This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defense to Avoid:
Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers
The Bulls are somewhat of an enigma on defense, but they did a good job of limiting the Trail Blazers stars in a 113-88 win in Portland on Nov. 16. Chicago held Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum to a combined 36 points on 14 of 39 shooting from the field. The only other Trail Blazers player that scored in double figures in that game was Allen Crabbe (15 points). The Bulls murdered the Blazers on the glass as well, outrebounding them 67 to 49. Chicago has held three of its past four home opponents to less than 100 points and Jimmy Butler should be able to lock down Portland's scorers on defense again.
Offense to Use:
Denver Nuggets at Philadelphia 76ers
The Nuggets have lost five of their past six games but are averaging 106.3 points per game in that span. They get a matchup against the Sixers, who are 25th in the NBA in points allowed per game (107.8). Philadelphia has allowed 109.2 PPG on a six-game losing streak and lost its past five games at home. The big reason the Nuggets are an appealing offense is that you can stack their top players without spending too much. Wilson Chandler ($6,600) is the most expensive Denver player with Danilo Gallinari ($5,500) and Emmanuel Mudiay ($5,400) other very affordable options.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Bulls, Wizards, 76ers, Grizzlies, Spurs, Jazz
Second game: Pelicans, Pacers, Thunder
DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Team Analysis
Defense to Avoid:
Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers
The Bulls are somewhat of an enigma on defense, but they did a good job of limiting the Trail Blazers stars in a 113-88 win in Portland on Nov. 16. Chicago held Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum to a combined 36 points on 14 of 39 shooting from the field. The only other Trail Blazers player that scored in double figures in that game was Allen Crabbe (15 points). The Bulls murdered the Blazers on the glass as well, outrebounding them 67 to 49. Chicago has held three of its past four home opponents to less than 100 points and Jimmy Butler should be able to lock down Portland's scorers on defense again.
Offense to Use:
Denver Nuggets at Philadelphia 76ers
The Nuggets have lost five of their past six games but are averaging 106.3 points per game in that span. They get a matchup against the Sixers, who are 25th in the NBA in points allowed per game (107.8). Philadelphia has allowed 109.2 PPG on a six-game losing streak and lost its past five games at home. The big reason the Nuggets are an appealing offense is that you can stack their top players without spending too much. Wilson Chandler ($6,600) is the most expensive Denver player with Danilo Gallinari ($5,500) and Emmanuel Mudiay ($5,400) other very affordable options.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Bulls, Wizards, 76ers, Grizzlies, Spurs, Jazz
Second game: Pelicans, Pacers, Thunder
DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Jimmy Butler, SG/SF, CHI vs. POR ($8,500): No matter the matchup, Butler has put up big numbers in DraftKings. He's gone 13 straight games with at least 20 points and is always a great provider of secondary stat categories (6.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.7 SPG). Butler dropped 27 points with 12 rebounds and five assists (49.5 fantasy points) against the Trail Blazers earlier in the season. He offers versatility in your lineup having dual eligibility and is the ninth most expensive player in Monday contests.
Dennis Schroder, PG, ATL vs. OKC ($6,100): The Thunder aren't the Suns, but Schroder torched Phoenix for 31 points, nine assists and four rebounds (50.0 fantasy points) on Nov. 30. He has at least 26.75 DraftKings points in each of his past six games and has been slightly better at home this season. Schroder is shooting 42 percent from distance at home while averaging 30 fantasy points in nine games. Oklahoma City has allowed at least 100 points in its past six road games and the Thunder will be on the second of a back-to-back.
Jameer Nelson, PG, DEN at PHI ($4,700): Everybody loves a nice homecoming and the Nuggets should already be on your radar as far as cheap stacks are concerned. Nelson grew up outside Philadelphia and played college ball at St. Joe's, so he'll want to play well in front of his hometown crowd. Luckily for him the Sixers are also a great matchup for the backup point guard who has at least 27 DraftKings points in five of his past seven games. Nelson is an appealing tournament play.
LeBron James, SF/PF, CLE at TOR ($9,700): Of the elite forwards for Monday's contests, James should provide the most value against Toronto, which has allowed the sixth most fantasy points to opposing forwards this season. The Cavaliers' lead in the Eastern Conference has dwindled due to a three-game losing streak and LeBron and Co. are in need of a win. James put up 28 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds in 38 minutes against the Raptors on Nov. 16 and will cost you $500 less than rolling with Kevin Durant as your lineup anchor.
Otto Porter, SF/PF, WAS at BKN ($6,600): The Wizards are a sneaky good play on the road against the Nets on Monday and Porter is a stat sheet filler who doesn't need to score a ton to reach 5x his salary in points. He has at least seven rebounds in nine straight games and has scored in double figures in five straight. Brooklyn is allowing a ridiculous 119 points per game in its past five at home and Porter makes for a nice stack with teammate Marcin Gortat (C; $5,900).
Trey Lyles, PF/C, UTA at LAL ($4,200): Lyles has played well enough to warrant consideration in tournaments and cash games with at least 20.5 fantasy points in four of his past five games. He hasn't been great on the glass, but is capable of double-digit rebounding while stretching the floor from the 4 or 5 spot. Lyles has at least one 3-pointer and is 10-for-21 from downtown in his past five games. He's been productive coming off the bench since Derrick Favors returned from injury, so don't worry too much about his minutes against a Lakers defense that has struggled recently.
Joel Embiid, PHI vs. DEN ($6,900): Embiid sat for the Sixers' loss to the Celtics on Saturday, so expect him to return to the lineup in a great matchup against the Nuggets. He's still on a strict minutes limit, but has been incredibly productive despite not playing more than 27 minutes per game. He has at least 22 points in four of five, has hit three 3-pointers in back-to-back games, and has 11 assists and nine blocks in his past four. Embiid has a lower ceiling than some of the elite centers on the market, particularly Anthony Davis ($11,000), but his high floor and affordable price makes him a solid option for cash games.
Taj Gibson, PF/C, CHI vs. POR ($5,600): As mentioned above, the Bulls out-rebounded the Trail Blazers 67 to 49 in their last meeting. Gibson had a double-double in that game with 12 points and 11 rebounds for 30.25 DraftKings points. He has a double-double in two of his past three games and has chipped in 10 assists in that span as well. Portland's front court isn't exactly imposing, so Gibson should get plenty of rebounds and his customary put-back opportunities in a friendly matchup at home.
Montrezl Harrell, PF/C, HOU vs. BOS ($3,300): If you're looking for a bargain-bin center, Harrell has played 25 and 20 minutes in his past two games with a combined 46.25 fantasy points. He had a double-double effort in a high-scoring affair against the Warriors on Thursday, posting 13 points and 10 rebounds. Harrell's minutes were expected to dip with the return of Nene Hilario on Friday, but he still managed eight points in 20 minutes of action. Coach Mike D'Antoni may start to give Harrell regular minutes as the backup center and that could translate into fantasy points. Harrell is a strict punt play for tournaments.
