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There are seven games on tap Monday night, an amount some DFS players would argue is the ideal number with which to build both cash game and tournament lineups. As of late Sunday night, oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook seem to envision a ledger that doesn’t trend toward games with razor-thin margins of victory for the favorites, but that aren’t exactly blowouts either.
While there is only one game between teams with winning records, the Mavericks- Magic, Nuggets-Bulls and Cavaliers-Rockets could also be very competitive. There’s also some solid star power set to take the floor, as the likes of Luka Doncic, James Harden and Damian Lillard are just some of the elite DFS assets in action.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 3/1/21. I’ll be providing multiple player suggestions for players at guard, forward and center on FanDuel, aiming to highlight one option apiece at the high, middle and lower end of the salary scale. You can also check out DraftKings lineup picks and injury news before lineups lock. Good luck, RotoBallers.
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FanDuel DFS Guards
Luka Doncic, PG – at ORL ($10,600)
Doncic has had a couple of “down” games by his lofty standards recently, but he’s also tallied between 49.7 and 76.6 FD points in five of his last seven contests. The elite guard is averaging a whopping 53.02 FD points per game for the season overall, and he draws the type of matchup Monday that could coax one of his true top-shelf performances out of him. The opposing Magic are allowing the fourth-highest offensive efficiency (29.1 percent) to point guards while also giving up the fourth-most FD points per game (50.5) to the position. What’s more, Orlando is surrendering an NBA-high 41.8 percent success rate from three-point range to ones, while Doncic is shooting an outstanding 45.8 percent from behind the arc in his last 10 contests.
Victor Oladipo, SG – vs. CLE ($7,600)
Oladipo checks in with an appealing salary relative to his ceiling, and he’s encouragingly posted 36.7 and 45.0 FD points in his first two games back from a four-game absence due to a foot injury. Oladipo is still getting his efficiency up to par after a sluggish start to the season shooting-wise, but the veteran has already been able to deliver more than 5x his salary in nine of 22 games. The Cavaliers could well serve as facilitators of a 10th such instance, as Cleveland is allowing the third-highest offensive efficiency (25.7 percent) to shooting guards, along with NBA-high 43.1 percent shooting from three-point range to the position. Finally, it’s also worth noting Oladipo sports a robust 27.6 percent usage rate with both Christian Wood (ankle) and the departed DeMarcus Cousins off the floor this season, enhancing his already solid case.
Jalen Brunson, PG – at ORL ($4,900)
There are multiple intriguing value guard options that are named in the “Also Consider” section below, but Brunson’s salary is the lowest of all of them and he brings a comparable ceiling. Brunson has scored over 25 FD points in three of the past four games, and he’s been over 30 on three occasions overall in the last seven contests. The third-year guard has shot 54.8 percent, including 43.8 percent from three-point range, over the latter span while averaging 10.4 shot attempts per game. Brunson also logged at least 22 minutes off the bench in each of those games, and Monday, he’ll benefit from the same vulnerabilities of Orlando’s backcourt defense as Doncic. Additionally, it’s worth noting in Brunson’s case that the Magic allows the fifth-highest offensive efficiency (44.0 percent) to opposing second units.
Also consider: James Harden ($10,700); Damian Lillard ($10,100); Zach LaVine ($9,300); Ben Simmons ($9,000); Kyrie Irving ($9,000); Jamal Murray ($8,500); Donovan Mitchell ($8,300); DeMar DeRozan ($8,000); LaMelo Ball ($7,900); Mike Conley ($6,200); Jordan Clarkson ($5,900); Gary Trent Jr. ($5,500)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Zion Williamson, PF- vs. UTA ($8,900)
The top end of the player pool at forward is an interesting one Monday, as the highest salary belongs to Domantas Sabonis, who could potentially have trouble delivering a 5x return against the tough 76ers frontcourt. Therefore, while the Pacers forward is certainly still a consideration, Williamson, who’s in a comparably difficult matchup on paper, could be a very viable alternative at $700 less. The second-year big has truly blossomed this season, and he’ll head into Monday’s contest having scored 46.0 to 53.6 FD points in his last four games, and over 45 FD points in four other contests in his last nine. The Jazz are allowing 41.1 FD points per game to power forwards, but with Williamson boasting a team-high 28.3 percent usage rate and already having posted 43.5 FD points in one of his two meetings against Utah, he remains a very safe proposition if you’re paying up.
