RADIO
We have a busy Monday night in the NBA, as nine games are on the docket. As has been the case for some time, there are some big-name injury designations attached to the slate, with several notable players sporting questionable tags as of late Sunday night.
The statuses of each will become clearer closer to tip-off, but even if there are multiple absences from prominent pieces again Monday, there are still plenty of options at each position and price point with 18 teams in action.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for FanDuel on 4/19/21. 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
Russell Westbrook, PG – vs. OKC ($11,500)
Westbrook may certainly be an obvious selection, but he’s simply the best option if you’re paying up at guard Monday, especially considering Stephen Curry is dealing with an ankle sprain. Westbrook’s recent tear has dispelled any notion of a decline, as the perennial All-Star has averaged 23.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, 12.6 assists and 1.3 steals over his last 12 games while displaying some improved efficiency in the form of 47.3 percent shooting. Westbrook has actually delivered over 5x return on his very hefty salary on six occasions alone during that sample, and he should be set up for success against a Thunder squad that’s allowed 49.6 FD points per game to point guards on the campaign, including the most (57.8) over the last 15 contests. OKC has also surrendered the second-highest offensive efficiency (60.6 percent) in the paint, a weakness that certainly dovetails well with one of the signature aspects of Westbrook’s game.
Devin Booker, SG – at MIL ($8,400)
Booker could actually check a bit lower-rostered than usual after posting between 20.1 and 30.6 FD points over the last three contests, but he’ll be in an excellent bounce-back spot Monday. To begin with, the Suns-Bucks showdown should be a wire-to-wire battle, meaning Booker should carry a hefty workload. Additionally, the sharpshooter already put up 38.7 FD points over 39 minutes against Milwaukee in his first meeting against them this season, and Milwaukee is now ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive efficiency (23.4 percent) allowed to shooting guards. The Bucks are also surrendering 43.4 FD points per game to two-guards over the last seven contests, and Booker has already delivered over 5x his current salary on 15 occasions this season.
Darius Garland, PG – at DET ($6,800)
Garland sports an appealing salary for a player that’s averaged 39.7 FD points over his last six games on the strength of 22.7 points (on 48.1 percent shooting, including 43.5 percent from distance), 7.7 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals. The second-year point guard is now shooting a stellar 40.3 percent from deep for the season, and Monday, he faces a Pistons team that he already lit up for 52.0 FD points in one prior contest on the campaign. Detroit has also become increasingly vulnerable to point guards as the season has gone on, allowing the fifth-most FD points per game (51.0) to the position over the last 15 contests. Factoring in Garland has also actually been a slightly better shooter/scorer on the road this season, he makes for an excellent high-upside, salary-saving play.
Also consider: Bradley Beal ($8,500); Caris Levert ($8,300); Will Barton ($5,300)
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FanDuel DFS Forwards
Jayson Tatum, PF- vs. CHI ($9,700)
There’s a 50/50 chance Tatum takes the floor Monday without both Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown due to their respective illnesses, which makes him an even more appealing play than he’d already be were his teammates to be available. Tatum boasts a massive 37.1 percent usage rate and 48.2 FD points per 36 minutes without the duo available this season, and he comes into Monday’s contest having scored 44.0 to 69.0 FD points in four of his last five games. The Bulls have also been more vulnerable to power forwards of late, as they’ve allowed the sixth-most FD points per game (48.2) to fours over the last seven games, a sample during which they’re also surrendering the fifth-most rebounds (11.3), sixth-most steals (1.9) and second-most blocks (1.9) to the position.
Luguentz Dort, SF – at WAS ($6,400)
Dort has offered some eye-popping production whenever he’s been active recently, scoring 38.8 to 64.9 FD points in his last three games while averaging a whopping 22 shot attempts per contest. There’s no reason to expect Dort to see a downturn in involvement against the fastest-paced team in the league in the Wizards, which have allowed the third-highest offensive efficiency (25.8 percent) to two-guards, along with the fourth-most FD points per game (54.4) to the position over the last seven contests. Washington is also allowing elevated 37.6 percent three-point shooting, while Dort has drained 55.6 percent of his 27 three-point tries in the aforementioned three-game sample.
Davis Bertans, PF – vs. OKC ($3,700)
Bertans makes for an intriguing value option on the other side of the Thunder-Wizards battle Monday, as he should draw a starting assignment in place of the sidelined Rui Hachimura (kneecap) at power forward. The Thunder have been among the most generous teams to fours all season, surrendering the third-highest offensive efficiency (26.9 percent) and most FD points per game (48.7) to the position, including the second most (51.6) across the last seven. Bertans had missed the last two games due to personal reasons, but he’s off the injury report Monday and checks in averaging 23.4 FD points across 23.8 minutes in his last five contests.
Also consider: Domantas Sabonis ($8,700); Michael Porter Jr. ($7,600); Isaiah Stewart ($4,800)
FanDuel DFS Centers
Joel Embiid– vs. GS ($10,400)
Embiid has rattled off three straight 30-point efforts and is averaging 55.0 FD points per contest over the last four games overall. The big man gets a plum matchup Monday against a Golden State squad ill equipped to slow him down, with the Warriors already coming in allowing the fifth-highest offensive efficiency (33.9 percent) to centers, along with 44.4 FD points per game to fives on the season. Embiid will enjoy a three-inch height advantage on Kevon Looney down low as well, and his ability to score from anywhere on the court (career-high 37.9 percent three-point shooting) should result in some outstanding fantasy production against a team that’s about as fast-paced as Philly is.
Bam Adebayo – vs. HOU ($7,700)
Adebayo is fresh off playing hero versus the Nets on Sunday afternoon, and he’ll now walk into a tantalizing matchup for bigs in the Rockets. Houston is allowing the most total rebounds per game (56.7), and the Rockets have also surrendered the fifth-highest offensive efficiency (83.4 percent) to frontcourt players, along with the sixth-most FD points per game (56.9) to centers on the campaign. Adebayo could also be taking the floor without Jimmy Butler (ankle) once again, and Bam was already averaging 47.7 FD points per 36 minutes without his teammate on the floor this season before Sunday’s 21-point, 15-rebound double-double.
Jakob Poeltl – at IND ($5,900)
Poeltl is averaging 29.9 FD points over his 22 second-half games, a stretch during which he’s averaging 10.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 blocks. The big man already lit up the Pacers for 47.1 FD points over 40 minutes back on April 3, and Indiana has remained similarly vulnerable to centers throughout the season. Indy has allowed the third-most FD points per game (57.3) to fives, including a whopping, NBA-high 70.1 per contest over the last seven. Poeltl has a pair of double-doubles in two of the last three contests alone and has already exceeded 30 FD points on 19 occasions, making him one of the best potential point-per-dollar values of the night.
Also consider: Nikola Jokic ($11,100); Nikola Vucevic ($9,100); Jarrett Allen ($6,800)
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