This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defense to Avoid:
Atlanta Hawks vs. Los Angeles Clippers
No Blake Griffin. No Chris Paul — might as well end the paragraph there. Also, the Hawks have held back-to-back home opponents to 93 points. Sure, that was the Bulls and 76ers, but the Clippers have had their fair share of struggles on the road. Los Angeles has scored under 100 points in three of its past five roads games. Atlanta is only allowing 215.32 fantasy points overall per game and don't have any reliable options outside of DeAndre Jordan. Also, try to avoid the Jazz at home against the Thunder, and Spurs on the road against the Nets.
Offense to Use:
Cleveland Cavaliers at New Orleans Pelicans
These aren't the same Cavaliers that won it all last season. Well, actually, it is pretty much the same team around LeBron James, but it sure hasn't looked like it. Getting to the positives, Cleveland will definitely respond after losing a tough one to the Spurs at home Saturday. The Pelicans just got embarrassed by the Nets at home, allowing 143 points on 57.8 percent shooting from the field. New Orleans was particularly vulnerable from distance and the Cavaliers shoot 38.4 percent from downtown, third in the NBA.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Spurs, Clippers, Wizards, Jazz
Second game: Warriors
DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Giannis Antetokounmpo, PG, MIL vs. HOU ($10,600): Last time The Greek Freak had to take on big, bad James Harden and the Rockets, he went off for 32 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks with 13-of-20 shooting from the field. That equated to 62.75 DraftKings points, which is nearly 6x his salary. Expect more of the same, this time at home, where Antetokounmpo has been at his best (51.4 FPPG). The over/under is expected to be one of the highest Monday, a trend that seems to be following Houston wherever it goes. Latch onto the Bucks superstar and don't let go.
Raymond Felton, PG, LAC at ATL ($5,600): Yes, you're supposed to avoid the Hawks' defense. But you also can't pass up value like Felton's with CP3 sidelined. The Clips are essentially running two shooting guards in the starting lineup with Austin Rivers filling in for Paul. But Felton has gotten over 30 minutes in two straight games and is averaging 24.9 FPPG in the past five, much higher than his season average of 16.6. Felton is a solid play in virtually all formats with a higher floor and ceiling than usual.
Patty Mills, PG, SA at BKN ($4,000): Sorry — another point guard — but Mills is another guy that oozes value. We already know Tony Parker isn't going to play, and while Dejounte Murray has been starting, Mills played more than him against the Cavaliers on Saturday. He finished with 13 points, five assists and three rebounds for 26.75 DraftKings points. Mills has also shot the ball well from distance (7-for-13 in past three games), and gets to face the Nets.
Kawhi Leonard, SF, SA at BKN ($9,400): It's almost impossible to pass on Leonard the way he's been playing lately, and the Spurs are also an excellent stack option against the Nets. San Antonio should essentially blow Brooklyn out, and it doesn't matter where the game is played. So here's the rundown on Leonard: He's gone off for over 50 DraftKings points in three straight. He's gone seven straight with at least 30 points. He's shot over 50 percent from the field in each of the past six games. With Parker and Pau Gasol sidelined, the Spurs are leaning on Kawhi and he's stepping up big.
Kevin Love, PF/C, CLE at NO ($,7600): Of the Cavaliers' big three, Love is the cheapest and might need a heat check against the Pelicans' abysmal perimeter defense. Love isn't shooting the ball particularly well, but is due to break out of his slump and this may be the perfect opportunity. Ironically, Love shoots better from 3-point range on the road — 38.5 percent compared to 37 percent at home. He brings a bit of contrarian appeal, which you're going to want if you choose to play The Greek Freak and Leonard.
Thaddeus Young, PF, IND vs. NYK ($5,500): Young is another bargain-bin player that has upside for tournaments. He's played well against the Knicks in his career (14.2 PPG) and wreaked havoc against New York on Jan. 7, scoring 16 points with nine rebounds and six steals. Get this: Young has at least three steals in four of his past six games, which could be a difference-maker in DraftKings. He also has solid splits; Young is shooting 55.4 percent from the field, 51.8 percent from distance and is averaging 28.4 FPPG at home.
Andre Drummond, DET vs. SAC ($7,100): Not normally much of an offensive threat, Drummond doesn't need to be in order to return value in DraftKings. Last time he faced the Kings, Drummond had seven blocks — seven (!) — to go with 12 rebounds and three steals. Oh, he also had nine points, too. That was good for 44.5 DraftKings points and he was also on the road. Now, Drummond gets Sacramento at home, where he's averaging 40.2 FPPG. Drummond has an elite ceiling but is priced more in the middle of the pack at center.
Marcin Gortat, WAS at CHA ($5,800): This is purely a matchup play for a bit of variation in a tournament lineup. Gortat has not blown the door off the hinges lately. He's got one game of over 30 DraftKings points in his past eight, but the Hornets are allowing 52.35 fantasy points per game to opposing centers this season, according to RotoGrinders. All Gortat needs to do is get a double-double to reach tournament value, which doesn't seem like a crazy thing to ask given the previous sentence.
Clint Capela, HOU at MIL ($4,000): Capela is still shaking off some rust from returning from a broken leg, but that makes him cheap and great for tournaments. He had 22 points and 12 rebounds in 21 minutes against the Warriors on Friday in his third game back. There's a lot of risk involved in playing Capela given his limited minutes, but the reward is worth seeking, particularly against the Bucks in what projects to be a high-scoring game.
