NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday (2/5)

The NBA scheduling has been infuriating at times, but this week is fantastic. Almost every slate has between six and 10 games, which is the perfect amount for DFS. That means every slate should be easy to navigate because we don’t have too many players to choose from and plenty of options to pick. That has me motivated to finish this final week before the break strong, 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:

Schedule and Odds

• SAC at CLE (CLE -5) O/U: 233.5
• DAL at PHI (DAL -1) O/U: 243
• LAL at CHA (LAL -10.5) O/U: 231.5
• LAC at ATL (LAC -2.5) O/U: 243.5
• GSW at BKN (BKN -1.5) O/U: 236
• TOR at NOP (NOP -11) O/U: 232

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

Injury Report

• Joel Embiid (knee) OUT
• Kyrie Irving (hand) Probable
• Luka Doncic (ankle) Questionable
• Anthony Davis (hip) Questionable
• LeBron James (ankle) Questionable
• LaMelo Ball (ankle) Questionable
• Jarrett Allen (ankle) Questionable
• Tobias Harris (illness) Questionable
• Zion Williamson (foot) Questionable
• Clint Capela (adductor) OUT
• Saddiq Bey (ankle) Questionable
• Ben Simmons (who knows) OUT
• De’Anthony Melton (back) OUT
• Chris Paul (hand) OUT
• Mark Williams (shoulder) OUT
• Dante Exum (knee) OUT
• Andrew Wiggins (ankle) Doubtful
• Gordon Hayward (calf) OUT
• Dereck Lively (nose) OUT
• Nicolas Batum (hammy) OUT

Core Plays

Kawhi Leonard (SF/PF – LAC): $8,900 DraftKings, $9,300 FanDuel
Nobody mentions Kawhi when talking about MVP, but he’s been as good as anyone over the last two months. The Claw has scored at least 34 DraftKings points in 24 straight games, generating a 48-point average in that span. It’s hard to find that sort of consistency from a $9K player, especially against Atlanta. The Hawks rank 27th in defensive efficiency and 29th in points allowed while allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing forwards.

Cam Thomas (PG/SG – BKN): $6,600 DraftKings, $7,200 FanDuel
Cam can be tough to trust at times, but he’s impossible to fade in the starting lineup. This guy is locked into 35 minutes and 20 shots when he’s starting, averaging 35 DraftKings points per game across his last 11 starts. His most recent stead is even more sensational, scoring at least 37 fantasy points in four straight fixtures. Golden State is far from a scary matchup, too, sitting 22nd in points allowed and defensive efficiency.

Onyeka Okongwu (C – ATL): $5,100 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
Big O will likely start with Clint Capela sidelined, and he needs to be a $7K player in this expanded role. The big man scored 49 DraftKings points across 36 minutes in the game where Capela got injured, and lines like that are a regular thing when OO receives 30 minutes of action. In his last start, he had 39 fantasy points across 36 minutes. Just take the free square and use Okongwu!

Cash Game Considerations

Luka Doncic (PG – DAL): $12,000 DraftKings, $12,600 FanDuel
It sounds like Kyrie will be ready to return here, but we don’t care. Luka is one of the safest options on every slate, establishing a 50-point floor while averaging 66 DraftKings points per game. That’s the highest total in the NBA, with Doncic scoring at least 63 fantasy points in seven straight outings. We also saw a 100-point ceiling in that stretch, and nobody has that sort of upside with Joel Embiid injured.

Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $9,900 DraftKings, $11,300 FanDuel
Davis didn’t do much on the offense end in his most recent outing, but this guy makes his presence felt on both sides of the floor. He had 54 DraftKings points in that game with only 12 points, which is right on par with his 54-point average for the year. He’s also got a 45-point floor and shouldn’t be overlooked against the Hornets. Charlotte sits last in defensive efficiency while surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing big men.

Donovan Mitchell (PG/SG – CLE): $9,700 DraftKings, $10,600 FanDuel
Mitchell has taken his game to another level recently. The All-Star has scored at least 53 DraftKings points in eight of his last 11 outings, totaling a 56-point average in that span. He might take a small step back with Garland and Mobley healthy, but it should also have less defensive attention on him. The matchup with Sacramento is superb, too, sitting 20th in total defense.

GPP Targets

Evan Mobley (PF/C – CLE): $6,800 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
Mobley is still staring at a minute’s limit in his return from knee surgery, but he should creep closer to a full workload here. The big man had 48 DK points across 24 minutes in his most recent outing and could get closer to 30 minutes in his third game back. This guy was averaging nearly 40 DK points per game before getting injured, and we believe he’s in the middle of a breakout season. When he played the Kings earlier in the year, he had 16 points and 12 rebounds!

Paul Reed (PF/C – PHI): $6,200 DraftKings, $6,500 FanDuel
Reed has been rough filling in for Embiid, but we believe he will improve. This guy has been a per-minute stud throughout his career, averaging over 1.2 DK points per minute. We’ve seen flashes of that ability, but we love that he’s starting and looking at a 30-minute role for this shorthanded Sixers team. Dallas is not a daunting matchup either, missing their starting center while ranked 25th in defensive efficiency ratings.

Spencer Dinwiddie (PG/SG – BKN): $5,000 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
This might be one of the final times we recommend Dinwiddie because he’s losing touches in this offense. The good news is that Dorian Finney-Smith and Ben Simmons are out here, which should again leave Dinwiddie as the primary point guard. He’s averaging nearly 30 DraftKings points per game as a starter and has showcased a 60-point ceiling. That’s amazing from a sub-$6K player, especially since he dropped 53 fantasy points against Golden State earlier in the year!

Value Plays

Nick Richards (C – CHA): $5,700 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
It’s been a nightmarish season for the Hornets, but Richards is having a career year. The Mark Williams injury has forced him into the starting center gig, averaging 28 DK points per game in this expanded role. He also showcased a 51-point game just last week and should be guaranteed 30 minutes, with Williams, Hayward, and Ball all expected to sit. Facing LA isn’t too shabby either, ranked 19th in points allowed.

Gary Trent Jr. (SG – TOR): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel
This Toronto team is in the middle of a rebuild, and it should allow Trent to have a tremendous role from here on out. All we need is 30-35 minutes and 10-15 shots for him to be a good value, and we saw him play 40 minutes on Sunday! That alone is incredible from a $5K player, but we’ve seen Trent play at a $7K level when given this sort of opportunity in the past. We also don’t mind that New Orleans owns a 22nd OPRK against opposing shooting guards.

Royce O’Neale (SF/PF – BKN): $3,900 DraftKings, $4,400 FanDuel
We just talked about how Brooklyn will be shorthanded here, and that should give O’Neale plenty of minutes off the bench. The feisty forward played 26 minutes in the Nets most recent game and could surpass that since Simmons is also out. In the 13 games that O’Neale has played at least 30 minutes, he’s averaging 31 DK points per game. If you stumble into that from a $4K player, you have a piece of the optimal lineup.

Advantageous Pricing

• Evan Mobley (PF/C – CLE): $6,800 DraftKings, $7,800 FanDuel
• Anthony Davis (PF/C – LAL): $9,900 DraftKings, $11,300 FanDuel
• Taurean Prince (SF – LAL): $4,000 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
• Isaac Okoro (SF – CLE): $3,600 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
• Jalen Johnson (SF/PF – ATL): $7,300 DraftKings, $8,400 FanDuel
• Cam Johnson (SF – BKN): $5,000 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
• Lonnie Walker (SG – BKN): $4,000 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel

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