This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defense to Avoid:
Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets
It's almost the last week of the NBA season and these are two teams trending in very different directions. Miami is in the mix for home-court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, whereas Brooklyn was eliminated from contention long ago. Miami isn't going to squander a game like this at home and the Nets have very little incentive to give their top players big minutes. The Nets still have one of the worst offenses in the league and the Heat are still one of the better defensive teams, so you do the math…
Offense to Use:
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Phoenix Suns
There are plenty of other offenses to use Monday; the Trail Blazers will be a trendy pick going up against the Kings, while the Hawks get the Bulls who are falling apart. I like the T-Wolves in this spot though, mostly due to the matchup at home against the Suns coupled with how cheap most of their key contributors are. Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng, Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins are all sub-$7,000, making them ideal candidates for a potential triple-stack. Karl Anthony-Towns ($8,100) will cost you a pretty penny, but he's still work a look against the injury-depleted Suns frontcourt.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Bulls, Nets, Thunder
Second game: Mavericks, Nuggets, Clippers, Lakers, Kings
Daily Player Recommendations
Point Guard
Ricky Rubio, MIN vs. PHO ($6,900): I'm not going to get cute here and try to recommend a cheap option at point guard. Rubio should have no trouble torching the Suns in the assist column, which should help him exceed five times his salary (roughly 35 fantasy points). The T-Wolves offense has been clicking lately, and so long as Rubio can get the ball out to the wing for LaVine and Wiggins, he should be able to reach double-digit dimes.
Other suggestions: Damian Lillard, POR vs. SAC ($9,500); Patty Mils, SA at MEM ($3,800)
Shooting Guard
Will Barton, DEN vs. DAL ($5,100): If you're feeling frisky and looking to roll the dice, Barton is an appealing play in tournaments. He's averaging close to 30 fantasy points per game, but his salary has dipped almost below $5K, which makes him a very valuable commodity considering his high ceiling. By DraftKings scoring, the Mavericks are one of the worst teams at stopping the two-guard position and Barton should match up well coming off the bench against Dallas' second unit.
Other suggestions: Wesley Matthews, DAL at DEN ($5,000); Zach LaVine, MIN vs. PHO ($5,800)
Small Forward
Gordon Hayward, UTA vs. LAL ($6,600): The Jazz finally return home after a long road trip in which Hayward scored 30-plus fantasy points in four of six games. As I've been preaching for most of this cheat sheet, it's late in the season and some teams are playing for something while others are just going through the motions. Much like Heat-Nets, the Jazz-Lakers game is another tale of two teams. Hayward should get plenty of looks against the Lakers defense, and he's capable of reaching 40 fantasy points whenever he scores 20+.
Other suggestions: Joe Johnson, MIA vs. BKN ($4,900); Lance Stephenson, MEM vs. SA ($5,500)
Power Forward
Dirk Nowitzki, DAL at DEN ($7,400): Dirk will be playing the second game of a back-to-back set, but he should be fresh considering he didn't play Friday against the Warriors. The Mavericks really need the next two games against opponents they should beat (Kings, Nuggets), so expect clutch, playoff-mode Dirk to show up Sunday and Monday. It was only a few weeks ago that Nowitzki went off for 30 points (43.0 FPts) on the road against the Nuggets. His price tag may be a bit high, but his recent production more than justifies it.
Other suggestions: Ed Davis, POR vs. SAC ($4,200); Gorgui Dieng, MIN vs. PHO ($6,000)
Center
Boban Marjanovic, SA at MEM ($3,400): If you caught the Spurs' loss Saturday against the Thunder, you also witnessed what Boban is capable of when given big minutes. Marjanovic should be in line for that type of workload again Monday, with Tim Duncan and San Antonio's veterans expected to rest for a second straight game. You'll have to temper expectations a bit, but considering how cheap Marjanovic is, he's worth throwing in your lineup as a home-run play for tournaments.
Other suggestions: Robin Lopez, NY at NO ($5,400); DeAndre Jordan, LAC vs. BOS ($7,900)
Injury Report
Out
Anthony Davis, NO (knee, shoulder)
Jae Crowder, BOS (ankle)
Deron Williams, DAL (abdominal)
Blake Griffin, LAC (suspension)
D'Angelo Russell, LAL (ankle)
Zach Randolph, MEM (ankle)
Tony Parker, SA (rest)
Tim Duncan, SA (rest)
Manu Ginobili, SA (rest)
Kawhi Leonard, SA (quad)
Terrence Ross, TOR (hand)
Game-Time Decision
Paul Millsap, ATL (face)
Jrue Holiday, NO (toe)
Norris Cole, NO (back)
Jon Leuer, PHO (illness)
Tyson Chandler, PHO (back)
Ben McLemore, SAC (finger)
