Hey everyone, it’s Lindy! In this article series, I’ll guide you through the crucial components of the main NBA DFS slate each night. Keep in mind that unexpected news may disrupt the slate, so take this information as advice rather than absolute truth. I’ll highlight a few pivotal decision points for tonight’s slate, helping you better anticipate developments and optimize your lineups accordingly. Let’s dive into today’s NBA DFS lineup advice! If you’re looking for more NBA DFS lineup picks, explore our NBA DFS lineup generator or our industry-leading NBA DFS simulation tools.
NBA DFS Lineup Questions: Key Decisions for Today
NBA DFS Lineup Advice: It’s A Sprint, Not A Marathon
As we look forward to Monday night’s NBA action, the first thing I can’t help but notice is the condensed nature of this slate. Every game starts within a one-hour window starting at 7 p.m. ET, which mitigates the late-swap advantage. However, it doesn’t eradicate it entirely, as you’ll want to react to both the performance and ownership of those early pieces in your lineups and use it to inform which 8 p.m. ET players to land on more or less of.
Plus, I have zero clue when we’ll get the news regarding Zion Williamson and Herb Jones, but combined with whatever surprise might be on store for the Raptors starting lineup having played a double-overtime thriller in Oklahoma City yesterday, and there’s bound to be something from value perspective in the not-so-late-night hammer. In fact, let’s focus in on that game a bit more.
Here are Darko Rajaković’s rotations last night against the Thunder:
There is an accidental omission of Scottie Barnes and R.J. Barrett from that first overtime in this graph, but I assure you they were on the floor then (a rare hiccup with the PopcornMachine upload). But Barrett has already been ruled out for tonight’s game, which has me debating how to divide up the minutes between Gary Trent Jr., Bruce Brown Jr., and Dennis Schroder. My assumption is Brown will re-enter the starting lineup, but just 18 minutes in a competitive spot yesterday does not inspire confidence in what his court time could potentially be.
To make matters even more confusing, Immanuel Quickley is coming off a lower-body injury and yet played a ridiculous 42.5 minutes yesterday. Will they limit him in some capacity? Perhaps because the Raptors are 10-point dogs he might just limited organically, but overall it’s just a headache of a spot and perhaps one not to get too carried away with.
Still, I keep thinking about previous slates where that Williamson news really came down to the wire. By even slightly making way to more Raptors, it gives me the salary and lineup spots required get to more Pelicans if that news drops and Williamson sits. And since Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum, and Jonas Valanciunas are $1,000-plus cheaper than $8,800 Barnes on DraftKings, you’ll need multiple lineups spots to move that extra salary around.
Overall, it’s a tough slate tonight, as all of our cards will most likely be face up right from the get-go. But even a small bit of news waiting in the wings could make a big impact at your expected ROI at the end of the night, so have a plan in place.
NBA DFS Lineup Advice: Nuke of the Night
Out of the 10 highest-owned pieces on tonight’s slate, five are Brooklyn Nets. Spencer Dinwiddie is not one of them, however, and considering his mere $5,000 price tag on DraftKings, I’m terrified how much I’ll actually get of him if he’s indeed under 20% owned, as is currently projected.
The minutes and usage have been volatile as Cameron Thomas has ascended into a major offensive role for the Nets. There’s also Dennis Smith Jr., who returns to action tonight after missing Saturday’s game, not to mention Lonnie Walker IV, who has played 27, 31 and 30 minutes the past three outings and directly affects Dinwiddie as well.
Still, on Dec. 6, he was priced up at a whopping $7,900, albeit under completely different circumstances but a little glimpse at the fantasy performer he has the potential to be at times. And it’s not like the minutes have disintegrated into thin air: He’s simply shot the ball horrifically this year with his 53.6% true shooting and 48.2% effective field goal percentage. But it’s becoming clear in the box score over the previous few weeks that, if he’s knocking down shots, he stays on the floor. If not, Jacque Vaughn goes to his bench.
So with tons of other Nets to consider rostering tonight, it’s scary to say that Dinwiddie is currently my favorite relative to ownership. Please make your shots, Spencer!
