Seven games on a Monday night get under way at 7:00 Eastern with a mismatch. Cleveland can beat the 76ers any time, anywhere. Figuring out which players will notch big numbers is not as easy. LeBron James $9700 is pacing himself, so Kevin Love $7500 may be the safest pick, with bench players like Tristan Thompson $4500 and Matthew Dellavedova $3200 likely to get extra run.
DraftKings offers 2-game Turbo contests at 8:00 with interesting possibilities. The injury-plagued Rockets are back home after losing their third straight last night in Miami. James Harden $9900 has had a nightmarish start, shooting 22.2% while misfiring on 29 of 32 3-point attempts. If Dwight Howard $7000 (back) suits up, they will be more respectable, yet still no match for a fully healthy Thunder squad.
It’s also a back-to-back for Russell Westbrook $10300, Kevin Durant $9700 and Serge Ibaka $6200, who blew away the Nuggets on Sunday with a 37-point third quarter. OKC is a 4-point favorite and the over/under is 214.5, suggesting this might be a DFS bonanza. Don’t sleep on the second unit, with D.J. Augustin $3100 feeding Dion Waiters $3800 and Enes Kanter $4100, as this is the second of four games in five nights.
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The Blazers visit Minnesota, where rookie Karl-Anthony Towns $6100 is already a star. This is the home opener for the Wolves, who responded to the tragic loss of Flip Saunders by winning two straight on the road. Andrew Wiggins $6200 has been a step slow with a sore back, and Kevin Garnett $3500 is more like a coach now, but Ricky Rubio $7100 is flying and the bench is terrific. Kevin Martin $5000 is still contributing, Gorgui Dieng $4900 will play more than KG, and 27-year-old Serbian Nemanja Bjelica $3700 is no ordinary rookie, he’s the reigning Euroleague MVP.
There are two late games with overwhelming home favorites. The unbeaten Warriors will at least be tested by the Grizzlies. Stephen Curry $10200 just scored 82.5 FPTS — 53 PTS, 8 3PM, 9 AST, 4 REB, 4 STL — so Mike Conley $6800 has his hands full. Marc Gasol $8000 can pound it inside and the Memphis D will try to keep the score down.
Completely dominant in their three wins, the Clippers will handle Phoenix, with Blake Griffin $9800 unstoppable so far. Chris Paul $9700 is a better daily play in tight games, so to use him you have to hope the Suns will keep the score close. I’m not so sure they can, though Eric Bledsoe $7500 enjoys the battle against his former team and Brandon Knight $6600 had a great home-and-home against Portland. Most important will be Tyson Chandler $5600 trying to deal with DeAndre Jordan $8000.
Least inspiring are the other early games in the East. Milwaukee never really threatened last night in Toronto and might be tired in Brooklyn. The Nets are a well-deserved 0-3 and while they can’t get much worse, there’s no reason to expect dramatic improvement. Brook Lopez $7000, Thaddeus Young $5500 and Joe Johnson $4900 are affordable if you’re more optimistic.
San Antonio took care of business in Boston yesterday and should beat the Knicks, but can’t afford to underestimate them. Just ask the Wizards. While LaMarcus Aldridge $7300 is fitting in well and Kawhi Leonard $7700 is the main man, it’s never easy to predict playing time for the other Spurs. Carmelo Anthony $8900, Robin Lopez $5200 and bench gunner Langston Galloway $4400 are playable at home; New York doesn’t have to win for them to pay off.
Blake is a must-start until he cools off or costs much more. On the hunch that the T-Wolves will put on a dazzling show for the faithful, I am also building around Rubio, Towns, Martin and possibly Zach LaVine $4700 or Bjelica. Wiggins, at less that 100%, will be hounded by Al-Farouq Aminu $4800, a potential bargain.
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| Pos | Premium | Midrange | Bargain |
| PG | Stephen Curry $10200 | Ricky Rubio $7100 | D.J. Augustin $3100 |
| SG | Klay Thompson $6900 | Kevin Martin $5000 | Langston Galloway $4400 |
| SF | Kevin Durant $9600 | Kawhi Leonard $7700 | Al-Farouq Aminu $4800 |
| PF | Blake Griffin $9800 | Kevin Love $7500 | Nemanja Bjelica $3700 |
| C | Marc Gasol $8000 | K-A Towns $6100 | Robin Lopez $5200 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.