This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The key recent absences for Monday's nine-game slate prior to teams' morning shootarounds are Russell Westbrook (ankle), Stephen Curry (groin) and Jeff Teague (knee). Dennis Schroder $7,200), Quinn Cook ($5,400) and Derrick Rose ($6,900) are expected to fill in for the aforementioned players. It's also likely that Jimmy Butler, Dario Saric or Robert Covington won't make their team debuts until later in the week. During the 76ers' loss to the Grizzlies on Saturday, T.J. McConnell ($3,900) and Furkan Korkmaz ($3,700) were the two biggest beneficiaries, posting 33.1 fantasy points and 23.8 fantasy points, respectively. If Saric and Covington are out, Josh Okogie ($4,500) is a strong option for the price.
Let's dive into some other options:
Point Guard
Kyle Lowry ($8,700), TOR vs NO
Lowry saw just 27 minutes during Toronto's blowout win over New York on Saturday, limiting his production to 10 points, eight assists and two rebounds. Monday's game against the playoff-hopeful Pelicans could prove more challenging. When Lowry has seen at least 30 minutes this season, he's averaging 43.4 fantasy points through 17.8 points, 11.3 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals. In addition to what should be an increased workload from Saturday, the Pelicans have been walked over by point guards this season. New Orleans is allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to point guards, including the fifth-most points, fourth-most rebounds and second-most steals.
Shooting Guard
Lou Williams ($6,500), LAC vs. GS
After winning last season's Sixth Man of the Year award, Williams started off this year slowly. Through the Clippers' first five games, he saw a 28.7 percent usage rate and averaged 22.2 fantasy points. That's picked up over the past seven games, as Williams is seeing a 34.0 percent usage rate and averaging 31.0 fantasy points over that stretch. His price has picked up along the way, but he still makes for a good play against the Warriors, who have struggled against shooting guards despite the presence of Klay Thompson. Golden State allows the second-most fantasy points to point guards, including the second-most points and fourth-most assists.
Small Forward
Jae Crowder ($5,400), UTA at MEM
Crowder appears comfortable in his situation this season, as his numbers reflect his time in Boston more than last season's split between Cleveland and Utah. At $5,400, rostering Crowder gets you a player who has averaged 28.9 fantasy points over the past seven games, including two efforts of over 35.0 fantasy points. Many fantasy owners may be scared off by the game's low over/under (203.5), but the Grizzlies have still managed to allow the fourth-most fantasy points to small forwards despite the slow pace. Even though he's had an improved season, Crowder's success still feels somewhat under-the-radar, which makes him an intriguing play in GPPs due to the possibility of low ownership.
Power Forward
Pascal Siakam ($6,200), TOR vs. NO
Siakam's impressive play when Kawhi Leonard and OG Anunoby missed time has led him to see more run, even with Leonard and Anunoby healthy over the past two games. Over the past seven games, Siakam has averaged 33.5 fantasy points. With New Orleans allowing the third-most fantasy points to power forwards, many fantasy owners may gravitate towards Serge Ibaka, who is just $400 more than Siakim despite showing a higher ceiling. But it's important to note that Ibaka has spent all minutes at center this season, making his listing at power forward in Fanduel somewhat misleading. That could be especially troublesome in this case, as the Pelicans, due in large part to Anthony Davis, are giving up the third-fewest fantasy points to centers. With Nikola Mirotic (ankle) questionable and likely less than 100 percent if he plays, Siakim appears to be in a significantly better position than Ibaka.
Center
Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,300), MIN vs. BKN
In what might be a perfect storm, Towns will be going up against the Nets without Jimmy Butler in the picture. The Nets are allowing the most fantasy points to centers, while Towns averaged 46.9 fantasy points when Butler was absent. Plus, Towns is coming off an effort of 62.3 fantasy points Saturday against the Kings, which was the day prior to Butler being moved. Though Towns has often times not looked like himself, Saturday's effort was still his third performance this year with at least 60 fantasy points. Towns' ceiling is as high as it's always been, though Monday's game could carry a little extra motivation.
