This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
Point Guard:
Damian Lillard, POR vs. NOP ($9,200): Lillard's minutes and usage are about as reliable as anyone and his price is still a bit too cheap for his production. The star point guard is averaging about 40 fantasy points a game and has a fantastic matchup on Monday. He gets to face the worst defense in the NBA in the New Orleans Pelicans. What's even better is that the Pelicans rank dead-last in fantasy points allowed to point guards this season. He has also taken at least 21 shots in three-straight games, so he should have no problem surpassing 25-plus points and seven-plus assists in a matchup like this. There may not be a player with a higher upside than Lillard on Monday, especially one priced below $10,000.
Jameer Nelson, DEN vs. HOU ($4,200): This might be the best value of the day, simply because of the role Nelson is filling tonight. With Emmanuel Mudiay expected to miss this game, Nelson gets to take over point guard duties, with no legitimate backup. That means he should easily surpass 30 minutes and provide great numbers across the board. In his last game filling in for Mudiay, Nelson tallied 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists en route to a 39-point fantasy outing. His per-36 minute numbers equal a fantasy point average of about 27 fantasy points a game and a 36-minute game seems like a strong possibility here.
Alternate Recommendation: Elfrid Payton, ORL at BRK ($6,700)
Shooting Guard:
DeMar DeRozan, TOR at IND ($7,600): DeRozan has scored at least 38 fantasy points in three-straight games and he's playing some of the best basketball of his career. What is so great about DeRozan this season is that he is on track to set a career-high in assists and free-throw attempts. That means his usage rate is as high as ever and that he is asked to handle the ball more than in years past. On Monday, he gets a great matchup as well, as Indiana have given up the second-most fantasy points to shooting guards over the last five games. Look for DeRozan to control the offense yet again in what should be a tightly contested game between Eastern Conference foes.
Gary Harris, DEN vs. HOU ($3,900): Harris missed six games due to a concussion before returning for the Nuggets last game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. While he didn't have a great fantasy game, he did play 44 minutes and appears to be back to full health and playing as many minutes as he can handle. The five games prior to the injury, Harris was averaging 15.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and one steal per game. That's about 23 fantasy points a game, which is a fantastic value for a $3,900 player. This matchup is a tasty one as well, as he'll be squared off against the defensively-challenged and turnover-prone James Harden. Therefore, if he gets 35-plus minutes again, he should easily walk into 5X production with his offensice and defensive capabilities.
Alternate Recommendation: Eric Gordon, NOP at POR ($4,900)
Small Forward:
Otto Porter, WSH at MEM ($6,000): Playing against Memphis is a tough matchup for scorers, but for a stat-stuffer like Porter, it's nothing to worry about. In fact, Memphis has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to small forward this season. That's a good sign for this pick, but what's even better is Porter's form. Over his last five games, Porter is averaging 16.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks per game. That's about 35 fantasy points a game, which is a fantastic value for a $6,000 player. The lack of frontcourt depth has given Porter more rebounding opportunities and more minutes, so let's continue to take advantage of that here.
Bojan Bogdanovic, BRK vs. ORL ($3,900): Since the injury to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Bogdanovic has been playing big minutes and performing admirably for the Nets. His last three games have been especially good, as he is averaging 25 fantasy points a game over 36 minutes per game. Getting 25 fantasy points from a player below $4,000 is incredibly valuable and we need to pounce on it while he's this cheap. Another plus to this play is that he faces an Orlando team that allows the eighth-most three-pointers to small forwards, which is Bogdanovic's specialty.
Alternate Recommendation: Trevor Ariza, HOU at DEN ($5,600)
Power Forward:
Kenneth Faried, DEN vs. HOU ($6,400): There's a trend of Nuggets players here and rightfully so. They'll face one of the worst defenses in the NBA and a team they've had success against this season. The best big man for Denver right now is Faried, as he's the only true stable in the Denver frontcourt. Faired has at least 27 fantasy points in four-straight games and has played at least 36 minutes in his last two. As I said earlier, this is a tasty matchup against the Rockets, as they rank 29th in fantasy points allowed to power forwards. What I like most about this matchup though is that Houston plays up-tempo and that's the style of basketball that Faired thrives in.
Zach Randolph, MEM vs. WSH ($6,400): Randolph made his return from some knee soreness just last week and has been playing fairly well. Since his return, Randolph is averaging 13.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Those are below what is expected from Z-Bo, but considering he is averaging over 30 fantasy points a game over his last three games, it appears he is finding his stride. This matchup is a good one as well, as he'll be facing off against a Wizards team with no healthy power forwards. Washington also plays one of the fastest paces in the NBA, so that means more rebounds for Randolph.
Alternate Recommendation: Chris Bosh, MIA at ATL ($7,600)
Center:
Nikola Vucevic, ORL at BRK ($7,300): This price tag is getting too cheap for someone as reliable as Vucevic. He's not the most consistent player, but he has scored at least 31 fantasy points in six of his last nine games. Two of those games where he was below 31 points were blowouts as well, in which he played 22 minutes or less. That blowout potential shouldn't be a problem here, as the Magic are expected to be in a tight game with the Nets on Monday. It's a wonderful matchup as well, as Brooklyn have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to centers this season. His counterpart, Brook Lopez, is $600 more and Vucevic is just as good of an option as he, if not better.
Alternate Recommendation: Al Horford, ATL vs. MIA ($6,900)
