NBA DFS First Look & Optimal Lineup Picks Today

The Slate Starter is a daily first look at the day’s NBA slate to get your daily fantasy basketball lineup-building process started before lock tonight. Each day we will go through some of the best NBA DFS picks, values and sleepers for DraftKings and FanDuel. Be sure to check Awesemo’s NBA Starting Lineups page, as it will be updated throughout the day as the NBA injury reports are released and breaking news surfaces. Let’s dive into some players who stand out as key options on Monday’s nine-game NBA slate.

Want to see how your lineup stacked up against yesterday’s winning NBA DFS lineups for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo fantasy basketball? Check out Awesemo’s Optimal Lineup Review, which uses Fantasy Cruncher Rewind to analyze the winning plays from the night before.

Be sure to check out the Eric Lindquist and Rayen Patnaik every morning with the NBA Slate Starter Podcast, where they give you the best first-look NBA DFS analysis and daily fantasy advice to start your process.

DraftKings & FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Advice Today

Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C, Washington Wizards

Porzingis has played in seven games since being traded for the Wizards, and he took a big step in their last outing. He played on the second leg of a back-to-back, suggesting that the Wizards feel pretty good about his health. He was limited to just 25.9 minutes in a blowout win, but that was still enough time to rack up 39.75 DraftKings points.

He took full advantage of the absence of Kyle Kuzma, who missed that game due to a knee injury. Porzingis posted a usage rate of 41.1%, which was easily his top mark with his new team. Kuzma is questionable again on Monday, and Porzingis has increased his production to 1.45 DraftKings points per minute with Kuzma off the court.

Porzingis will become very enticing against the Rockets if Kuzma is out again. They’ve been one of the best matchups in fantasy this season, ranking second in pace and dead last in defensive efficiency. The Wizards are implied for the second-most points on the slate, so expect Porzingis to pop in our NBA Projections if Kuzma is out.

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Bruce Brown, SF, Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are playing at home on Monday, which means they will be without Kyrie Irving. That means Brown should continue to provide excellent value on DraftKings, where he’s priced at just $6,000.

Brown has seen plenty of playing time lately, logging at least 38.8 minutes in two of his past four games. He’s also been a fantastic per-minute producer, averaging 0.98 DraftKings points per minute. He’s scored at least 34.25 DraftKings points in eight of his past nine games, so it’s hard to believe his salary has stayed so reasonable. Brown is priced much more fairly at $6,700 on FanDuel.

Brown is an excellent cash game target given his consistency, and he might also be underappreciated in tournaments. His average ownership on DraftKings has been below 12% in his past two games, even though Irving was out for both contests. If his ownership projection is too low on Monday, he’ll own a solid leverage rating in the Boom/Bust Probability tool.

Montrezl Harrell, PF/C, Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets are another team with an excellent matchup on Monday. They’re taking on the Pelicans, who have played significantly faster of late. They’re ninth in pace over their past 10 games despite ranking just 21st for the season. The Hornets have also played outstanding basketball of late, winning four straight games while averaging 130.25 points. They’re currently implied for a slate-high 120.0 points, so they’re expected to keep things rolling against the Pelicans.

The Hornets have a bit of a logjam at center, with Harrell, P.J. Washington, and Mason Plumlee factoring into the equation. Still, Harrell stands out as the preferred DFS option. He’s the best of the bunch on a per-minute basis, averaging 1.13 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and his salary has decreased by -$1,000 on DraftKings over that time frame. Harrell has scored at least 27.5 DraftKings points in three of his past four games, including 30.5 in his most recent outing.

Harrell could also be worth considering in the player prop market. Make sure to take advantage of the Awesemo Player Prop tool, which highlights the most exploitable player props each day.

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