The NBA heads into the final week of February with a six-game slate ready to tip off on Monday night. Of the 12 teams in action, only the Oklahoma City Thunder are playing for the second day in a row, but the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards are starting their week with a back-to-back set of games Monday and Tuesday. You’ll want to keep a close eye on the injury and availability news for those teams and for the rest of the slate as well since value plays can open up if players are ruled out. Stay locked in to @dklive on Twitter leading up to tipoff and download the DK Live app to stay up-to-the-minute with all the latest news and fantasy impact.
As you decide which superstars to stock your lineup with, you’ll also need to select the best value plays. To help you find the best options at the shallow end of the salary pool, check out my favorite bargains for your DraftKings lineup listed below.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Excellent 8’s [100K to 1st]
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SG/SF Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies at Dallas Mavericks, $3,900
While he didn’t produce a big game in a spot start on Saturday against the Suns, Bane is in a nice spot against the Mavs on Monday. He missed four games while tending to a personal matter but looked solid in his return with 10 points, five rebounds and 21.75 DKFP against the Pistons on Friday. His minutes and role were a little limited in that second game of the back-to-back which turned into a rout.
Before his missed time, the rookie had posted double-digit points in eight of nine matchups and contributed enough counting stats for a total of at least 15.0 DKFP in each of those contests while averaging 21.2 DKFP per contest over that stretch. He has been getting good usage throughout that run with at least a 15% usage rate in each of his past 10 games and a 19.3% usage rate over that span. With Dillon Brooks (shoulder) already ruled out, Bane should still stay involved enough to be a good play under $4K even though Grayson Allen ($5,200) and Kyle Anderson ($6,600) are expected to return from their one-game absence for rest.
C Robin Lopez, Washington Wizards at Los Angeles Lakers, $3,800
While the Wizards continue to shuffle their frontcourt rotation with Moritz Wagner ($3,600) and Alex Len ($3,500) getting inconsistent playing time as starters, Lopez has been getting very consistent playing time off the pine. RoLo has averaged 23.7 minutes per contest over his past eight games while producing 10.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 20.1 DKFP during that stretch.
His best game recently came on Saturday night in Portland, where he posted a double-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds and 33.75 DKFP in 28 minutes. Even without Anthony Davis (Achilles), the Lakers usually play with plenty of size on the floor, which should lead to another big workload for Lopez. He’s a solid cheap play in the middle and should bring points and boards with the potential of hitting another double-double and returning big value.
SG/SF Wesley Matthews, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Washington Wizards, $3,700
The Lakers are without Dennis Schroder (health protocols) in addition to Davis as they host Lopez and the Wizards on Monday night. Matthews has started the past two games for Los Angeles, playing 24 minutes against the Nets and 31 minutes against the Heat. In his first start, he had a paltry 5.5 DKFP shooting 1-for-4, but he looked much better on Saturday and played a more involved role in a competitive game. Matthews hit 4-of-10 shots on his way to 10 points to go with eight rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block on his way to 26.5 DKFP.
If Matthews gets 30-plus minutes against Washington, he should be poised to offer solid returns at such a low salary again. It seems he has a slight advantage in playing time and usage over Alex Caruso ($4,000) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($3,900), plus a matchup with the uptempo, defensively-challenged Wizards sets up well for him to contribute again across the stat sheet.
PG/SF Justise Winslow, Memphis Grizzlies at Dallas Mavericks, $3,600
After missing over a year with a left hip displacement injury, Winslow made his return to the court and his Grizzlies debut on Saturday against the Suns. He played 21 minutes and posted a sky-high 34.9% usage rate. Winslow hoisted 14 shots in that time, obviously getting a clear green light from coach Taylor Jenkins. Winslow only made 3-of-14 (21.4%), but should definitely be able to improve on that as he gets back into the flow of things.
In addition to his usage rate and heavy involvement, another encouraging sign for Winslow was that his non-scoring stats were still at their typically high levels. He had seven rebounds and a steal while appearing ready to resume his regular stat sheet-stuffing ways. When healthy, Winslow can be a great fantasy option and won’t be at this salary long if he stays so involved. There will definitely be some role-defining that happens with Anderson, Allen and Brandon Clarke ($5,500) expected back in this one and Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) expected to return after the All-Star break, but there’s definitely plenty of intriguing upside in Winslow’s return.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $500K Fadeaway [100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Z.Thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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