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.
Players to build around
André Snellings -- DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers
Blake Griffin caught an elbow on Saturday that left him with a scary-looking concussion. I've heard no announcement about his availability for Monday, but the injury looked bad enough that he may sit. This potentially leaves Jordan with a larger load to carry in the middle for the Clippers. And since his opponent would be the Hawks, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season, the makings are there for Jordan to put up a big number on Monday.
Renee Miller -- Jimmy Butler, Minnesota Timberwolves
This game vs. Cleveland provides a lot of fantasy intrigue, but none I'm higher on than Butler. The small forward and shooting guard slots are loaded tonight, but Butler offers a similar floor with ample upside compared to Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan and Victor Oladipo. The multi-category contributor boasts the fourth-highest player efficiency rating among shooting guards (the position he is eligible at), while leading the position in value added (265.2, the estimated number of points a player adds to his team's season relative to a replacement level player). Cleveland is the best matchup for wings, offers a faster pace of play to the Timberwolves, and the game carries a 220 point total with a one-point spread. Butler is the most affordable of the stars mentioned, and a virtual lock to be the cornerstone of my lineups tonight.
Kyle Soppe -- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
I understand that he is not cheap, but you're probably splurging on one player tonight and he is the clear-cut option in my opinion. Everyone likes to play the "what if" game with Antetokounmpo and his development of a jumper, but I prefer to play a different "what if" game ... what if no one in the NBA can stop what he currently is? Consider this: Antetokounmpo has a higher shooting percentage from inside of eight feet than Andre's building block, DeAndre Jordan, this season. How crazy is that? His average distance is down nearly 8 percent from last year and only James Harden is attempting more free throws per game this season. In short, no one can stop Antetokounmpo and with the Pacers ranking as a bottom-six defense in both defending the fast break and defending the paint ... this is a smash spot, even with the expensive price tag.
Players to avoid
André Snellings -- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Jokic has been in a bit of a scoring slump of late, and even his triple-double potential hasn't made up for his usual production level. In his past three games, he has averaged 10 points with 8.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1 steal and 4.3 turnovers while shooting only 34.5 percent from the field. The Warriors generally don't seem to allow big performances from true centers, and thus far this season they've had Jokic's number. In two games against the Warriors thus far, Jokic has averaged only 13 points with 8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.
Renee Miller -- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Jokic is perhaps due for a big game, coming in under 40 fantasy points in eight of his 11 games since the ankle injury. Though a couple early low-scoring games can be attributed to his being brought back slowly, he's playing upward of 35-40 MPG in the last couple weeks and has not improved much. His 3P% is down, and he is increasingly reliant on getting to the free throw line. In two games with the Warriors this season, Jokic is averaging just 13 points and eight rebounds. I want more from the third-most expensive center playing tonight. He's certainly capable of putting it all together again, but with other Nuggets playing well right now, his usage is something to be concerned about as anything but a tournament flier.
Kyle Soppe -- LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
Listen, I'm not going to try to sell you on the Kings being this great defense that you need to avoid at all costs, but a team that operates at the second slowest pace and is thus a top-10 team in terms of paint points allowed isn't an ideal matchup for a 32-year-old veteran on the second night of a road back-to-back. With the injury issues up and down this roster along with the fact that they are in the middle of playing nine road games in less than three weeks, I'm not excited about any Spur right now. Aldridge's price is as high as it's been since the New Year, something I don't fully understand given that he is averaging just 16.4 points on 43.2 percent shooting on the back end of a back-to-back (down from 24 points on 50.3 percent shooting otherwise). He's a fine player who is aging better than I ever would have guessed, but I'm not interested in rostering him on this eight-game slate.
