Daily fantasy football players might be feeling the Monday night blues with the NFL regular season in the books, but NBA DFS players have plenty to look forward to. High-scoring nights have become the norm, and with a six-game slate on Monday, this is the perfect time to build a DraftKings lineup.
We've utilized many different DFS strategies throughout the season, but for this one, we're going with a more balanced approach. Our foundation will be set by one superstar who has been sizzling hot over the past few weeks, LeBron James, and the pieces around him will consist almost entirely of players we see as top values.
For those unfamiliar, DraftKings lineup construction is simple: Draft eight players with assigned salaries — one for each position, as well as one guard flex, one forward flex, and one utility — and keep the team under the $50,000 salary cap.
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Best NBA DFS Picks 1/9: DraftKings lineup, sleepers for Monday night
PG: Dennis Schroder, Lakers at Nuggets ($5,700)
Schroder is the first of two LeBron teammates we will be drafting alongside the King, mostly because the veteran guard has been scorching hot offensively since Anthony Davis went down with his foot injury. He has even led the offense when LeBron sits, showing that Darvin Ham clearly trusts the German's abilities despite a topsy-turvy start to the season. Over the past week, Schroder has averaged 23.8 points per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor and 87.1 percent from the line. He's knocking down treys, grabbing rebounds, and providing decent contributions in the assist and steal departments. The Nuggets have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to guards this season, so Schroder makes for a great value at well under $6,000.
SG: Bruce Brown, Nuggets vs. Lakers ($5,000)
Brown has been lauded by Denver coach Mike Malone all season, and it's easy to see why. The veteran guard — who plays much bigger than 6-4, 200-pound frame — can basically do it all. He shoots well, crashes the board, passes with precision, and always gets hustle points. He's a glue guy with a fantasy floor in the high teens and a ceiling in the 30s. At $5,000, we can't ask for anything better than that, especially against a poor defensive team like L.A.
SF: Franz Wagner, Magic at Kings ($7,100)
Wagner comes in as our second-most expensive player, but we're fine with that! The second-year swingman has scored 32-plus fantasy points in four straight games, including a 48.5 against the Wizards in late December. Wise beyond his years, Wagner can fill it up offensively at all three levels, and he provides plenty of peripheral stats to make $7,100 seem like a bargain. The Kings rank dead last in points allowed to forwards, so we're all over this play.
PF: LeBron James, Lakers at Nuggets ($10,900)
James has been on an absolute tear, dropping fantasy scores of 58, 67, and 76 within the past week and not dipping below 45 fantasy points over the past month. Since AD went down with his foot injury, the King has seemingly made it his personal mission to keep the Lakers' offense going. He's earned his status as the leading All-Star vote-getter in the NBA, that's for sure, and against back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic, we expect a masterful performance. The last two times L.A. faced Denver, LeBron put up 47 and 50 fantasy points, respectively. We project him at closer to 60-70 without Davis.
C: Thomas Bryant, Lakers at Nuggets ($6,300)
Bryant has been the other Laker to step it up in a major way since AD's injury. The veteran center has averaged 21.2 points and 13.6 rebounds per game over the past 10 days, and he went off for 29 points and 14 rebounds against Sacramento on Saturday. The former Wizard has carved out a role for himself even after Davis returns to the lineup, supplying the Lakers with a strong interior presence on both sides of the floor. Come for the points, boards, and efficiency — stay for the steals and blocks!
G: Markelle Fultz, Magic at Kings ($6,100)
It seems there will always be a stigma around Fultz in fantasy land, mostly because he has proven himself unworthy of being the No. 1 pick years ago. But dive into his stat lines, and you'll realize in short order that the kid delivers in a lot of ways for this young Magic squad. A line of 16-7-7 has become routine for Fultz, and his ball-hawking defense just serves as icing on an already-sweet cake. Against the Warriors on Saturday, he swiped six steals to push his total fantasy score to 43.8 points. Things get even easier tonight against the Kings, who rank in the bottom 12 in fantasy points allowed to guards.
F: Patrick Williams, Bulls at Celtics ($4,400)
Williams has shown flashes of role-player brilliance lately, recording at least 18 points and six boards in two of Chicago's past three games. While Robert Williams tussles with Nikola Vucevic and the star tandem of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum handle DeMar DeRozan and Zack LaVine, don't be surprised if Williams quietly registers 29-plus fantasy points for the third time since Christmas.
Util: Robert Williams III, Celtics vs. Bulls ($4,400)
Now we have two of the three Williams playing in this game (sorry, Grant, we can't afford you). Time Lord has been slowly ramping up his PT since coming back from a knee injury, and he enjoyed a mini explosion on Saturday at San Antonio. The defensive stud registered four blocks and two steals (chef's kiss) while adding 10 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists. All said, he put up 41.8 fantasy points in just 22 minutes. He'll be needed big time against a Bulls frontcourt that includes Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond, two of the better rebounders of the 21st century. If Williams creeps up to 25 minutes, don't be surprised if his fantasy score creeps up to 50 points.
