NBA DFS First Look & Optimal Lineup Picks Today

The Slate Starter is a daily first look at to get your daily fantasy basketball lineup-building process started before lock tonight. Each day, we will go through some of the best NBA DFS picks, top stacks and optimal lineup construction for DraftKings and FanDuel. Be sure to check Awesemo’s NBA Starting Lineups page, as it will be updated throughout the day as the NBA injury reports are released and breaking news surfaces. Let’s dive into some players who stand out as key options on Monday’s nine-game NBA main slate.

Want to see how your lineup stacked up against yesterday’s winning NBA DFS lineups for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo fantasy basketball? Check out Awesemo’s Optimal Lineup Review, which uses Fantasy Cruncher Rewind to analyze the winning plays from the night before.

DraftKings & FanDuel NBA DFS Lineup Advice Today

Giannis Antetokounmpo, F/C, Milwaukee Bucks

Antetokounmpo is coming off just 39.25 DraftKings points in his last outing, but he has quietly been rolling recently. He’s averaged 1.81 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which trails only Nikola Jokic among Monday’s players.

However, Giannis benefits from one of the best possible matchups on Monday. He’s taking on the Trail Blazers, who rank just 28th in defensive efficiency this season. The Bucks are currently implied for 123.75 points, which is the top mark on the slate by a sizable margin.

The only thing that has stopped Giannis recently has been a lack of playing time. He’s logged 30.8 minutes or fewer in four of his past six games. In the two games where he’s seen his usual minute allotment, he’s racked up at least 75.75 DraftKings points. There’s a chance that Monday’s matchup turns into a blowout – the Bucks are favored by 15.0 points – but Giannis has massive upside if this game stays competitive. Expect him to grade out well in our NBA Projections.

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Klay Thompson, SG, Golden State Warriors

Thompson recently saw his minute limit increase to 30, and he caught fire in his last contest. He exploded for 16 points in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Warriors to squeak out a win vs. the Lakers. He ultimately finished with 38.0 DraftKings points over 30 minutes.

As long as Thompson is going to play that much moving forward, he stands out as underpriced at just $6,800 on DraftKings. He’s averaged 1.21 DraftKings points per minute since joining the Warriors’ rotation this season, including 1.23 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.

It will be interesting to see what Thompson’s projected ownership looks like on Monday. His price has jumped up across the industry, and he owns a relatively tough matchup vs. the Clippers. However, he still has upside at his current price tag. If his projected ownership is too low, he’ll own a positive leverage score in the Boom/Bust Tool.

Seth Curry, PG/SG, Brooklyn Nets

The Nets have lost 11 straight games, and they’re going to be thin again on Monday. Ben Simmons is not yet ready to join the rotation, but Curry is expected to be in the rotation.

Curry has yet to suit up since being acquired by the Nets, but he will be in a great spot vs. the Kings. They rank ninth in pace and 29th in defensive efficiency this season. Curry has also been capable this season, averaging 0.80 DraftKings points per minute. Most of that production has come when sharing the court with Joel Embiid, who is one of the highest usage players in the league. With Curry now freed from Embiid, it’s possible he can improve on that number with his new squad.

Curry could also provide some value in the player prop market. Make sure to take advantage of the Awesemo Player Prop Tool, which highlights the most exploitable player prop bets each day.

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