Howdy, folks. It is Monday, and we’re looking at surprisingly small 4-game NBA DFS slates on DraftKings and FanDuel. I have been away in a non-DFS state for a full week, but I’m now back on the mainland and ready to make the big bucks.
We’ve got some rather notable injuries, as usual. Jaylen Brown, Anthony Davis, RJ Barrett, Cam Thomas, Egor Demin, and PJ Washington are not expected to play, while Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Joel Embiid, Brandon Ingram, and Andrew Nembhard are among those carrying Q tags. So, we could wind up with a ton of value, even on a tiny slate.
Let’s dive in.
DK Core Plays
- Derrick White ($8,400)
- Payton Pritchard ($6,900)
- Evan Mobley ($7,900)
As mentioned, the Celtics and Nets both have some injuries. Brown’s absence means the usage really flows through Pritchard and White. Both are averaging in the neighborhood of 1.3 DK FP/minute with Brown off the floor, and the minutes are guaranteed ahead of this matchup with Indiana. Things get easier for them from a matchup standpoint if Nembhard sits for Indy. I’m not concerned regardless.
You can certainly consider splitting them and hoping one flops with the other nuking. The DK salaries make Pritchard the more difficult fade, but they’re just both terrific plays in a vacuum. I probably won’t have a max-1 rule for them in most lineups, but I would absolutely max-2 the Pritchard/White/Anfernee Simons trio.
The Cavs get the best matchup on the board against Utah. Their implied team total is 132, which is the highest I can recall seeing on any team all season. The Jazz lost their last game by approximately 853 points, so that’s always a risk. The Cavs haven’t really been amazing, but Mobley at $7,900 is coming at a severe discount. He’s going to be very, very chalky, but perhaps the ownership comes down if some of the other Q tags shake up the slate.
Getting to some Nets is probably necessary given the injuries. Claxton ($5,700) and Wolf ($4,000) are my early favorites. Awouuuuuu!
FD Core Plays
- Derrick White ($8,300)
- Payton Pritchard ($6,700)
- Cooper Flagg ($8,900)
This slate doesn’t have any 5-figure superstars, so it’s pretty easy to roll out a balanced build, especially on FanDuel. Cooper Flagg was Pooper Flagg in the first game without AD, but I’ll gladly go back to the well here at $8,900 against Brooklyn. The Nets’ defensive scheme is tougher on PnR ball-handlers, but Flagg can get there in a variety of ways and his minutes are generally quite secure.
Taylor Smith been a profitable DFS player for years, turning his passion for fantasy sports into both consistent results and quality content. Since 2018, he’s created fantasy analysis and strategy pieces for several outlets, most notably RotoGrinders and FantasyLabs, where he’s covered everything from daily picks to advanced DFS theories.
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