We’re back for a modest six-game NBA slate, and as always, we’ll name values, studs, and fades for the day’s DFS festivities. Let’s get right to it!

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Most Value Per Dollar 

Because of the small player pool for tonight’s slate, you’ll want to pay extra close attention to the injury report ahead of tip-off. There are plenty of notable names to monitor before locking in your lineups tonight. There are values and studs across the board once again, though PF offers the most bang for your buck of any position.

Below is a list of the top-10 players of the day expected to generate the most value relative to their salary. 

Kyle Lowry (TOR): $7,200 vs. ATL
Lowry returned from a six-game absence Sunday to go for 19/7/6 with three steals in 37 minutes. Any lingering issues with his foot appear to be behind him, and he should be a smash play against Atlanta’s questionable defense and a true bargain at just $7.2K.

Gary Trent (TOR): $6,200 vs. ATL
Fred VanVleet has already been ruled out for a sixth straight game, allowing Trent to continue his run of heavy minutes. Over his last five without FVV, Trent has averaged 20 points to go with 3.2 boards and 2.0 dimes. 

Miles Bridges (CHA): $6,200 vs. LAL
Bridges has averaged 35 FD points per game across his last three, highlighted by a posterizing dunk on Clint Capela. Bridges continues to play a key role for Charlotte with Gordon Hayward out of action, and that shouldn’t change against a Lakers squad that’s still without Anthony Davis. 

Jalen McDaniels (CHA): $6,000 vs. LAL
McDaniels has stepped up as of late, averaging 34 FD points across his last three. Charlotte seems committed to getting him plenty of run down the final stretch of the regular season, and his strong play should keep his minutes in the mid-to-high 20s moving forward. Even with PJ Washington likely to play, McDaniels is still a great option in a fantastic matchup.

Darius Bazley (OKC): $5,800 at UTA
Baz returned from a length absence Saturday and went for 17/9/5 but coughed the ball up nine times. That was a career high for Bazley, and he should be expected to display better ball security in this one. With Aleksej Pokusevski and Isaiah Roby already ruled out, OKC’s frontcourt is thin. Expect Baz to play heavy minutes. 

Marcus Morris (LAC): $5,400 at IND
Morris went off for a season-high 33 points Sunday with Kawhi Leonard out of action. Leonard will be out again tonight, and Morris will get a chance to build on his offensive momentum against the Pacers. I’m happy to take a chance on him for this price. 

Markieff Morris (LAL): $5,200 at CHA
Morris has been a highly-productive player over his last eight games, averaging 25.3 FD points in that span while eclipsing the 30-point mark thrice. Tonight’s matchup with Charlotte isn’t one to be scared of, and Morris can be deployed safely as a value play.

Nicolas Batum (LAC): $4,900 at IND
Across his last two games, Batum has averaged 15.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 combined blocks/steals, taking on a larger role without Paul George (Friday) and Kawhi Leonard (Sunday). Leonard will be out again tonight, opening up another chance for Batum to shine at a bargain price.

Goga Bitadze (IND): $4,900 vs. LAC
Across his last three games without Myles Turner, Bitadze has eclipsed 30 FD points twice. Turner remains out for tonight’s clash, and Bitadze possesses plenty of upside and a ton of value.

Brandon Goodwin (ATL): $3,800 at TOR
Trae Young is questionable tonight, and if he misses, Goodwin should be the prime beneficiary. Goodwin went off for 33 FD points in Sunday’s spot start, and he finds himself in the starting lineup against Toronto, he’ll be an incredible value at just $3.8K.

Studs Worth Their Salary

• Donovan Mitchell (UTA) $9,200: Spida has been on fire lately, averaging a robust 40/5/4 line across his last three and averaging 53.6 FD points in the process. Tonight’s matchup with OKC is a great one to exploit for Utah’s surging guard.
• Jayson Tatum (BOS) $9,200: Tatum has scored at least 20 points in 10 straight and recently became the youngest player in Celtics history to score 50 in a single game when he went for 53 on Friday. Portland has surrendered the most fantasy points to PF’s this season, making Tatum a stud I’m willing to pay for tonight.

Notable Players to Fade

• Moses Brown (OKC) $5,100: The frontcourt might be thin tonight, but Brown has been getting outplayed by Tony Bradley as of late, and both of Darius Bazley and Lu Dort are back in the lineup to take away opportunities from Brown. The young center was a huge play just two weeks ago, but he’s fallen off the fantasy map quickly. I’d rather not pay for him tonight and waste a roster spot.
• Damian Lillard (POR) $8,800: Dame has averaged just 31.9 FD points across his last five games. Factor in the subpar matchup with Boston, and Lillard is an easy fade tonight.

Create FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool

Beyond our daily fantasy basketball content, be sure to check out our Daily Fantasy Basketball Tools. From our Lineup Optimizer – which allows you to build winning DFS lineups in seconds for Cash and GPP contests – to our DFS Cheat Sheets – that helps you get a quick read on the day’s players – we’ve got you covered this fantasy basketball season.

Zachary Hanshew is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.