This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
After a small four-game slate Sunday, we get a much more typical nine-game docket for Monday. What I love about this schedule is the number of value plays at guard. In fact, I'm going to go with three cheap options at guard to help build a perfect studs-and-scrubs lineup. What's also interesting about this schedule is the number of lopsided games, with only one of the nine matchups expected to be within a four-point spread. Spotting these blowouts can be key to avoiding any letdowns, simply because you need to maximize potential through minutes and usage.
Raymond Felton, LAC at ATL ($4,900): With so many injuries in Los Angeles, Felton has had to take on a much bigger role recently. Not only does Felton have at least 22 fantasy points in four straight games, he's scored 26 or more in six of his last nine in total. That's great production for a player south of $5,000 and he's looking at more usage and more minutes given his increased role. This matchup is great too, with Atlanta allowing the third most fantasy points to point guards this season.
Garrett Temple, SAC at DET ($4,300): Much like Felton, Temple has benefited from a stud's injury. Rudy Gay was the one who got injured in Sacramento, as that's greatly opened up things for Temple to improve. The minutes are what I like most about Temple, as he's averaging over 32 per game across his last eight. Most of that came with Gay in the lineup, so he should be looking at 35 minutes a night in his absence.
Dejounte Murray, SAN at BRK ($3,800): Murray is only usable if Tony Parker sits Monday, as he's started the last two games in his absence. He's been good too, with 54 fantasy points in the two games combined. It's the price and matchup that makes Murray such a good option though, as he's a near minimum-priced player facing the worst defense in the NBA. If Parker plays, Murray is off-limits; if Parker sits, Murray is arguably the best value option of the day.
Paul George, IND vs. NYK ($7,000): I refuse to believe George is a $7,000 player, as he's proved to be a five-figure talent in the past. It's his recent form that's lowered him to this number, since he's failed to crack 35 fantasy points in all of his last six games. George has still been solid though, averaging 35 fantasy points per game for the season. This matchup is hard to pass up on too, with New York ranking 25th in defensive efficiency. There's simply no player on this slate who is $7,000 or less that has the 50-point potential like George, and this is simply one of those prices that is too low to overlook.
David Lee, SAN at BRK ($5,100): We have yet another player who is filling in for someone injured, as Lee is the new starter in the absence of Pau Gasol. Lee is way more consistent than the previous options though, as he's proven to be a double-double machine throughout his career. That's evident in his two most recent starts, as he has 24 points and 27 rebounds in those two games combined. The icing on the cake here is the matchup, as the Spurs face a Brooklyn defense that ranks dead-last in numerous defensive categories.
Derrick Favors, UTA vs. OKC ($4,500): Favors has been extremely slow to adjust to a knee injury and his FanDuel price is showing just that. With this $4,500 price tag, he's the cheapest since his rookie year. While Favors hasn't given us any reason to trust him, the minutes and usage are there for him to destroy this price. In fact, Favors is averaging close to 30 minutes a game over the last 10 and is slowly showing signs of life. It's just the potential here that's hard to avoid, with Favors being a $7,000 player in the past. This matchup is great too, given that Favors is the far superior player to his counterpart, Domantas Sabonis.
Andre Drummond, DET vs. SAC ($7,700): Drummond is coming off a disappointing performance in his most recent game, but was a monster before that. In fact, Drummond was averaging 15.5 points and 14.2 rebounds across his previous 14. That dud would have likely been a monster game too, as he had 10 rebounds and three steals in just 18 minutes before he ran into foul trouble. The matchup and price are solid as well, as he faces a Sacramento defense that has allowed the fifth most fantasy points to centers across their its last 10 games. At just $7,700, Drummond is a safe bet to succeed 5X value and has potential for 8X value at this price.
Myles Turner, IND vs. NYK ($6,300): Turner has seen his price drop recently and it's getting too low for someone of his capability. While his form is a bit down, it's not surprising considering he's faced three elite centers in his last four games. What makes me believe he can get out of this slide is the matchup, with the Knicks allowing the third most fantasy points to centers this year. While Drummond is a safer option, Turner has much higher upside than any center on this slate and it comes at just $6,300.
Joakim Noah, NYK at IND ($5,100): Noah has been struggling to do anything but rebound recently, but the production from his boards has been surprisingly good. The former All-Star actually has at least 15 rebounds in three of his last four games, despite scoring just 20 points combined in that span. Indiana has really struggled to rebound too, allowing opposing centers to rank second in the league in rebounds per game. That just makes Noah more intriguing, as he's one of the few centers that can provide fantasy production through assists, steals and blocks, in addition to his elite rebounding numbers.
