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After a breather on Sunday, the NBA returns in typically spectacular Monday night fashion with an 11-game slate. The night will mark the return of Kyrie Irving to action, while the Bucks get back their starting trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Donte Divincenzo, who all missed Saturday night’s loss to the Knicks with various injuries.
There are plenty of appealing options across the salary scale Monday, and as is often the case on a big slate, there are multiple ways to still grab players with elite ceiling without having to spend all the way up at each position. There should also be plenty of appealing DFS game environments, considering four of the five fastest-paced teams – the Wizards, Warriors, Timberwolves and Bucks -- are all in action. Meanwhile, nine of the bottom 11 defensive teams in terms of points per game allowed will also be taking the floor.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 3/29/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
De'Aaron Fox, PG – at SA ($9,800)
Fox is Exhibit A with regards to a player that can potentially offer an elite score at a sub-five-figure salary, as he’s scored 49.2 to 63.9 FD points in eight of the last 11 games, a stretch where he’s averaging 50.1 FD points per contest. The fourth-year guard is shooting a career-high 48.6 percent for the season and averaging 39.0 points across 38 minutes in the last three contests alone. Fox has yet to face the Spurs this season, but San Antonio is giving up the eighth-most FD points per game (49.1) to point guards for the season, along with the ninth-highest offensive efficiency (27.3 percent) to ones as well. The Spurs are also allowing the third-highest three-point percentage (39.0) of any team on its home floor, making Fox an even more appealing option.
Ja Morant, PG – at HOU ($7,100)
Morant could certainly go lower rostered than usual on such a large slate after turning in a dud against the Jazz in a tough matchup Saturday night. The second-year pro went just 4-for-12 from the floor on his way to 16.2 FD points, but he’d scored 36.5 to 52.3 in his three previous games, offering a reminder of his upside. Morant put together a tally of 28.6 FD points over 29 minutes in one of his two prior games against the Rockets this season as well, and Houston checks in surrendering the second-most FD points per game (52.8) to point guards over the last 15 contests, including the second-most assists (10.7) and most steals (2.8) per game to ones during that span. Efficiency has been an issue for Morant this season – he’s seen just under a 4.0 percent drop in shooting percentage over his rookie season – but the Rockets could help facilitate one of his better performances, considering they’re allowing 47.1 percent shooting on their home floor.
Marcus Smart, SG – vs. NO ($5,500)
Smart is typically rostered at a modest clip on large slates such as Monday’s, but he’s often a source of sneaky value and comes in having offered over a 5x return on his current salary in 16 of 27 games and was within two-tenths of an FD point of accomplishing the feat on three other occasions. Smart also comes into Monday’s game with some momentum, as he’s recording 29.8 FD points over the last seven games on averages of 14.0 points (on 40.0 percent three-point shooting), 5.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals across 34.9 minutes. There’s a chance Evan Fournier (COVID-19 protocols) makes his Celtics debut Monday and displaces Smart from the starting five in the process, but that’s: a) far from certain; and b) likely irrelevant if it comes to pass, considering Smart has an extensive track record of providing strong production off the bench. The Pelicans also check in giving up 39.2 percent shooting from three-point range to two-guards, along with 41.5 FD points per game to the position.
Also consider: Russell Westbrook ($11,000); DeMar DeRozan ($8,400); Alec Burks ($6,700); Tyrese Haliburton ($5,500)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Zion Williamson, PF- at BOS ($9,000)
Williamson already touched up the Celtics for 46.0 FD points across 40 minutes in his one prior meeting with them this season, and he’s averaging 49.3 FD points over the last six on the strength of 31.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists across 34.5 minutes per contest. Boston has been generous to power forwards recently as well, giving up the fifth-most points (22.7) and seventh-most assists (4.2) per game to fours on the way to allowing the position 44.8 FD points per game over the last 15 contests.
Malik Beasley, SF – at BKN ($5,600)
Beasley made his return from a 12-game suspension Saturday night against the Rockets, posting 27.3 FD points over 30 minutes. The allotment of playing time was encouraging right out of the gate for Beasley, and the fact he compiled that solid total of fantasy points while shooting just 4-for-17 from the field could bode well for his chances of an even bigger performance Monday. Beasley’s salary won’t stay at this level for long if he returns to the caliber of performance he was regularly churning out previously – he’s averaging 31.0 FD points per game for the season – and a matchup against a fast-paced Nets team that’s giving up 40.4 FD points per contest to two-guards over the last 15 and the fifth-most points per game (115.1) overall could well facilitate a strong return on his salary.
Jaden McDaniels, PF – at BKN ($3,700)
McDaniels could be set for another start at power forward Monday after averaging 22.7 FD points (12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 blocks) with the first unit over the last three games. The rookie first-round pick has already flashed a ceiling north of 40 FD points once this season while coming off the bench, and he draws a very appealing matchup with which to try and keep his solid streak going Monday. The Nets are still missing Kevin Durant down low and are struggling on defense versus fours as a result, giving up the fourth-most FD points per game (47.9) to fours over the last seven. That figure is partly the result of Brooklyn yielding the second-most made threes per game (3.14) to PFs during that stretch, noteworthy in McDaniels’ case considering he’s shooting 36.1 percent from behind the arc this season and has put up nine three-point attempts in his aforementioned three-start sample.
Also consider: Pascal Siakam ($8,700); Jaylen Brown ($7,700); Rui Hachimura ($5,500)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Nikola Vucevic– at GS ($9,200)
Vucevic didn’t miss a beat in his first start with the Bulls on Saturday, putting up 36.3 FD points in 32 minutes versus the Spurs. The talented big man should only become more productive as he gets further acclimated, and Monday brings a fast-paced matchup that should afford him some extra possessions to work with. Vucevic has already faced Golden State twice this season as a member of the Magic and generated 45.1 and 70.2 FD points in those contests, while the Warriors come in allowing the sixth-most points (25.9), most rebounds (19.0), third-most steals (1.7) and second-most FD points per game (62.7) to centers over the last 15. Given the fact Vucevic is already putting up career-best figures in multiple categories and has delivered over 5x this salary in 24 of 45 games, he could end up being an excellent fantasy-point-per-dollar play Monday.
Jonas Valanciunas — at HOU ($7,300)
Valanciunas has scored over 40 FD points in three of his last five games and 12 times overall this season, and he faces a Rockets team Monday that could be without Christian Wood once again down low due to an ankle injury. Houston is allowing the ninth-highest offensive efficiency (32.8 percent) to centers and the fourth-most FD points per game (59.0) to fives over the last 15 games. The Rockets also give up the eighth-most rebounds per contest to centers (15.6), while Valanciunas is pulling down a career-high 11.3 boards per game and should particularly benefit from the extra opportunities on the defensive glass that Houston’s NBA-low 42.5 percent shooting at home will create.
Jakob Poeltl– at SAC ($5,800)
Poeltl is averaging an impressive 31.4 FD points across 27.5 minutes over his last eight games, a stretch during which he’s averaging a double-double (11.6 points, 10.0 rebounds) while shooting 68.9 percent. The big man faces a Kings team Monday that’s giving up the fourth-highest offensive efficiency (34.7 percent) to centers for the season, along with the highest (62.4 percent) in the paint. On the latter figure, note Poeltl is scoring 88.5 percent of his points in that part of the floor, and Sacramento also comes in yielding the sixth-most FD points per game (55.8) to fives on the campaign.
Also consider: Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,000); Myles Turner ($5,700); Chris Boucher ($4,900)
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