This article is part of our FantasyAces NBA series.
There is a 10-game slate on a Monday! That is a gift from the NBA, but Monday's slate is an odd one. Only six of 20 teams will be rested for tonight, as eight teams are playing in the second leg of a back-to-back and 10 teams are playing their third game in four nights.
Keep an eye on the inactives throughout the day to stay up to date with the latest changes in the NBA. Chances are a few teams will be resting some of their players like the Atlanta Hawks, who already announced that Al Horford will rest on Monday.
On FantasyAces there is value to be had, which will allow you to spend on top-tier players to round out your lineup. Without further ado, your value plays on FantasyAces for Monday's games.
Guard
Kent Bazemore, ATL, $3,700 -- With Kyle Korver (nose) out for Monday's game, Bazemore is the likely starter at shooting guard. Atlanta rested Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll and Jeff Teague on Sunday and announced that Al Horford will rest for Monday's game.
This leaves Bazemore as the starting two guard against the Kings, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards in the last month. On FantasyAces, the target value for a given player is 6x his salary. Bazemore would need 22.2 fantasy points to reach value, which is attainable considering he is averaging 20 fantasy points per game as a starter this season. Given his price, his minutes, and his matchup, Bazemore is one of the top values on FantasyAces for Monday's slate.
Will Barton, DEN, $3,950 vs. MEM -- Barton's price is likely to rise soon, so be sure to take advantage of his value before it is too late. At his price, Barton would need to score 23.7 fantasy points to reach value. Barton has exceeded value in three of his last four games, including a 47.75-point outburst in Sunday's game against the Pelicans.
Barton and the Nuggets face the Grizzlies on Monday, who remain one of the better defensive teams in the NBA, but with Barton's price point and his involvement in the offense, the poor matchup (on the surface) takes a backseat to his minutes and usage.
Barton has played in nine games this month, and he has reached value in five of those contests. The games where he did not reach were against the Warriors, Spurs, Rockets and Bucks. All four of the aforementioned teams are in the top half of the league in terms of efficiency against opposing shooting guards. Memphis is in the lower half against the position, which gives Barton a better matchup than originally anticipated. Feel free to start Barton in your FantasyAces lineup tonight, especially if he is named as a starter.
Center
Bismack Biyombo, CHA, $3,900 -- For those who want to go contrarian Monday, Biyombo is the center of choice. With Al Jefferson (knee) out, Biyombo will continue to be the starter in Charlotte. As a starter, Biyombo is averaging over 20 fantasy points per game. Without Jefferson, his value is even higher as he averages close to 22 fantasy points per game.
Why is Biyombo a contrarian play tonight? He will face Rudy Gobert, who is arguably the best rim protector in the NBA. Since Gobert became the starter, the Jazz are the top team in terms of defending opposing centers. Opposing centers are averaging 14.4 points and 9.8 rebounds per game against the Jazz, both marks are lowest in the NBA.
Biyombo's price and projected minutes makes him a nice contrarian play in GPP contests, but be sure to stay away from him in cash games, as Gobert and company have proven that the Jazz can lock down any center.
Remember to stay up to date with injury and lineup news and be sure to take advantage of RotoWire's daily fantasy tools, such as the daily projections. Good luck!
