FanDuel NBA: Monday Value Plays

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Published on April 25, 2022

Monday's action commences at 7:00 p.m. EDT with a three-game playoff slate, and the Raptors and Nets both facing elimination.

SLATE OVERVIEW

BKN (-1) vs. BOS O/U: 220

PHI (-7.5) vs. TOR O/U: 210

DAL (-3.5) vs. UTA O/U: 213

Acquiring key values below $7k should be your first task in lineup construction today, and if you're optimizing with a cruncher, it's best to keep the exposure high on your favorite budget options. This will allow you to mix and match with the several elites that litter the player pool.

INJURIES

TOR Fred VanVleet (hip) - QUESTIONABLE

There's no current word on the severity of this injury, but pivoting to Gary Trent ($6,200) and Scottie Barnes ($6,000) is the wisest way to go if VanVleet sits. Both players have merit on their own even without VanVleet's absence.

ELITE PLAYERS

My top pick on the slate is also the most expensive player for Monday, and that's Luka Doncic ($10,400). He will once again do a little bit of everything against Utah, and he appears to show no adverse effects from the injury that kept him out of the beginning of this series.

It's bold and potentially without much merit, but I am bringing Kevin Durant ($10,100) and Kyrie Irving ($9,400) back into the fold with a decent amount of exposure tonight. I have a hard time seeing the Nets going down without a fight. They leaned on Bruce Brown and Nicolas Claxton to begin the last game, and if they can integrate Durant and Irving in the early going as well, they have a shot at getting back into the series. Durant's shot volume is so low, and it can only go up from here. I would be inclined to lean a bit more toward Irving due to salary concerns, however. On the other end of this matchup, you would be foolish to disregard the tandem of Jayson Tatum ($10,300) and Jaylen Brown ($7,900), especially Brown, who sits at an excellent sub-$8k salary.

Joel Embiid ($10,200) gets the gift that keeps on giving with dual eligibility at power forward and center. Playing through torn ligaments in his thumb creates some additional uncertainty, but after dropping one to the Raptors, the Sixers will be highly motivated to end the series tonight and give Embiid some extra rest ahead of the second round. Obviously, that puts James Harden ($9,200) in play as an excellent choice, and he is once again available in four slots.

Finally, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I am going back to the well with Donovan Mitchell ($8,900) despite his salary rising relative to his excellent production. We'll discuss some additional Utah targets in a bit, but Rudy Gobert ($7,200) deserves mention as an Elite option in a rebound mismatch against the Mavs.

Also consider: Pascal Siakam, TOR ($8,700) @ PHI, Jalen Brunson, DAL ($7,300) vs. UTA

EXPECTED CHALK AND VALUE PLAYS

Tobias Harris, PHI ($7,100) vs. TOR

The Sixers have finally figured out the best way to utilize Harris, and he's reaped considerable benefits in the series against Toronto, averaging 18 points and 9.8 rebounds over the past four genes. He's also converting 78.7 percent of his shots during the series and has an upside that could put him well above the 5x value threshold in a potential elimination game.

OG Anunoby, TOR ($5,900) @ PHI

The Raptors face an uphill battle, but Anunoby figures to have a big role as he tries to carve out space in the interior. He'll look to bounce back after a dreadful 3-of-13 shooting night that yielded his lowest fantasy total of the series, but his baseline against the Sixers is still very high, with a trio of value-beating nights in the mid 30's and low 40's.

Mike Conley, UTA ($5,400) @ DAL

I still don't think I am off-base by endorsing Conley at this salary, although flocking to Bojan Bogdanovic ($5,700) may be the more popular play. Conley's shooting very well while making frequent trips to the charity stripe, and he's also kept his distribution level up, collecting six assists in his last game. He doesn't have to do much to be worthwhile, but we really need a night similar to his Game 3 performance of 37.4 FDFP to reach 5x value.

Seth Curry, BKN ($4,400) vs. BOS

Curry woke up and went 6-of-11 in Game 3, and the Nets gave him 34 minutes in Game 4. Due to Bruce Brown's heightened salary and the unsustainable run of Nicolas Claxton, I'm betting on Curry to be the big difference maker among the supporting cast for Brooklyn. He was clutch in his stint with Philly earlier this season, and we're beginning to see glimmers of why he was so valuable for them prior to being included in the Harden trade.

Also consider: Marcus Smart, BOS ($6,000) @ BKN Dorian Finney-Smith, DAL ($5,400) vs. UTA, Royce O'Neale, UTA ($3,800) @ DAL

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.