This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
After enjoying four-game slates on Saturday and Sunday, there are only two games on the docket Monday night. As a result, there aren't a ton of viable value plays out there, but there are also only a handful of high-salary guys as well, which should allow us to build some strong lineups.
Monday's Value Plays
Norris Cole, NOP, $3,900: Cole is one of the few healthy options remaining in New Orleans' backcourt as Jrue Holiday is still working his way back from a leg injury, and Tyreke Evans is questionable after a deep knee bruise knocked him out of the opener after just 12 minutes on the floor. Even if Evans is available, it's not a safe bet that he'll be able to log his usual 34 minutes like he did throughout the regular season, let alone match his usual production. Cole should get a decent amount of usage as a result, and that makes him a viable play for a very cheap price.
Derrick Rose, CHI, $6,100: Rose's 23-point, seven-assist outing in Game 1 had Twitter erupting with hot takes about how maybe, just maybe, D-Rose is D-Rose again. Whether that's true or not is best left to the hot take artists, but for our purposes here, Rose's performance was hard to ignore. He canned nine of his 16 field goal attempts, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. Coach Tom Thibodeau said that everyone came out of Game 1 "fine" from a health perspective, so Rose's knee should be good to go after playing 27 minutes Saturday. After Monday's game, the Bulls and Bucks won't play again until Thursday, so Rose could see similar minutes Monday (if not more) with two days of rest coming.
Shooting Guard
Klay Thompson, GSW, $7,100: Admittedly, $7,100 isn't usually a value price, but there's not a whole lot else out there at shooting guard Monday. Thompson had a mini slump when the Warriors dropped two straight earlier this month, but that's a thing of the past as he's posted at least 27.7 FanDuel points in his last five outings. He only shot 35 percent from the floor Saturday and still wound up with 21 points. Thompson also turned it over five times, the most turnovers he's had in a game since January 31 against Phoenix. Expect Thompson to shoot a higher percentage and cut down on the turnovers Monday in Game 2.
Small Forward
Khris Middleton, MIL, $6,500: Middleton led the Bucks in points (18) and minutes (34) in Saturday's Game 1 loss in Chicago. He was also a force on the defensive end with four steals, the second time he's swiped at least four steals in his last five games. He's fully healthy and has a much higher floor than any other option going tonight at small forward outside of Draymond Green at small forward. $6,500 is a solid bargain for the second best player at a position in tonight's player pool and Middleton is a very safe option.
Quincy Pondexter, NOP, $4,200: Pondexter posted an impressive 20-point, nine-rebound, six-assist line in Game 1 to finish with 43.8 FD points. The only other time Pondexter reached the 20-point mark in a game over the last month and a half was also against Golden State back on April 7. While I wouldn't count on another 40+ FD points from Pondexter on Monday, Tyreke Evans' possible absence could give him more responsibility on the offensive end. Pondexter isn't a sure-thing, but at $4,200, he gives you the flexibility to roster the higher salaried players Monday.
Power Forward
Ersan Ilyasova, MIL, $5,400: If you're not rolling with Anthony Davis and Pau Gasol at your power forward spots Monday, Ilyasova might be the next best play. Nikola Mirotic's defensive limitations led to Thibodeau using him for just 13 minutes in Game 1, and the rookie finished with just 11.5 FD points. The other low-salaried option, Taj Gibson, isn't at 100 percent. He left the regular season finale with a shoulder issue and left Game 1 with a knee strain. That leaves Ilyasova as arguably the safest power forward option outside of the top two guys. Ilyasova has topped 20 FD points in four straight, including 25.1 FD points on Saturday. Again, this is under the assumption that you're not using The Brow and Gasol at power forward, but Ilyasova should be able to reach value and has a higher floor than Mirotic or Gibson.
Center
Joakim Noah, CHI, $6,300 and Andrew Bogut, GSW, $6,000: Yes, this is a total cop-out, but using anyone other than one of these two guys is not a tempting proposition. Noah looked healthy in Game 1 and had his best outing from a fantasy perspective (31.2 FD points) since April 3. Bogut had a strong double-double Saturday with 12 points and 14 boards to go with two blocks and two steals. I'd give Bogut the slight edge, even with the tougher matchup, because Golden State doesn't have the frontcourt depth that Chicago does. Still, either of these two are good plays, and you won't have to break the bank to roster either of the top two guys at center.
