With Monday being Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the NBA schedule includes multiple afternoon games. There are a total of nine games on the schedule, but for the sake of this post only the four "late" games are being considered. Among those games is the second meeting of the season between Cleveland and Golden State, with the Cavaliers coming from behind to beat the Warriors on Christmas Day in the first game. Among the standouts on that day was Cleveland guard Kyrie Irving, who tallied 59.2 FanDuel points thanks in large part to a highly productive fourth quarter.
Irving finished the game with 25 points, ten assists, seven steals and six rebounds, turning the ball over just two times against one of the NBA's best defensive teams (Golden State is ranked second in defensive rating). Irving's been in a bit of a slump however, as he's made just 38.2 percent of his field goal attempts over the last five games. Irving is averaging 23.2 points per contest during this stretch, but the lowered efficiency has impacted his FanDuel scores. Averaging 36.5 points per game, Irving's fallen below that mark in four of his last five games. That will be something to keep an eye on Monday night against the Warriors.
Here are our FanDuel picks for Monday's games, working with a nine-player roster and a $60,000 salary cap. Statistics used are from Basketball Reference and Rotowire. (Getty)
PG: Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers
Opponent: vs. Oklahoma City
Price: $9,100
Paul's matchup with Russell Westbrook should be one of the best individual duals on Monday's schedule. While Westbrook's season has been outstanding, as he's tallied 20 triple-doubles and is currently averaging a triple-double (30.9 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 10.7 apg), Paul has remained one of the NBA's best in the assist department. And with 16 double-doubles this season, the likelihood of Paul posting a solid FanDuel number is high. (Getty)
PG: Marcus Smart, Boston
Opponent: vs. Charlotte
Price: $5,700
While the usual starting guard alongside Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, recently returned to practice, the Celtics are likely to be cautious when it comes to his return from a right Achilles injury. With that being the case Smart can still be a good option for the second point guard slot, as he's surpassed his season average of 23 FanDuel points per game in four of his last five outings. Smart didn't do much scoring in the last meeting with the Hornets, finishing with five points, but he did tally seven rebounds and five assists in a reserve role. (Getty)
SG: Klay Thompson, Golden State
Opponent: vs. Cleveland
Price: $6,500
Thompson is in a similar position to Booker when it comes to his fantasy value, but it should be noted that Thompson has grabbed five rebounds or more in four of his last seven appearances. Thompson was solid in the Christmas Day game against Cleveland, scoring 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting, but he finished with just two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Getting into the twenties FanDuel-wise shouldn't be a major issue for Thompson, but the hope here is that he does more in areas other than scoring to truly make this pick worthwhile. (Getty)
SF: LeBron James, Cleveland
Opponent: at Golden State
Price: $9,900
LeBron has scored fewer than 40 FanDuel points in three of the last four games, but given the stage and his importance to the Cavaliers it's tough to pass up the opportunity to add him to the roster. On Christmas Day he accounted for 53.6 FanDuel points, tallying 31 points, 13 rebounds and four assists. Look for James to be much closer to his FanDuel season average (47.5 ppg) than he has been in recent games. (Getty)
SF: Jae Crowder, Boston
Opponent: vs. Charlotte
Price: $5,500
Crowder's produced some solid numbers from a FanDuel standpoint of late, following up a 32.7-point night against Washington with 27.8 points against the Hawks Friday night. The Celtics are likely to be down a starter with Avery Bradley still working his way back into the lineup, and Crowder has the ability to impact games defensively as well as hit open shots when they become available. Crowder's scored 18 points or more in three of his last six outings. (Getty)
PF: Draymond Green, Golden State
Opponent: vs. Cleveland
Price: $7,800
Green had a rough afternoon against Cleveland on Christmas Day, picking up two fouls in the game's first three minutes and receiving a technical foul as well. Yet for all his struggles that day, Green still finished with 16 points, four rebounds and four assists. He's capable of much better against Cleveland, provided he maintain his composure. And that shouldn't be an issue for Green this time around. (Getty)
PF: Channing Frye, Cleveland
Opponent: at Golden State
Price: $3,600
Given his role Frye can be hit or miss from a fantasy standpoint, depending largely upon whether or not his perimeter shots are falling. With Kyle Korver joining the team Frye has company as a player capable of spacing the floor with his shooting ability, which could impact the number of opportunities he gets with the second unit. Frye has scored 21 FanDuel points or more three times in 2017, so the hope here is that the major selections do well enough that his production is a bonus rather than something you're looking to rely on. (Getty)
C: Tyson Chandler, Phoenix
Opponent: vs. Utah
Price: $5,400
Averaging 23.7 FanDuel points per game on the season, Chandler's surpassed that number in each of the last five games for the Suns. Utah's Rudy Gobert is a tough matchup given how good he is defensively, not to mention the athleticism factor, but Chandler remains a key piece for Earl Watson's team. Chandler's grabbed 15 or more rebounds in five straight games, and he corralled 11 boards in Phoenix's loss to the Jazz on New Year's Eve.
NOTE: Chandler has been declared out for tonight's game due to a stomach issue. (Getty)
FanDuel NBA Lineup Picks, Advice & Analysis for January 16