Gallery: 1/10
After a day in which only five games were played, the NBA schedule for Monday consists of 11 games. Among those in action are Houston guard James Harden ($11,600), New Orleans forward Anthony Davis ($11,600) and Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,600). Also in action is Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins ($11,200), who is as gifted as any big man in the NBA but does have some strides to make if he's to be a player that an NBA team can build a successful team around. Cousins is currently averaging 29.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for a Kings team that's looking to make its way into the playoff conversation.He has range out beyond the three-point line, and Cousins' ability to contribute in a host of ways is why he's averaging 49.2 FanDuel points per night.
Cousins and the Kings host the 76ers Monday night, which means a matchup between Cousins and Philadelphia rookie center Joel Embiid. With this being the first meeting of the season between the two teams, obviously the two big men have never met in an NBA game with Embiid missing the last two seasons with foot injuries. But how they match up will be interesting to watch, not only in the post but on the perimeter as well. Cousins is shooting 38 percent from three this season on nearly five attempts per game, with both numbers representing career highs for him. As for Embiid, he's attempting just under three three-pointers per game but is shooting a respectable 41.4 percent.
Does this mean that either Cousins or Embiid is on the way to becoming an elite long-distance shooter? No, and given what each can contribute offensively to limit themselves would be a mistake. But it does show that both have developed into players who have to be respected at multiple levels by opposing defenses, which also bodes well for those who look to add either one to their FanDuel teams. Here are our FanDuel picks for tonight's games, working with a $60,000 salary cap and a nine-player roster. (Getty)
