This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Point Guards:
Ish Smith, PHI vs. MIN ($5,700): Smith will be playing his sixth game with the Sixers here and his career has been revived in Philly. He has taken over the starting point guard duties and playing brilliantly. Since he joined the Sixers, Smith is averaging about 28 fantasy points per game and playing well over 30 minutes per game. It's clear the offense is now run through him now and he should have every opportunity to provide great fantasy value. On Monday, he has a matchup against the fifth-worst team in fantasy points allowed to point guards this season in the Minnesota Timberwolves. If that's not enough incentive, his absurdly low $5,700 price tag should be.
Shaun Livingston, GS vs. CHA ($3,900): This is strictly one of those "if" plays, but if Steph Curry is to miss another game here, Livingston becomes a fantastic option. Since the injury to Curry last week, Livingston has been getting much more run and providing solid fantasy production. Over his last five games, he is averaging over 25 minutes per game and about 20 fantasy points per game. That doesn't sound like a lot, but that's great value for a near minimum priced player. His floor in that span is 15 fantasy points and both of those games were when Curry started. If word comes out that Curry won't play, Livingston is a near guarantee for 30 minutes and at least 6X value.
Shooting Guards:
Rodney Hood, UTA vs. HOU ($5,300): Hood is a talented player who appears to be coming into his own when the team needs him the most. The Jazz lost two of their three best offensive weapons recently in Derrick Favors and Alec Burks and it's clear Hood is one of the go-to scorers now. Hood is coming off his best two-game stretch of the season, as he has scored a combined 83 fantasy points in that two-game span. What's so enticing about him on Monday though is the matchup, as he'll be squared off against James Harden, who is one of the worst defenders in the NBA. Look for Hood to take this matchup personally and live up to his recent production at an extremely reasonable price.
Joe Johnson, BRK vs. BOS ($5,000): There's not a whole lot to like about the aging veteran right now, but he should be asked to do more here than he's done all season. With Jarrett Jack missing the rest of the season with a knee injury, Johnson should be asked to play more minutes and handle the ball more. Johnson has been averaging over 37 minutes a game over his last six games and he might play even more here. Look for Johnson's price to rise closer to $6,000 over the next few weeks simply because the team will need more out of him and he's shown the ability to control an offense in the past. A player who is one of the primary scoring options on a team should never be $5,000 and that's what we have here with Johnson.
Small Forwards:
Andrew Wiggins, MIN at PHI ($6,700): A strictly scoring player like Wiggins is not my forte for DFS, but I'm happy to use these types of players in the right matchup. Wiggins gets to face a Sixers defense on Monday that is one of the five-worst defenses based on fantasy points allowed to small forwards. This should be a close game between two bad teams and it's the perfect opportunity for the youngster to have a monster scoring night. Over his last five games Wiggins has been especially aggressive, averaging 37 minutes per game and taking nearly 18 shots a game in that span. That's nearly guaranteed production with that sort of volume and the upside against Philadelphia is just too good to pass up here.
Jae Crowder, BOS at BRK ($5,900): Crowder is about as reliable as it gets for a mid-priced small forward. He has scored at least 29 fantasy points in six of his last seven games and has a floor of 22 points in 11-straight games. That means his upside isn't great, but that he's as reliable as anyone to reach at least 4X value. What makes him so reliable is that he stuffs the stat sheet by grabbing rebounds and steals. That makes him extremely consistent and a great value at below $6,000. Brooklyn also allows the seventh-most steals in the NBA out of the small forward position and that's just what Crowder thrives off of averaging nearly two swipes per game.
Power Forward:
Chris Bosh, MIA vs. IND ($7,500): Indiana has been one of the best defenses against power forwards this season, but Bosh's form is too hard to pass up. In fact, he has scored at least 39 fantasy points in five of his last eight games, while never scoring less than 25 in that span. In that eight-game sample size, he is averaging nearly 18 shots per game which is four shots higher than his season average. It's clear they are asking him to do more in the offense and it's also clear that he can produce with that volume. What's also encouraging is that Bosh is averaging about 37 minutes per game prior to the blowout win over Washington on Sunday. If he gets his 18 shots and 37 minutes in this game, he should have no problem surpassing 35-plus fantasy points once again.
Nerlens Noel, PHI vs. MIN ($6,300): Noel got off to a terrible start this season, but he's starting to find his form over recent weeks. Over his last eight games, Noel has scored less than 25 fantasy points only once and has scored at least 33 fantasy points in five of those games. That stretch correlates with the signing of Ish Smith and it's clear that these two have a chemistry that simply wasn't there prior. What makes this play enticing is that the Timberwolves rank in the bottom-half in the NBA in rebounds, steals and blocks against power forwards this season. That's the type of play Noel thrives off of and he should be an asset in an up-tempo matchup like this and stuff the stat sheet with great ease.
Center:
Hassan Whiteside, MIA vs. IND ($7,500): Whiteside is doing some special things out of the center position this season and blocking at a ridiculous pace. He is averaging just shy of four blocks per game and has blocked at least three shots in eight of his last nine games. Whiteside is also averaging 13 rebounds per game over his last 13 games and playing at an all-time level. What makes him so intriguing here is the matchup, as he faces a Pacers team that is one of the worst against centers this season. In fact, they have allowed the second-most rebounds against centers this season and have allowed some monster lines. Indiana also plays at one of the fastest paces in the NBA and that's another benefit to using an athletic player like Whiteside.
