The Locks
LeBron James- We kick things off with my favorite spend up on this slate, LeBron James in a stellar matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers. This should be an extremely fast-paced game — hence the 234 O/U — with both teams coming into tonight top-ten in the NBA in pace. While the Lakers playoff hopes are slipping, Bron’s minutes have not and neither have his fantasy point totals. There are some decent value plays already available on this slate, with the potential for more to open up, so jamming in LeBron to start my cash games should not be a challenge Monday night.
Rajon Rondo- My second lock for cash tonight is going to be LeBron’s teammate, Rajon Rondo, who should continue to start with Lonzo Ball still sidelined. His price has not adjusted to a mid-30’s minute role for Rondo, and given the fast-paced nature of this game coupled with the fact that the Clippers lack a true Center, we shouldn’t see Rondo’s minutes dialed back like we did against Phoenix when the Lakers needed Javale McGee to counter DeAndre Ayton.
Center- Center is pretty clear as of now for cash games, but it is entirely site-dependent. On FanDuel, Alex Len comes into tonight priced at just $3,700 and with John Collins doubtful, he should be in line for steady minutes again. Len has played 35 and 27 minutes in the last two games that Collins has missed, and it appears he has added a competent three point shot to his game which raises his ceiling significantly…not that we really need it at that insanely-low price tag. On DraftKings, Len is in play at $4,000, but I prefer to focus on Dwight Powell for $5,200 in an elite matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. Powell has been a big beneficiary of the DeAndre Jordan trade, topping 29 minutes in each of his last four games and he now matches up with the Nets who are allowing the most rebounds to opposing centers in the NBA.
Secondary Options
Miami Heat- The Miami Heat will be a large focus on this slate come lock should injury news break that way, as Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside are both currently listed as questionable against the Hawks. Should Whiteside be out, I will be locking in Bam Adebayo on pretty much all of my teams, and I love the idea of pairing him with Kelly Olynyk as well. Should Dragic be out, that will shift some of the ball-handling to Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson, as well as give a slight bump to Dwayne Wade who I am interested in regardless. I think that if Whiteside is out Bam becomes the only lock, with Oly viable in all formats should you choose to go that route. If Dragic misses, Winslow would be my favorite play, with Richardson being cash playable as well…just not a must play. I don’t have much interest in Wade on FanDuel, but at only $5K on DraftKings he is a strong play in all formats whether Dragon plays or not.
Luka Doncic- I really don’t think this will be a popular target for cash game rosters tonight, but I’m going to stick with my personal rule of playing Luka Doncic as long as he is under $10,000. Dating back to February 1st, Doncic sports over a 35% usage rate and he should be able to shred this Nets defense contributing to all stat categories. He never seems to garner much ownership even in smash spots, and I will likely be targeting him on both FanDuel and DraftKings over someone like Trae Young tonight.
Bogdan Bogdanovic (DraftKings)- Bogdanovic is playable on all sites tonight, but nothing sticks out to me more than his $5,600 price on DK in a home matchup with the New York Knicks. Bogdanovic played 35 minutes in Marvin Bagley’s first game out for the Kings, and Bogdanovic ended up seeing a lot of time at SF with Harrison Barnes shifting over to PF. His shooting has been dismal as of late, but it should eventually correct back towards his 40+% from the field for the season and I’m willing to bank on some positive regression in an excellent matchup against the porous Knicks defense.
GPP Plays
Rudy Gobert- With everyone focusing on value options at center, spending up for Rudy Gobert in a strong matchup with the Pelicans makes a ton of sense in GPPs. I’m not worried at all about the 20 minutes against the Bucks, Gobert’s playing style does not match up whatsoever with how the Bucks play and their shooting, and I expect him to return to his normal workload tonight in a pace-up game…not to mention he is priced under $8K on DraftKings!
Eric Bledsoe- Bledose gets every DFS player’s favorite narrative tonight — #REVENGE — against the team that he infamously tweeted about not wanting to play for anymore. Bleddy has been on fire topping 50+ fantasy points in his last two games, and should thrive in this matchup against a weak defensive backcourt. There is a chance that Giannis sits out tonight, in which Bledsoe would probably get bumped into the cash game range. Be sure to read my “Final Thoughts” cheat sheet prior to lock for my updated thoughts on the slate should we get any late-breaking injury news.
Written by Ben Hossler (Follow @BenHossler on Twitter)
