Monday offers DFS contestants nine games to choose from when setting their lineups. Though there aren’t any marquee matchups on the docket, stars like DeMarcus Cousins, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and (hopefully) Anthony Davis will all be available to roster.
If you want to add one or more of those players to your lineup, you’ll have to save salary elsewhere, which is where this column comes in handy!
Here are the top NBA DFS value plays for Monday, February 1st.
Value Play of the Night
Garrett Temple, Wizards ($8,700)
From December 11 to January 11, Wizards SG Garrett Temple was one of the best values in DFS, averaging 21.4 fantasy points in that span. Of course, this coincided with Bradley Beal‘s leg injury, and when Beal returned to action after missing 16 games, Temple was expected to see a much more reduced role.
Temple had other plans, though.
In the nine contest since Beal’s return, Temple has averaged even more fantasy points, racking up 22.8 in 31.4 minutes per game, just 0.3 minutes less than he was playing while Beal was out. What this means is that Temple’s minutes appear to be safe with Beal back in the fold. His usage has been affected to a large degree (14.5% compared to 32.4% without Beal), but his shot attempts haven’t, with 9.4 shots/game in both scenarios.
Otto Porter Jr. is set to miss yet another game due to lingering hip pain, and that sets Temple up for an expanded role against an Oklahoma City Thunder team that is allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards over the last two weeks. The game’s ridiculously high 222-point over/under is another reason you’ll want to take advantage of Garrett Temple’s affordable price tonight, too.
Other Players to Consider
Bryce Dejean-Jones, Pelicans ($7,700) – BDJ is quite the story. In the D-League just a week ago, the former Iowa State star has started the last two games for NOLA with Tyreke Evans nursing his ever-pesky knee injury. He’s been given a ton of minutes — 34 and 35, to be exact — and should have no problem reaching value if Evans is ruled out. However, if Evans does play, he becomes a far less attractive option, and maybe even unrosterable. It’s amazing how quickly things can change in the NBA.
Stanley Johnson, Pistons ($7,900) – Take advantage of Johnson’s cheap price tag while you can because it’s sure to be on the rise. The rookie put together a solid week, averaging 23.2 fantasy points. He’s really starting to earn his minutes and should be a more dependable option as the weeks go by. Ersan Ilyasova (thigh) could miss a second straight game tonight too, which would afford Johnson even more opportunities. He’d have been my Value Play of the Night if not for the fact that he’ll be so widely owned across FantasyDraft’s DFS contests.
Cory Joseph, Raptors ($7,700) – Joseph fell off for a while after his hot start to the season, but he’s picked it up again of late. In his last four games, the Texas product is averaging 23.6 FPs in 24.8 minutes. The Nuggets are 26th vs. opposing point guards over the last two weeks.
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