Nikola Jokic is an elite player for Monday night’s action.
We kick off the week with a 10-game slate, and contests will begin locking at 7:00 p.m. EST.
INJURIES
WAS Kyle Kuzma (back) – QUESTIONABLE
Kuzma missed his first game of the season Sunday. If he sits again, Will Barton ($4,300) will take on a larger role.
ATL Clint Capela (mouth) – QUESTIONABLE
Capela could return to action but is still listed as questionable. Onyeka Okongwu ($4,400) would start in Capela’s place if he sits.
PHI Joel Embiid (foot) – QUESTIONABLE
PHI Tyrese Maxey (foot) – OUT
PHI James Harden (foot) – OUT
Shake Milton ($6,500) is absolutely lighting it up as the featured backcourt player. Embiid is upgraded to questionable, and I can’t give a full-throated endorsement to a replacement. Paul Reed and Montrezl Harrell are swapping off solid games and it’s impossible to predict who will fare better on any given night.
CHA LaMelo Ball (ankle) – OUT
CHA Gordon Hayward (shoulder) – OUT
Terry Rozier ($7,400) and Kelly Oubre ($7,200) remain the players to target with Ball out.
BOS Jayson Tatum (ankle) – QUESTIONABLE
If Tatum sits again, Jaylen Brown ($8,500) will lead the offense, and Grant Williams ($4,200) will also offer support.
CLE Jarrett Allen (hip) – QUESTIONABLE
CLE Caris LeVert (ankle) – QUESTIONABLE
If these tags hold, Dean Wade ($4,800) is my preferred pivot.
TOR Pascal Siakam (adductor) – QUESTIONABLE
TOR Scottie Barnes (knee) – QUESTIONABLE
It would be great news for Toronto if Siakam can make a return tonight. Rather than lead you astray with speculative pivots, I’m recommending a look at the starting lineup before lock to determine how you can get some Raptors involved against the injury-riddled Cavs.
ORL Wendell Carter (foot) – QUESTIONABLE
ORL Jalen Suggs (ankle) – QUESTIONABLE
ORL Mo Bamba (back) – QUESTIONABLE
ORL Chuma Okeke (knee) – QUESTIONABLE
The Magic roster is a mess and full of questionable tags that have been around for a while, most notably with Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz. It’s anyone’s guess who will suit up on any given night, but Gary Harris ($3,600) is back and very inexpensive. He started Sunday night and could do so again.
NOR Brandon Ingram (toe) – QUESTIONABLE
NOR CJ McCollum (COVID-19 Protocols) – OUT
Jose Alvarado ($4,700) will step in to start here, and Devonte’ Graham ($3,500) will likely start in place of Ingram if he is unavailable.
DEN Michael Porter (heel) – QUESTIONABLE
DEN Bones Hyland (illness) – QUESTIONABLE
Bruce Brown ($5,700) would figure to get a boost if these tags hold. I would be remiss not to mention Aaron Gordon ($6,500), who is inexpensive and has been tearing it up recently.
UTA Lauri Markkanen (knee) – QUESTIONABLE
UTA Mike Conley (leg) – QUESTIONABLE
Your top budget pivots are Malik Beasley ($5,500), Talen Horton-Tucker ($4,200) and Collin Sexton ($5,100) if both of these tags hold.
PHO Chris Paul (heel) – OUT
The extended absences of Paul, Cameron Johnson and Jae Crowder have resulted in consistent minutes for Cameron Payne ($6,100) and Torrey Craig ($4,800).
LAL Anthony Davis (calf) – QUESTIONAABLE
Since Davis missed Saturday’s game, this tag is a legit concern for once. If he can’t make it, Thomas Bryant ($4,300) would likely start in his place.
ELITE PLAYERS
Monday appears to be a night where we want to get some solid support from the center position, and while Nikola Jokic ($11,200) is a no-brainer pick for that task, I’m inclined to go a bit lower in salary and take Nikola Vucevic ($7,500) against the Jazz, who may be without their best playmaker in Lauri Markkanen.
Moving down the ranks, I’m a fan of Devin Booker ($9,200) in a game against the Kings with a downright confusing spread, and Bradley Beal ($8,400) should also have a good night against the Timberwolves, especially if Kyle Kuzma is out again.
Also consider: Tyrese Haliburton, IND ($9,400) @ LAL, Kyrie Irving, BRK ($8,100) vs. ORL
EXPECTED CHALK AND OTHER TARGETS
Zion Williamson, NOR ($7,800) vs. OKC
At last, a spot in which you can fire up Williamson with absolute confidence. The absences of Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum open things up wide for Zion, who has been performing very well but is in a smash spot of epic proportions against the Thunder. He will find a home in 100 percent of my lineups.
Russell Westbrook, LAL ($7,000) vs. IND
Patrick Beverley is still serving a suspension, and although Westbrook has some competition for the starting role, I think he will continue to perform well this week. He got knocked around a bit Saturday but returned to the game, and it appears that he’s good to go against the Pacers.
Jamal Murray, DEN ($6,800) vs. HOU
You have to like Murray and his dual eligibility against the lowly Rockets, who have some offensive weapons but can’t put together a decent defensive performance. As the season progresses, Murray’s salary will increase, and he should pass the $7k threshold any day now. We can still get him for a great salary now, and count on his talents to bring the upside.
Tobias Harris, PHI ($6,800) vs. ATL
If Embiid is out tonight, I will fire up Harris without hesitation. He was a scoring machine against Orlando on Sunday with 25 points, and he’s averaged 24 points over his past two games. Atlanta presents a slightly stronger challenge, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can win a tug-of-war opposite John Collins ($5,400), who also makes my endorsements.
Also consider: Anthony Edwards, MIN ($7,400) @ WAS, Jordan Clarkson, UTA ($6,200) vs. CHI, Zach LaVine, CHI ($6,700) @ UTA
VALUE PLAYS
As usual, refer to the injury section for some excellent value options.
Jarred Vanderbilt, UTA ($4,800) vs. CHI
You’ll want to consider Vanderbilt if Markkanen sits as expected. His scoring is a bit erratic, but he should get more opportunities, and he’ll almost always give you a solid rebounding number when he gets enough minutes.
Herbert Jones, NOR ($4,600) vs. OKC
The smattering of injuries on the roster leads me to believe that Jones will get a lot of minutes against the Thunder, and I’m a big fan of his dual eligibility. He’s a top candidate to absorb some of Brandon Ingram‘s missing production.
Here are some additional values I like for Monday’s slate.
SG Bennedict Mathurin, IND ($5,400) @ LAL
C Mason Plumlee, CHA ($5,500) @ BOS
PG/SG Ayo Dosunmu, CHI ($4,400) @ UTA
