This article is part of our FantasyAces NBA series.
RotoWire aims to help you win on Fantasy Aces, as we break down a few value plays for Monday night that can help build lineups. Monday presents us with a bit of a challenge in scouring for value, as we're faced with an abbreviated three-game slate.
Luckily, a solid combination of bench players and reliable starters that remain reasonably priced are available, providing the flexibility to roster the likes of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and John Wall. With that in mind, here are some selections that come in no higher than $4,700, allowing to nab the must-have superstars that you'll need on a small slate:
Guards
Manu Ginobili, SAS at BKN ($4,000): Ginobili has been receiving fairly consistent minutes this season in coach Gregg Popovich's sometimes-erratic rotations, and he has even seen an increase in usage over his last three games. Starting two-guard Danny Green has struggled to provide any type of consistent offensive production, and Ginobili has often proven to be an effective shot in the arm off the bench. He's played over 20 minutes in each of his last three games, scoring between 20.00 and 28.75 fantasy points in six of his last seven. Monday, he'll draw a Brooklyn defense that's given up the most fantasy points per game in the league to shooting guards this season.
Gerald Green, MIA at GSW ($4,150): Green continues to be an essential component of the Heat's second unit. He's played at least 20 minutes in nine of his last 10, including a robust 34 in both of his last two. He's also scored between 24.00 and 32.50 fantasy points in four of his last six games and figures to be particularly aggressive with his shot as the Heat try to keep up with the Warriors' top-ranked offense.
Derrick Rose, CHI vs. WAS ($4,600): Rose continues to be priced quite reasonably for a player that's scored between 21.50 and 34.25 fantasy points in his last six games. He's posted double-digit actual points in all of those contests as well, and encouragingly, he's shot a respectable 47 percent from the field. John Wall has been a decent defender this season but has given up some fairly productive performances to opposing point guards in recent games, as the added responsibility he's taken on in Bradley Beal's absence might be beginning to wear him down.
Tony Parker, SAS at BKN ($4,650): Parker has scored between 20.0 and 33.25 fantasy points in nine out of his last 10 games. There's always a bit of a risk for an outlier performance from the 15-year veteran, such as his two-point outing against the Rockets on Christmas, but Parker has been largely consistent in his output over the course of the season. He now draws a Nets defense that has a bottom-10 ranking against point guards this season, one that has surrendered 45.0 fantasy points per game to the position over the last five following Jarrett Jack's season-ending knee injury.
Forwards
Otto Porter, WAS at CHI ($4,700): Porter's price has risen slightly, but he still represents solid value on a small slate, particularly for a player who's scored between 28.50 and 47.25 fantasy points in six of his last seven games. He continues to be a primary source of offense alongside John Wall in Bradley Beal's absence, and he will face a Bulls defense ranked in the bottom 10 in fantasy points allowed to opposing small forwards this season.
Bobby Portis, CHI vs. WAS ($3,500): While Joakim Noah (shoulder) could potentially return Monday after a nine-game absence, the likely minutes restriction he'll be under and Portis' near-minimum price still warrants giving the rookie consideration on a small slate. Portis has scored between 18.00 and 28.50 fantasy points over his last five games, and has played between 21 and 29 minutes in each of those contests. While his scoring has been down the last two games, Portis has made up for it with outstanding work on the glass, as he's managed 16 boards over that span.
Harrison Barnes, GSW vs. MIA ($4,200): Barnes is a bit of a dice roll considering he's still rounding back into shape after his injury layoff, but he is a value-based risk worth considering with only three games on the docket. His minutes have progressively increased over the four games since his return, topping out at 24 in his last game Saturday against the Kings. He could well be on the floor for at least 30 minutes Monday, and his ability to contribute in multiple categories should enable him to provide at least 5x value if he receives that amount of playing time.
Center
Nikola Mirotic, CHI vs. WAS ($4,600): Mirotic is center-eligible on Fantasy Aces despite currently lining up at small forward, and he represents a solid value option at the position Monday given his recent performances. He's scored 24.50 fantasy points in both of his last two, and 41.75 fantasy points three games ago. He also scored between 22.75 and 43.50 fantasy points in three of the five games prior to that stretch, meaning that he's returned 5x value and also provides the upside of a potential 7x-8x return from time to time. Considering he'll draw a Wizards defense ranked last against small forwards in both fantasy and actual points allowed per game this season, Mirotic could be in line for production that will net closer to the latter.
Festus Ezeli, GSW vs. MIA ($4,200): Ezeli is another member of the Warriors who's recently returned from injury, albeit one that sidelined him for a shorter period than Barnes. The third-year pro has now played two games since missing five with a toe injury, and he scored 21.00 fantasy points in 16 minutes Saturday versus the Kings. He'd scored between 20.50 and 32.50 fantasy points in four of the six games before his injury as well, and with Andrew Bogut's minutes rarely exceeding the mid-20s, Ezeli is more or less guaranteed a sufficient allotment of playing time in which to return solid value.
