Last week was amazing. The Friday night card was one of the most exciting I’ve witnessed in quite some time, and it’s just wonderful watching NBA basketball every night. I also love to cover it from a DFS perspective because it really challenges me to pay attention every day. I do that because I want you guys to make money along with me, so let’s dive into this Monday card!

View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet.

NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday

Schedule and Odds

• CHI at IND (IND -3) O/U: 226
• BOS at WAS (BOS -10) O/U: 229.5
• BKN at CHA (BKN -1.5) O/U: 228.5
• MIN at ATL (MIN -2) O/U: 234
• POR at TOR (TOR -7) O/U: 218
• GSW at NOP (NOP -2.5) O/U: 233
• MIA at MIL (MIL -5.5) O/U: 223.5
• DET at OKC (OKC -5) O/U: 227
• DAL at MEM (DAL -2) O/U: 227
• UTA at DEN (DEN -7.5) O/U: 231
• ORL at LAL (LAL -3.5) O/U: 221.5

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros.

Injury Report

• Khris Middleton (rest) Questionable
• OG Anunoby (leg) Questionable
• Nic Claxton (ankle) OUT
• Cameron Johnson (calf) OUT
• Daniel Gafford (leg) Questionable

Core Plays

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG – OKC): $10,600 DraftKings, $11,800 FanDuel
SGA had one of his worst performances on Sunday, but this stud will bounce back here. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 66 and 60 DraftKings points in the first two games of the season and should flirt with a 50-point average going forward. What we really love is this matchup, with Detroit sitting 27th in defensive efficiency last season. In their one matchup last year, SGA dropped 59 DK points!

Damian Lillard (PG – MIL): $10,000 DraftKings, $9,800 FanDuel
Dame also had one of the worst performances on Sunday, but he won’t have many outings like that. Lillard had 57 DK points in his Milwaukee debut and should be closer to that here. We say that because Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely sit in this B2B, leaving Lillard with 40 minutes, 20-25 shots, and a 30 percent usage rate. Facing Miami can be challenging, but you know Dame will be motivated against them after all of the offseason trade talks that fell through.

Xavier Tillman (PF/C – MEM): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel
Tillman is tough to fade right now. Memphis is missing Ja Morant, Steven Adams, and Brandon Clarke, forcing X into a starting role. He’s done damage in this expanded opportunity, averaging 35 DraftKings points per game. That’s all you can ask for from a sub-$7K player, and it’s a near guarantee with so many frontcourt players missing in this rotation. We also don’t mind that Dallas has allowed at least 119 points in each of their first two games.

Cash Game Considerations

Nikola Jokic (C – DEN): $11,800 DraftKings, $12,100 FanDuel
The Joker has been the best player in DFS for years, and he’s off to another blistering start. The former MVP has scored at least 49 fantasy points in all three games, averaging nearly 60 DK points per game. That’s below his season average last year, and he’s simply the safest option on every slate. Joker has crushed Utah throughout his career, too, averaging nearly 70 DK points per game against them over the last five years.

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,000 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel
Luka has been the best player in fantasy this season, scoring 72 and 78 DraftKings points in his first two games. Only a few players have reached those totals once all season, and it’s scary just how much this stud is doing in this weak Dallas rotation. He will handle the ball on every possession and likely lead the league with a 40 percent usage rate! That’s bad news for Memphis because they look like one of the worst teams through the opening week.

Scottie Barnes (PG/SF – TOR): $7,700 DraftKings, $8,500 FanDuel
Barnes was a surprise Rookie of the Year winner two years ago, but he’s taken his game to another level this season. He’s become one of Toronto’s primary playmakers, scoring at least 46 DraftKings points in all three games. That’s an absurd floor from an $8K player, but it’s likely to continue with how Scotty stuffs the stat sheet. Portland might be one of the best matchups this year, too, because they have the worst roster in the Western Conference.

GPP Targets

Dennis Schroder (PG – TOR): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,600 FanDuel
Schroder is scattered across all of my season-long leagues, and he’s proving to be a steal as Toronto’s only point guard. Dennis the Menace has scored at least 29 fantasy points in all three games en route to a 36-point average. A primary ball-handler who’s just $6K is enticing on its own, and we can’t fade him since he faces that pitiful Portland team mentioned in the Barnes write-up.

Mark Williams (C – CHA): $6,100 DraftKings, $6,800 FanDuel
Williams was woeful in his most recent outing, but this is a great spot to go right back to him. This youngster averaged over 30 DK points per game as a starter last year, dropping 42 DK points across 32 minutes in the opener. Lines like that should be more common going forward because this is one of the most talented, young big men in the league. The Nets can be a tough matchup, but they’ll be without Nic Claxton, who happens to be one of the best defensive centers in the NBA.

Markelle Fultz (PG – ORL): $5,400 DraftKings, $5,500 FanDuel
Here we are with another player coming off a bad outing. Fultz has been slow to get going in the opening week, mainly due to some strange game scripts. The Orlando bench has taken over in a few blowouts, but Fultz should return to the $7K player we saw at times last season. Getting to face LA is his biggest asset, with the Lakers allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing guards last season. That was clear when Fultz had at least 32 fantasy points in both of their matchups last year.

Value Plays

Jalen Duren (C – DET): $7,100 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel
This kid looks special. Duren isn’t even okay enough to drink yet, but he’s destroying opposing big men in the NBA right now. He’s got at least 45 DraftKings points in all three games and has his season average above 50 fantasy points. We saw flashes of that last season, but we love that this team is finally letting him free! OKC is an outstanding matchup, too, posting a 26th OPRK against opposing centers.

Marcus Smart (PG – MEM): $6,500 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel
Despite the Grizzlies struggles, Smart was a savvy signing for a team missing Morant. He’s taken over as the starting point guard in his absence, averaging 32 DraftKings points per game. That’s surprisingly high with how bad this team has been, and it could be his floor in the future in this expanded role. There are not many better backcourts to face from a fantasy perspective either because Doncic and Kyrie Irving are some of the worst defenders in the NBA.

Malcolm Brogdon (PG/SG – POR): $5,600 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel
Brogdon is stuck in a bad situation in Portland, but he might be their best player right now. He’s coming off the bench, but they might need to start him at point guard with Anfernee Simons sidelined. Brogdon is still averaging 30 DK points per game in this diminished role, taking at least 15 shots in all three games. If he has that shot total, along with his stat-stuffing ways, Brogdon needs to be well above $6,000 as we advance.

Advantageous Pricing

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (PG – OKC): $10,600 DraftKings, $11,800 FanDuel
• TJ McConnell (PG – IND): $4,000 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
• Cam Thomas (PG/SG – BKN): $6,000 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
• OG Anunoby (SG/SF – TOR): $5,800 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
• Scoot Henderson (PG – POR): $6,000 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
• Jalen Johnson (SF/PF – ATL): $5,000 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
• Chet Holmgren (PF – OKC): $6,900 DraftKings, $8,100 FanDuel
• Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $9,600 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel
• Christian Wood (C – LAL): $5.800 DraftKings, $4,300 FanDuel

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