Evan Fournier, SF – vs. DAL ($6,800)
Fournier has had one true clunker since return from an extended absence due to a back injury, but even when factoring that in, he’s still averaging 32.7 FD points over the first six games since his return. The veteran has scored 39.4 to 45.8 FD points in three of those contests, offering a glimpse at the ceiling he’s capable of at his reasonable salary. He draws an excellent positional matchup Monday against the Mavericks as well, with Dallas allowing the seventh-most FD points per game (42.7) to two-guards over the last 15 games and giving up the fourth-highest offensive efficiency (25.3 percent), third-highest shooting percentage (47.1) and fifth-highest three-point shooting percentage (41.2 percent) to the position on the season.
LaMarcus Aldridge, PF – vs. BKN ($5,600)
Aldridge has scored 24.9 and 30.0 FD points in his first two games back from a hip injury despite logging a modest 26 and 23 minutes off the bench in those games. He could be back with the first unit Monday and will be set for an excellent matchup irrespective of where he slots on the depth chart for the night. The Nets have been a doormat against centers all season, allowing the second-highest offensive efficiency (35.3 percent) to fives while also giving up the third-most FD points per game (56.9) to the position on the campaign. The Nets also play at the sixth-fastest pace in the league (104.9 possessions per game) and are allowing 37.2 percent three-point shooting on the road, while Aldridge is draining a solid 37.0 percent of his 3.7 three-point attempts per game.
Also consider: Domantas Sabonis ($9,600); Brandon Ingram ($7,800); Thaddeus Young ($6,600); Michael Porter Jr. ($6,500); Derrick Jones Jr. ($5,300); Malik Monk ($4,900); Jae'sean Tate ($4,900); Patrick Williams ($4,900)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Nikola Jokic– at CHI ($11,000)
Jokic carries the highest salary at the position and deservedly so, as he’ll come into Monday’s contest with three triple-doubles in his last eight games alone and eight tallies of greater than 55 FD points in his last nine contests. In other words, the versatile big man has been a virtual lock for better than a 5x return on his current salary recently, and in fact, he’s actually cleared that multiplier in 22 of 33 games. The Bulls could easily facilitate another spectacular performance, as they’re allowing the ninth-highest offensive efficiency (32.3 percent) to centers and have given up the most points (26.6) and second-most FD points (59.4) per contest to the position in the last 15 games.
Jarrett Allen —at HOU ($7,900)
Allen has been putting up some spectacular all-around numbers in his own right recently, averaging 43.6 FD points in his last seven games while recording a double-double in each contest. The young big is supplementing his production nicely with 2.1 blocks per game during that span as well, and Monday, he’ll tangle with a Rockets squad that is woefully thin at center with Christian Wood (ankle) still out and DeMarcus Cousins now a free agent. The Rockets notably come in allowing the sixth-most FD points per game (58.8) to centers over the last seven contests, a number partly the result of Houston surrendering the second-most steals (1.9) and fifth-most blocks (2.9) per game to the position over that span. With Allen sporting a five-inch height advantage over Houston’s P.J. Tucker, the Cavaliers’ big man could be in for another prolific performance.
Enes Kanter – vs. CHA ($6,300)
Kanter has often feasted on favorable matchups during his extended starting stint in place of Jusuf Nurkic (wrist), and that should once again be the case Monday. The Hornets have had trouble playing defense down low all season, giving up the second-highest offensive efficiency (85.7 percent) to frontcourt players on the season and the most rebounds per game (16.6) to centers specifically. The latter figure is particularly relevant regarding Kanter, who’s been dominant on the glass with 11.5 rebounds per game and double-digit boards in 21 of 32 contests overall. Kanter comes in averaging 32.9 FD points during his 20 games as a starter this season as well, and he’s delivered over 5x a return on his current salary on 14 occasions.
Also consider: Joel Embiid ($10,800); Nikola Vucevic ($9,800); Rudy Gobert ($7,700); Wendell Carter Jr. ($6,500)
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