Hi there! I’m Glen but I go by Blande and you can find me on twitter as @DfsBlande . I’m a contributor and coach over here at the DFS Army.
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It’s a small four-game slate tonight. Play light and focus on SE GPPs. Let’s go out tonight and have some fun as we prepare for the larger slates coming up. Today’s format is slightly different as I provide a much more comprehensive early breakdown of the slate. This is subject to change later on, so I’ll have notes on slack with my thoughts closer to lock. Let’s dive in!
Shoutout to gotem_88 (@Adrian) for this takedown of the NFL Monday Night Showdown!
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Indiana Pacers
Core/Cash: Victor Oladipo is in a good spot here. He is coming off a 57.1 FDPs game and will look to keep going. He is a little pricey, but in cash we are paying for the floor and he has a high one here. Domantas Sabonis is another good option here. With Oladipo back, Sabonis is returning to his excellent form. He is priced at value on both sites, although he is a little cheaper on FD. Darren Collison is the final core play here. In a matchup against the Cavs, he is relatively cheap on both sites and should hit value at his price.
GPP: I love Larry Nance Jr. today. The spot is a good one for him, and it just suits his kind of game. The only reason he is not a core play is his tendency to disappear occasionally. Apart from that, he is a good play. I like him in hybrid and GPP lineups today. Next up is Jordan Clarkson. He has been phenomenal off the bench and makes for an excellent play today. He also has a good track record in this matchup.
Drop Score: Finally, for those looking for drop-score candidates, David Nwaba makes for an excellent one tonight. He is min-priced and working his way back from injury. His low minutes will keep people away, but keep in mind the Cavs have been working him in slowly. If he gets 20+ minutes, he could crush value.
Los Angeles Lakers @ Brooklyn Nets
Core/Cash: Starting up top with LeBron James. He is the top stud on this slate. He has been all over the place this season, but his floor is high, and he has the upside to break the late. Spencer Dinwiddie has been very consistent off the bench for the Nets, scoring above 30 in 4 of the last 5 games. He is priced too high on DK but is affordable on FD in cash/hybrid lineups. Kyle Kuzma will look to regain his excellent form, and this matchup against the Nets is exactly what he needs. He is priced highly on both sites but can hit value here.
GPP: Lonzo Ball has an excellent matchup today and is a top GPP play on both sites. He is also viable in Hybrid lineups and is a near core play. He has been great since Ingram went out and that should continue tonight. D’Angelo Russell is your ultimate GPP play. He could give you a 50 burger or lay a dud on any given night. He has the upside here, making him a good GPP play. Jarrett Allen is really cheap on both sites, in a plus matchup making him a nice play. Rondae-Hollis Jefferson is in a good spot as is Joe Harris, both should see a lot of minutes tonight against the Lakers and are viable GPP plays.
Drop Score: Finally, the drop score plays here are Lance Stephenson and Rodions Kurucs.
Washington Wizards @ Atlanta Hawks
Core/Cash: John Wall and Bradley Beal are the top dogs here for the Wizard. They’ll be called on to carry the load and they are both excellent core plays here on both sites. My lean is towards Beal here. John Collins has been phenomenal since returning from injury. In the last matchup here, he put 40.8 FDPs and will look to replicate something similar. He is priced high, but you are paying for the floor here. After a slightly disappointing start to the season, Kent Bazemore is back to his producing ways and makes for a good core play today on both sites. His matchup is excellent.
GPP: Trevor Ariza gets the start today in his first game for the Wizards. He is not in the FD player pool, but you can utilize him on DK where he is too cheap for the matchup. Excellent GPP play. He is borderline core play at that price. Trae Young has been all over the place this season, making him a strictly GPP play in what is a good spot for him. Thomas Bryant and Dewayne Dedmon would have the time of their lives battling each other tonight on the boards. This is an excellent game for both to produce in, making them both GPP viable. I like pairing them on DK. Jeff Green is currently projected to start at PF, making him a nice option, although with all the other players in the starting lineup, he is a little too expensive. He will be low-owned though, making him a good GPP play. Markieff Morris will get significant usage off the bench, and while he has struggled recently, this is a great bounce-back spot at low ownership.
Drop Score: Jeremy Lin makes for a fantastic drop-score play here tonight. He is cheap on FD for the upside he brings. You can consider using him on DK in GPPs, but be warned, he can lay a goose egg easily.
Dallas Mavericks @ Denver Nuggets
Core/Cash: Nikola Jokic is the stud here. He is too expensive on FD for me, but he is a consideration on DK. I’ll limit my exposure to him just because of the price, but he is a cash stud and a core play. With DSJ likely out, Luka Doncic once more becomes a core play here in all formats. He has had some really good games recently with DSJ out, scoring in the high 40s. Against the shorthanded Nuggets, this could be an opportunity for him. Finally, Monte Morris makes for an excellent core play on both sites. He has picked up the slack for the Nuggets and is playing extremely well and consistently.
GPP: Harrison Barnes has the talent in a great matchup to crush value. However, he just hasn’t been himself this season. He is GPP only due to his inconsistency, but he does have the ability to exceed value. DeAndre Jordan makes for a really good GPP play here. DJ will be virtually unowned in a matchup against Jokic. DJ has put up some impressive numbers against other good defensive centers this season, and this is the kind of spot in which he could go off. Jamal Murray is another good GPP option here. I won’t have much, if any, Murray since I’m not building too many lineups, but the spot is a good one.
Drop-score: Torrey Craig keeps getting minutes and is cheap enough to make for a nice drop-score play here with the required upside.
Stay tuned to slack for the coaches notes and good luck out there!
