Which players should you build around and which players should you fade in DFS as we tip off Monday's NBA action? Our experts have the answers.
Today's panel includes ESPN Fantasy's Joe Kaiser, Eric Karabell and Kyle Soppe, plus DFS expert Renee Miller.
Players to build around
Joe Kaiser -- Tim Hardaway Jr., New York Knicks
Hardaway is known for his scoring, but did you realize that he has dished out at least five assists in four straight games? Or that he's averaging 1.2 steals per game this season? Or that he's poured in 19.4 PPG in his past five contests, raising his career-best season average to 18.2 PPG? Portland is ranked as one of the top defensive teams in the league, but Hardaway reliably plays close to 35 minutes a night and is underpriced tonight. Take advantage of that.
Renee Miller -- James Harden, Houston Rockets
I debated going with LeBron James here -- truly, I want both of these superstars tonight in most lineups -- but Harden is the one I don't want to miss out on. That's partially due to positional considerations; both Brandon Ingram and Robert Covington are tempting at SF tonight, while strong value at SG is going to take some time to reveal itself today (Lance Stephenson? JJ Redick? Marcus Smart?). With so many starters around the league questionable for tonight, I think enough value will open up to allow you to lock in Harden and his 70-plus fantasy-point potential in what Vegas has as the highest-scoring game of the night.
Kyle Soppe -- CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
You may have noticed that McCollum has scored at least 24 points while notching at least seven assists-plus-rebounds in four of his past five games, but his DFS price tag hasn't flinched. His usage rate is stable, and I think his floor is very appealing at this price point, especially against a Knicks team that ranks as a bottom-10 defense and has allowed at least 100 points in six of its past seven games. I generally don't love rostering a player who relies heavily on his jump shot, but McCollum is averaging three 3s per game in November, and opponents are attempting a league-high 34.2 3-pointers against the Knicks, a stat that makes me think they are comfortable in packing things into the lane and taking their chances on perimeter shots. Good luck with that against McCollum.
Eric Karabell -- Courtney Lee, New York Knicks
Lee is really hitting his shots lately, having shot 64 percent from the field over a four-game stretch in which he's reached 37 DraftKings points twice. His salary remains a huge bargain against a Portland team finishing up a long road trip on the East Coast and likely looking ahead to coming home. The Blazers have terrific guards, but the way Lee is playing, and for less than $5,000 DK dollars, he's a major bargain.
Players to fade
Joe Kaiser -- Al Horford, Boston Celtics
Horford needs around 35-37 DFS points to reach his salary value tonight, and that's going to be a tall task thanks to the matchup against Andre Drummond, who will limit Horford's rebounds and make the Celtics center rely on scoring and distributing for DFS production. Add in the fact that this is a matchup between the 23rd- and 24th-ranked teams in pace and there's even more reason to fade Horford on Monday.
Renee Miller -- Blake Griffin, LA Clippers
Griffin is a guy more likely to turn in a 3.5X value than a 6-7X value tonight. The Lakers are doing several things better this season, and defensive efficiency is one of them. Griffin is coming off two good games, but the salary is still too high for me. Especially on tonight's slate, when I really want both Harden and James in lineups, I can't justify spending $9K or more for what could easily be 35 fantasy points.
Kyle Soppe -- Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
I understand that the man is a walking double-double, and his price has been adjusted for this tough matchup, but I'm still not going there. There is a very real chance that this is the lowest-scoring game on tonight's slate, so there is a limit to the number of opportunities he'll have to begin with, plus an even lower floor is present, given that the Celtics rank seventh in the league in rebound rate. The spike in turnovers for Drummond (3.5 per game this season despite never having averaged even 2.0 turnovers per game at any point during his career) is a concern, and the risk of foul trouble is real, as Horford flashed his typical versatility Saturday for the first time since returning from a concussion. In my opinion, the floor is as low as it's going to get for Drummond, so I'll happily pass tonight.
Eric Karabell -- Dennis Smith Jr., Dallas Mavericks
The rookie comes off consecutive games in which he scored more points than his average for the season and led his team to victories, but Monday he faces the defensive-minded Spurs. It's true that Smith lit up the Spurs for 27 points a few weeks ago -- hitting 10 field goal attempts, half of them from 3-point land -- but a repeat seems unlikely. Smith is shooting 38 percent from the field for the season. DraftKings dropped his price a bit for this game, but it's better to avoid.
