It's been a great 1st weekend of the return of the NBA. Better yet for DFS purposes there's been some points scored. The Grizzlies and Blazers combined for 275 points on Friday and the Mavs and Rockets broke 300 (!) later that night in a 153-149 Rockets win.

There are 6 games on tap for Monday, although the Raptors vs. Heat game with the early 1:30 PM ET start is off the main slate for both DraftKings and FanDuel. That's alright though, it's still a nice little Monday with afternoon hoops. Let's dig into it:

Tonight's DFS Headlines

Nuggets vs. Thunder (-6) , O/U 219

4:00 PM ET

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Pacers (-8) vs. Wizards, O/U 228

4:00 PM ET

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Spurs vs. 76ers (-7), O/U 227

8:00 PM ET

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Lakers (-6.5) vs. Jazz, O/U 217

9:00 PM ET

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Kings (-3.5) vs. Spurs, O/U 220

8:00 PM ET

The Kings may turn some heads as a favorite in their game against the Spurs. San Antonio has a 22-season playoff streak on the line but it's going to be hard to make up the 4 game deficit for the 8 seed. The Spurs also have four teams to jump and will be without Lamarcus Aldridge who opted out for shoulder surgery. There's also no Marvin Bagley III (foot) for the Kings.

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Rockets vs. Mavericks (-1), O/U 229

9:00 PM ET

The marquee game for Friday night is Houston taking on Dallas. How will James Harden's game improve with the consistent atmosphere of the bubble night in and night out? Russell Westbrook seems to be back from his COVID scare. Luka Doncic had 14 triple-doubles and had 41/6/10 in one game vs. the Rockets back in November.

Guards

Caris LeVert DK $7.8k | FD $8.2k

For these 8 bubble games, Caris LeVert shall be dubbed, "Lord Launch." The Nets really don't have anybody else to shoot besides maybe Joe Harris or the recently signed 40-year-old Jamal Crawford. Over the final six weeks before the pandemic pause, LeVert was 12th in usage and that was with Spencer Dinwiddie in the lineup. It's not the ideal matchup against Orlando's 3rd slowest pace 4th best scoring defense but at least 24 shots from LeVert is realistic.

Derrick White DK $5.7k | FD $5.2k

There's no Bryn Forbes tonight (quad) and the Spurs will also be without LaMarcus Aldridge who decided to undergo shoulder surgery. We might as well get caught up in the Derrick White / Patty Mills / Dejounte Murray roulette right away in game one. White is back in the starting lineup after moving to the bench over the course of the regular season. He's also up against a Kings team that gave up 50fp to two of the last four SG's they faced prior to the hiatus in Norman Powell and Bradley Beal.

Shabazz Napier DK $5.7k | FD $6.2k

The briefcase for Beal or No Beal came up empty, as Wizards star Bradley Beal has decided to get healthy instead of coming to the bubble. It's probably a wise choice considering Washington has the faintest of playoff hopes trying to make up 5.5 games in two weeks. Even so, Beal's absence opens things up for the likes of Shabazz Napier who had a 52fp and 38fp the two games before the pause as his minutes were 40 and 38. This should be a fast paced game against the Suns' #10 offense in possessions. The Suns will really run vs. the Wizards' 2nd worst defense in the league.

Forwards

Harrison Barnes DK $5k | FD $4.8k

Harrison Barnes seems like the type of player to at least get a ton of minutes tonight. He does rank 15th in the league in mpg at 34.9 and will be up against a Spurs team that is going with a smaller lineup due to LaMarcus Aldridge opting for surgery. DFS players may social distance themselves from Barnes because he did have a bout with Coronavirus, but there is supposed to be no minutes restrictions in place tonight. The Spurs had been getting taken to by opposing SFs prior to the hiatus, as TJ Warren (36.75), Cedi Osman (38.5), and Tim Hardaway, Jr. (38.75) all had above-average games.

Tim Hardaway DK $6.3k | FD $5.8k

There should be some upside on Tim Hardaway, Jr. tonight if he can play like he did before the quarantine. The Mavs SF knocked down 45 fp and 39 fp in two of his last three games in March. Dallas gets a boost against Houston's top 5 team in possessions per game and the Rockets also rank 27th defensively vs. the SF. Hardaway has a game where he hit 9-three pointers this year and he's also taken 15+ shots in six straight.

Cameron Johnson DK $4.3k | FD $4.3k

We're scrolling the bargain bin for Cameron Johnson this afternoon, as some salary relief could help you fit Harden, Westbrook, Antetoknounmpo, Lillard, etc. into the lineup. Johnson has some nice upside, especially against the Wizards' 2nd worst defense in the NBA. There's no Kelly Oubre, Jr. for the Suns tonight and Dario Saric should be limited with an ankle injury. That opens up the minutes for Johnson who had 21 real points in his last game. His previous high was 17 vs. these Wizards at the end of November.

Center

Jonas Valanciunas DK $7.8k | FD $7.7k

Portland seems to have depth at the C position but Hassan Whiteside is battling with a tricky Achilles while Jusuf Nurkic will be playing his first minutes of the season and Zach Collins hasn't played since October. The Trail Blazers ranked 26th vs. the C position this season when healthy so it should be a big night for Jonas Valanciunas who went for 50+ fp in 4 of 7 games before the hiatus. That includes grabbing 18 rebounds vs. Portland on February 12th

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You can follow me, Carl Taylor (@dailydogsports), on Twitter for more daily fantasy and sports betting talk and make sure to check out the LineStar chat.

Freeroll

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🔥 SuperDraft Multiplier Must-Play

Today's SuperDraft multiplier must-play is Shabazz Napier at 1.6X. "The Bubble" seems like the type of environment an AAU legend like Napier would thrive in plus he's posted 52 and 38fp in two games before the pandemic pause.

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