Written By: Ryan Humphries on Twitter & LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries

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DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

Another week of NBA action gets underway with a seven-game Monday slate! Tonight’s slate features a fair amount of injury impacts and one game, in particular, should be able to provide a heap of value. As you'll see on today's injury report below, the Pacers @ Pistons match-up will have several key starters unavailable tonight on both sides. So it does feel like a slate where hitting on the right Pacers/Pistons will be key but, of course, we’ll need to find some optimal plays in other games as well. This should be a fun one so let’s get into it! Best of luck!

Today’s Key Injuries:

Pacers: T. Haliburton - OUT, M. Turner - OUT, B. Hield - Questionable, B. Mathurin - OUT, TJ McConnell - OUT

Pistons: J. Ivey - OUT, M. Bagley III - OUT, B. Bogdanovic - OUT, I. Stewart - OUT, H. Diallo - OUT, A. Burks - OUT

Jazz: J. Clarkson - OUT, C. Sexton - OUT

Heat: C. Martin - Questionable, K. Lowry - Questionable, C. Zeller - OUT, D. Robinson - Questionable

Grizzlies: J. Morant - OUT, S. Adams - OUT

Mavericks: L. Doncic - OUT, K. Irving - Questionable

Timberwolves: K. Towns - OUT, R. Gobert - Questionable, J. Nowell - OUT, A. Rivers - Questionable

Hawks: B. Bogdanovic - Questionable

Celtics: R. Williams - Questionable, P. Pritchard - Questionable

Rockets: A. Sengun - Probable

Suns: K. Durant - OUT, L. Shamet - OUT

Warriors: D. Green - Probable, A. Wiggins - OUT, J. Kuminga - Questionable, A. Iguodala - Probable

Bucks: G. Antetokounmpo - Questionable, W. Matthews - Probable

Kings: None

Main Slate Match-Ups w/ Game Totals & Point Spreads

Top DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Plays

Note: NBA position designations are never going to perfectly align between the major DFS sites. For the purposes of these newsletters, positional designations will default to DraftKings.

💫 = Favorite Play

Point Guards/Shooting Guards to Consider 🏀

💫PG/SG Devin Booker, PHX | DK: $10.1k, FD: $10.7k | @ GSW | Cash & GPP

DBook has been on one lately, to say the least. Across his last five starts, he has poured in 36.0 PPG while averaging 1.63 FPPM and 57.2 FPPG. The Suns gave up a large haul to bring in Kevin Durant ahead of the trade deadline but now that they’re without all of those rotational players along with Durant (ankle/out), it has been the Devin Booker show in Phoenix. He’s forcing up mid-20s shot attempts on a near-nightly basis and around 25 FGA is a solid target for him tonight in this up-tempo match-up. Booker has averaged +24% more FPPG in up-pace games and Phoenix gets the pleasure of playing against the Warriors, aka the league’s most up-tempo offense.

💫PG Killian Hayes, DET | DK: $5.7k, FD: $6.4k | vs. IND | Cash & GPP

It’s going to be another Killian Hayes chalk day which is… always unsettling. But he’s going to be in line for huge minutes and a major role as both a scorer and facilitator. This game against the shorthanded Pacers is a re-match from two days ago. In that game, the Pistons were also playing without Ivey, Bogdanovic, Burks, Diallo, and Stewart. All of those guys, plus Marvin Bagley III, will miss tonight’s game as well. Hayes shouldered much of the offensive weight in that last game, posting 17 points and 13 assists while tacking on six rebounds, two steals, and a block across 37 minutes -- good for 49.0 DKFP. Should we expect Hayes to push for 50 FP once again? Maybe not. But at his $5.7k/$6.4k DFS salaries, he doesn’t exactly need to drop a 50 burger to return value. Hayes currently has a 41% pOwn% and he’s always some scary chalk to eat. But in this total scrub fest of a match-up, he’s much more likely to return value today than post a complete dud.

