This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The NBA starts off 2018 with four games Monday, leaving you with limited options for your FanDuel entry. With only one player priced at $10,000 or higher, you may have more of your budget to work with than on most nights. Here are some players to consider across the price scale to hopefully kick off the New Year with some extra money in your pocket.
Guards
Shabazz Napier, POR at CHI ($6,000):Damian Lillard (hamstring) has missed the last four games, opening up a significant role for Napier. He's come through with flying colors, playing at least 34 minutes and scoring at least 35.1 FanDuel points in all four contests. Lillard is listed as questionable for Monday, so Napier would be a great play yet again if he can't go. Even if Lillard does return, there is a chance he could see limited minutes. Keep an eye on Lillard's status leading up to tipoff.
Caris LeVert, BKN vs. ORL ($5,800): With the Nets depleted at point guard, it has left LeVert to be one of the main offensive facilitators on the team. Not only is he averaging a career-high 4.1 assists per game, but he has at least seven assists in three straight games. He scored at least 35.5 FanDuel points in all three of those contests, making him a viable option at this reasonable price Monday.
Josh Hart, LAL at MIN ($4,400): Hart saw extra playing time in Sunday's double-overtime loss to the Houston Rockets, resulting in 37.7 FanDuel points. With Lonzo Ball (shoulder) injured and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope out due to travel restrictions again Monday, Hart is likely to see heavy minutes again against the Timberwolves. The Lakers play at the fastest pace (103.9) in the league, which also leaves Hart with added opportunities to produce. At this cheap price, Hart may be well worth the risk.
Forwards
Jimmy Butler, MIN vs. LAL ($9,300): Butler continues to be one of the safer expensive options in DFS, scoring at least 36.4 FanDuel points in 16 of his last 18 games. His 24.1% usage rate is understandably down with all of the talent in Minnesota, but that still gives him great value considering he is averaging a whopping 37 minutes per game. Look for him to put up monster numbers in what could be a high-scoring game Monday.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, BKN vs. ORL ($7,400): With all of the Nets injuries, Hollis-Jefferson has been left to shoulder a significant portion of the offensive load for the Nets. He's averaging a career-high 15.1 points per game as a result, shooting 49.5% from the field. He's only averaging 28 minutes per game, making his numbers even more impressive. He enters Monday having scored at least 32.1 FanDuel points in five of his last six games and gets to face a Magic team that allows the most FanDuel points per game (50.4) to opposing power forwards. He won't cost a ton and has nice upside Monday, making him someone to consider for your entry.
Taj Gibson, MIN vs. LAL ($6,100): Gibson is a prime example of volume creating fantasy value. He's not a particularly impressive scorer or rebounder, but Gibson still should be on your radar because he is averaging 34 minutes per game. He's scored at least 30.8 FanDuel points in three of his last four games, one of which came against the Lakers when he scored 35.8 FanDuel points. The Lakers allow the sixth-most FanDuel points per game (46.9) to opposing power forwards, making Gibson a viable option again Monday.
Centers
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs. LAL ($9,600): Towns is on a roll right now, scoring at least 40.3 FanDuel points in 10 of his last 12 games. His usage rate (22.7%) is also down this season, but it still leaves him with plenty of value because he is averaging 36 minutes per game. He scored 48 FanDuel points in his last game against the Lakers, which is not surprising because they allow the sixth-most FanDuel points per game (54.3) to opposing centers. He's the second-most expensive player at any position Monday, but his upside still makes him an excellent option.
Bismack Biyombo, ORL at BKN ($6,500): Biyombo continues to start in place of Nikola Vucevic (hand) and has averaged 8.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game in three contests since stepping into that role. He played at least 30 minutes in all three games and should continue to have no problem getting extended minutes. The Nets allow the third-most FanDuel points per game (55.9) to opposing centers, leaving Biyombo with an excellent opportunity to be productive.
Julius Randle, LAL at MIN ($6,200): Randle had a strong performance against the Rockets on Sunday, scoring 55 FanDuel points in 33 minutes. The Lakers have thrown out some perplexing rotations lately, but Randle is their best option at center with Brook Lopez (ankle) out. The Timberwolves have a lot of size up front, so Randle should get plenty of playing time Monday. He has a high floor when he gets increased minutes, giving him value at this price.
