Our NBA DFS picks have been on fire. Yesterday was a tough one, of course, as we had to endure a few brutal blowouts. The Bulls got smoked by Miami, while the Kings vs. Wizards game wasn’t what we expected it to be.
That said, it was a really low-scoring slate, so cashing was still in play. Monday slows things down with just a tiny three-game slate. But if you want to win, I’ve got a core to get you rolling. This slate lacks that must-have stud and several guys have questionable tags, making a strong core as important as ever.
With that, here’s a look at my top NBA DFS picks at both DraftKings and FanDuel for Monday, 2/2:
Monday’s NBA DFS Core Plays
| DraftKings NBA DFS Core | FanDuel NBA DFS Core |
| Reed Sheppard ($4.9k) | Reed Sheppard ($5.2k) |
| Tari Eason ($6.2k) | Tari Eason ($6.3k) |
| Naz Reid ($6.3k) | Kawhi Leonard ($8.9k) (if active) |
| Kawhi Leonard ($9k) |
Update: Harden is OUT. Not sure there’s a way around Kawhi at this point. He could always be rested, but at this point I doubt that’s the case. As long as he plays he looks awesome. John Collins and Jordan Miller also get a boost.
Kevin Durant is out for tonight, which opens up quite a bit of usage. Reed Sheppard gets a bigger bump than anyone, as he’ll be called upon more for his scoring. Tari Eason ranks second in that regard, so I think starting builds with both of them makes sense.
You can obviously pay up for Sengun/Amen and Jabari Smith is basically the same price as Eason. I may end up just prioritizing the one that is lesser owned between the two of them, but all of these guys look like really strong plays in a plus matchup against the Pacers.
Nembhard’s price is not ideal, but his role is really good right now. The matchup stinks, but if we’re playing 2-3 Rockets, we may want to consider a comeback. Nembhard projects well, has a strong role, and is simply feasting these days with 41+ fps in three of his last four games. I think you absolutely can consider fading him at likely high ownership, but he’s still a terrific play.
Naz Reid is a bit too cheap for this slate. The matchup with Memphis is sublime and there could be blowout risk here. Anthony Edwards is also Q so he and other Wolves could end up looking even better. Even if ANT is in, though, Naz is a really nice mid-range play on this small slate.
Top NBA DFS Game Environment (Stacking)
- Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies (229.5 total)
If you want to stack a game with maximum upside, it is probably the Grizzlies game. This is the highest game total of the night and it offers the fastest pace. Minnesota is the side I’d lean hard into, but we can get to JJJ, Cedric Coward, and Jock Landale if we dig it enough.
JJJ and ANT are both questionable. If JJJ misses, this game takes a sharp detour to Blowout City. If ANT misses, we could get a fast-paced, competitive game. I think it’s interesting just because the top spends are in the 76ers vs. Clippers game and people will be on Houston guys for sure.
Naturally, going harder at the game with the highest total and fastest pace could be fun!
Best Pay-Ups for Monday
- Joel Embiid ($9.7k)
- Alperen Sengun ($9.2k)
- Anthony Edwards ($9.3k)
I’m not here to tell you not to play Kawhi/Harden, Maxey, or Siakam. However, Kawhi did play last night and if he’s in Harden’s ceiling isn’t as high as we’d like. Siakam also has a brutal matchup, so outside of just getting different for the heck of it, Nembhard is the way better play.
Maxey can be a god, too, but Embiid has been The Man for Philly lately. Both are viable, but I definitely lean Joel these days. When they’re basically the same price, Embiid is going to stand out. That said, if everyone is on Embiid and a similarly priced Maxey is going overlooked, we can leverage that.
Sengun may very well be the best spend on the slate. Indy is not good at defending the paint, he can beast out in worse spots, and Durant isn’t active. He will probably not be owned enough.
ANT is in the best pure DFS game environment of the night. He is questionable and this game has some blowout risk, but he also could nuke in such a fun DFS spot.
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