PG/SG Jaden Hardy, DAL | DK: $4k, FD: $4.5k | vs. MEM | Cash & GPP (If Irving is out/Hardy starts)

We’ll need to keep an eye on the Mavs’ injury report this evening. Dallas will already be playing without superstar Luka Doncic but Kyrie Irving is also questionable and in danger of sitting out for a second consecutive game with a foot injury. Fortunately, this is a 7:30 ET tip-off, so we should have that Irving news before the slate locks. If Irving were to sit, Jaden Hardy should land in the starting rotation, thereby representing some nice value on this slate. With Luka and Kyrie out on Saturday, also against the Grizzlies, Hardy got the starting nod and played 37 minutes while putting up 22 points, three assists, two boards, and a steal (31.0 DKFP). Hardy has averaged 0.88 FPPM this season so mid-30s minutes would, in all likelihood, result in a similar fantasy point result. Based on the current spread that has Dallas as +1 home underdogs against the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies, my guess is that Kyrie Irving is on the wrong side of questionable at the moment… but if Irving does suit up, Hardy becomes nothing more than a GPP flier off of the bench.

Other Guards to Consider:

PG/SG Kyrie Irving, DAL | DK: $10.5k, FD: $9.6k | vs. MEM | GPP Preferred (Note: Irving is currently questionable)

💫PG Trae Young, ATL | DK: $9.4k, FD: $9.9k | vs. MIN | Cash & GPP

PG Chris Paul, PHX | DK: $7.7k, FD: $8k | @ GSW | GPP Preferred

💫PG Tyus Jones, MEM | DK: $7.3k, FD: $7.7k | @ DAL | Cash & GPP

SG/SF Tim Hardaway Jr., DAL | DK: $6.4k, FD: $5.8k | vs. MEM | Cash & GPP (Boost if Irving sits)

💫PG/SG Andrew Nembhard, IND | DK: $5k, FD: $4.9k | @ DET | Cash & GPP

SG/SF Luke Kennard, MEM | DK: $3.1k, FD: $4.1k | @ DAL | DK Preferred

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

💫SF/PF Jayson Tatum, BOS | DK: $10.9k, FD: $11k | @ HOU | GPP Preferred

Given all of the Pistons/Pacers value available, slotting multiple superstar players into the same lineup will not pose much of a challenge tonight. That’s going to make Jayson Tatum a worthy target in this terrific Houston match-up. The Rockets check in at 29th in defensive efficiency and they’ve been the victims of more monster solo performances from opposing players than any other team this season. Tatum exploded for 38 points and 60.0 DKFP against the Rockets earlier this season and he has exceeded 66 DKFP in three of his past five games. Another huge 60+ FP game is well within reason for Tatum tonight but, unfortunately, we’ll have to keep the pesky blowout factor in mind with the Celtics stepping in as significant -12.5 road favorites. Tatum shouldn’t tank any lineups even if this trends toward a blowout and limits his run in the fourth quarter but, at the moment, I would slightly prefer him as a GPP target rather than a cash play.

💫SF/PF Kyle Anderson, MIN | DK: $6.1k, FD: $6.6k | @ ATL | Cash & GPP

Kyle Anderson does put up the occasional dud performance but he also provides a massive ceiling out of the $6k range on both sites. He has exploded for 43.25 DKFP and 47.25 DKFP within his last three games and he’s gone for at least 32.75 DKFP in five of his last eight starts. The match-up is really what puts Anderson in play for both cash games and GPPs. The Hawks have been getting torched by opposing small forwards, allowing the most FPPG to the position over their last 20 games. This match-up also features two teams that rank among the top 10 in the NBA in pace, resulting in a massive 244.5 over/under. Anderson is not going to typically be a high-usage player in this T-Wolves offense but he’s a good bet to post around 15 points along with some strong peripheral stats, including a decent shot at multiple steals/blocks (2.0 STL+BLK/Gm L20Gms).

PF/C Eugene Omoruyi, DET | DK: $3.8k, FD: $4.4k | vs. IND | Cash & GPP (Preferred if starting)

Omoruyi will be a less interesting DFS target if he’s not starting but, as you might expect, the number of bodies that the Pistons will be playing without should lead to some very meaningful minutes for him this evening. Omoruyi has been handling some solid minutes off of the bench recently, averaging 25.3 Min/Gm over his last three games. He’s also averaging a respectable 0.81 FPPM this season (up to 0.90 FPPM L5Gms) and, assuming he starts, he’d likely eclipse the 30-minute mark in this game. The Pacers operate at the 8th fastest pace in the NBA and rank 24th in defensive efficiency so any player who handles big minutes against them is going to command some DFS consideration.

