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We're set for a much quieter Monday night than usual, as there are only four games on the slate after a very busy first four days following the All-Star break.
Fortunately, there aren't an inordinate amount of notable injuries, which helps keep an already abbreviated player pool from shrinking further. There's also one game with a projected total of over 235 points, giving us an appealing environment to target in tournaments.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for the respective main slates on DraftKings and FanDuel on 2/26/23. Remember to monitor the NBA injury report as the slate can completely change before lineups lock, which is at 7:00 pm ET. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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DraftKings and FanDuel Guards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
LaMelo Ball - PG, CHA vs. DET ($10,300 DK, $10,300 FD)
Ball sandwiched three straight 50-plus fantasy-point tallies around the All-Star break, and he posted 47.7 DK/39.8 FD points against the Heat in Saturday's win. The star point guard also has one performance of 55.5 DK/56.6 FD points against the Pistons this season, and Detroit is allowing an Eastern Conference-high 29.5 offensive efficiency rating to point guards, along with an Eastern Conference-high 52.6 DK/51.9 FD points to the position.
Ball also checks in having put together an excellent stretch of play over the last 11 games, a span in which he's averaged 24.5 points, 9.4 assists, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 steals, numbers that have led to averages of over 50 fantasy points per contest on each site.
Jalen Brunson - PG, NYK vs. BOS ($8,500 DK, $8,400 FD)
Brunson has been a bit quieter than usual in the last two games, averaging 16.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds while shooting an abysmal 33.3 percent. However, the breakout star had been at 40 DK points or more and 39.9 FD points or greater in each of the previous five games, a more accurate example of his upside.
Brunson has also enjoyed plenty of success against the Celtics in two previous meetings this season, averaging 45.7 DK/45 FD points per contest. He's shot a blistering 52.4 percent in that span as well, and Boston has been especially vulnerable to point guards recently while allowing the second-most DK (56.7) and fourth-most FD (54.5) points per contest to ones in the last seven games.
Marcus Smart - PG, BOS at NYK ($5,500 DK, $6,400 FD)
Smart makes for an intriguing option on the other side of the Celtics-Knicks clash, considering his highly reasonable salaries and the matchup. The veteran guard has been a bit inconsistent since returning from a recent extended absence due to an ankle injury, but he's still averaged just under 30 fantasy points per contest in the first three games since his return.
Smart produced 34.5 DK/30.9 FD points in his one prior meeting against the Knicks, and New York checks in allowing the ninth-highest offensive efficiency rating to point guards on the season (27.6). The Knicks are also giving up 50.2 DK/49.6 FD points per game to ones in the last 15 games, further cementing his case at salaries he's proven amply capable of overdelivering on this season.
ALSO CONSIDER: James Harden - PG/SG, PHI vs. MIA ($9,800 DK, $10,000 FD)
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DraftKings and FanDuel Forwards - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Jayson Tatum - SF/PF, BOS at NYK ($10,200 DK, $11,000 FD)
Tatum is another member of the Celtics that could certainly be worth his investment Monday night, considering his upside and prior history in the matchup. The star forward has already averaged well over 50 fantasy points on both sites in two previous games against the Knicks this season, a stretch that's seen him average 30.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steals across 39.5 minutes.
Tatum also comes into the contest running hot, as he's averaged 29.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.0 steals across 39.1 minutes over his last 15 games while putting up over 50 fantasy points per contest.
Brandon Ingram - SF, NOP vs. ORL ($8,000 DK, $8,200 FD)
Ingram had a rough shooting night in a tough matchup against the Knicks on Saturday night, but he'd otherwise been outstanding in his previous seven February contests. The talented wing averaged over 40 fantasy points per game on the strength of 30.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per contest. Ingram also shot an impressive 52.3 percent, including 52.2 percent from three-point range, during that span, and he now draws a beatable matchup in that of the Magic.
Orlando is allowing 38.0 percent three-point shooting to small forwards, along with 43.9 DK/42.8 FD points per contest to the position in the last 15 games. The Magic is also surrendering the fourth-most steals per road game (8.0), giving Ingram another path to potential fantasy success.
Tobias Harris - SF/PF, PHI vs. MIA ($5,300 DK, $6,000 FD)
Harris has seen a significant drop in salary recently, but he's still averaging 15.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals across his last four games while averaging 60.5 percent shooting, including 55.0 percent from three-point range. The veteran forward has been a much more productive player at home this season as well, putting up 16.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per contest at Wells Fargo Center across a 30-game sample.
Harris hasn't faced the Heat yet this season, but Miami is allowing an NBA-high 27.2 offensive efficiency rating to small forwards. The Heat have also surrendered over 42 DK and over 41 FD points per game to the position on the season, and Miami is also surrendering an elevated 39.7 percent three-point shooting success rate over the last three games as well.
ALSO CONSIDER: Julius Randle - PF, NYK vs. BOS ($9,300 DK, $9,500 FD)
DraftKings and FanDuel Centers - NBA DFS Lineup Picks
Joel Embiid - C, PHI vs. MIA ($11,000 DK, $12,000 FD)
The Heat haven't always been a welcoming matchup for centers, but Embiid has naturally proven to be matchup-proof on countless occasions and comes into Monday with plenty of momentum. The big man has eclipsed 60 fantasy points on both sites in each of the last three games, averaging 32.3 points, 15.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 3.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals in that sample.
Embiid has also been at his best when playing at home this season, as evidenced by his averages of 34.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.2 steals per contest across 28 home games. Given recent performances and the general scarcity of viable options at his position Monday, Embiid could be well worth the hefty investment.
Mark Williams - C, CHA vs. DET ($5,900 DK, $6,600 FD)
Williams has enjoyed success during his starting run at center thus far, averaging over 30 fantasy points per game on the strength of 11.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per contest in six games. Williams is also coming off a career-best performance against a Miami team that's been very tough against centers all season, as he posted an 18-point, 20-rebound double-double that netted 48 DK/47 FD points.
The Pistons are very good targets, considering they've allowed the fourth-highest offensive efficiency rating to centers (35.1), along with over 56 DK and over 55 FD points per game to the position in the last 15 games. Detroit is also tied for the fifth-most rebounds (53.4) and the second-most blocks (5.8) allowed per road contest, giving Williams even more potential paths to fantasy success.
ALSO CONSIDER: Marvin Bagley III - C, DET at CHA ($4,500 DK, $4,900 FD)
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