seen a spike in his minutes with the injury to Khris Middleton. DiVincenzo has played 24 minutes in each of the last two games, which included a 14-point outing in his last game. He’s not the safest option, but with guard and forward eligibility and some upside, he could help open up some salary for the high-priced options on the slate.

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Brad Richter is a Featured Writer and Correspondent at FantasyPros and a contributor at DailyOverlay. For more from Brad, you can view his archive or follow him @RotoPilot.