Other Forwards to Consider:

SF Jimmy Butler, MIA | DK: $8.7k, FD: $9.4k | vs. UTA | GPP Preferred

SF Khris Middleton, MIL | DK: $8.2k, FD: $7.8k | @ SAC | GPP Preferred (If Giannis is out)

💫PF/C Bobby Portis, MIL | DK: $7.1k, FD: $7k | @ SAC | Cash & GPP (If Giannis is out)

SF Buddy Hield, IND | DK: $7.1k, FD: $6.5k | @ DET | GPP Preferred (Note: Hield is currently questionable)

PF/C Draymond Green, GSW | DK: $6.3k, FD: $7.1k | vs. PHX | DK Preferred

SF/SG Josh Okogie, PHX | DK: $4.9k, FD: $4.7k | @ GSW | GPP Preferred

PF/C Jalen Smith, IND | DK: $4.7k, FD: $4.7k | @ DET | GPP Preferred

💫SF/SG Chris Duarte, IND | DK: $4.2k, FD: $4.4k | @ DET | Cash & GPP

PF/C Trey Lyles, SAC | DK: $4.1k, FD: $5.2k | vs. MIL | DK Preferred

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Deandre Ayton, PHX | DK: $7.5k, FD: $8k | @ GSW | Cash & GPP

While the Suns await the return of Kevin Durant, who is multiple weeks out from fully recovering from an ankle injury, Deandre Ayton will likely operate as the number two scoring option behind Devin Booker. As we all know, Chris Paul is much more of a facilitator than a scorer, especially at this stage of his career, and other starters like Josh Okogie and Torrey Craig are rarely going to put up a huge number of shot attempts. The Warriors have allowed the 9th most FPPG to centers over their last 20 games and if Ayton continues to play minutes in the mid-to-high 30s, this should be a match-up he can thrive in.

💫C Isaiah Jackson, IND | DK: $4.6k, FD: $4.6k | @ DET | Cash & GPP

This is one of the most obvious and easiest plays on the slate. With starting center Myles Turner set to miss a second consecutive game, Isaiah Jackson is going to flirt with “must play” status given his elite fantasy point-per-minute production. He has averaged 1.10 FPPM on the season while mostly playing off of the bench, but as a starter, he has bumped that figure up to 1.43 FPPM over his last five starts. Jackson posted a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double and totaled 43.75 DKFP in just 26 minutes in Saturday’s game against the Pistons. It’s clearly a match-up he can thrive in even if he doesn’t play 30+ minutes and Jackson is simply too cheap at $4,600 on both sites.

Other Centers to Consider:

C Domantas Sabonis, SAC | DK: $9.8k, FD: $10k | vs. MIL | GPP Preferred

💫C Brook Lopez, MIL | DK: $7.4k, FD: $8.2k | @ SAC | DK Preferred (Boost if Giannis is out)

C James Wiseman, DET | DK: $6k, FD: $6.7k | vs. IND | DK Preferred

C Xavier Tillman, MEM | DK: $5.9k, FD: $6k | @ DAL | Cash & GPP

C Jalen Duren, DET | DK: $4.9k, FD: $5.6k | vs. IND | DK Preferred

PF/C Naz Reid, MIN | DK: $4.4k, FD: $5.2k | @ ATL | Cash & GPP (Only if Gobert is out & Reid starts)

C Onyeka Okongwu, ATL | DK: $3.9k, FD: $5.5k | vs. MIN | DK Preferred

NBA Player Props 📊

Player Prop or Bet | Odds | Unit Bet Size

Jayson Tatum OVER 5.5 Assists | +118 (FanDuel) | 2.0 Units

Walker Kessler OVER 2.5 Blocks | +135 (DraftKings) | 1.75 Units

PrizePicks Power Play ⚡

Here is a two-pick “Power Play” I’m liking for today's NBA action over on PrizePicks! Nothing is ever a guarantee to hit but I put my own money on these bets so I don't just lightly throw these out there without believing they'll cash! If it hits, it will return 3x the wager.

Walker Kessler MORE than 28.5 Fantasy Score

Devin Booker MORE than 46.5 Fantasy Score

🆕 Props AI 🆕

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That will wrap us up with today’s “Daily Dribble” edition! Once again, you can find me on Twitter or in LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries. Good luck everyone!