Daily Fantasy Basketball 2015: DraftKings Rankings, Picks for March 9
Monday night's NBA schedule doesn't feature a game that will produce more than one fantasy stud per team. There should certainly be some standout individual performances, but they figure to be spread out among the eight games on tap.
Here's a look at the players I've tabbed as the top two at each position for Monday's slate of games.
Top Players at Each Position
| Stephen Curry | $9,500 | Phoenix Suns |
| Ty Lawson | $7,000 | New York Knicks |
| Dwyane Wade | $7,200 | Boston Celtics |
| Eric Bledsoe | $7,900 | Golden State Warriors |
| Andrew Wiggins | $6,800 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | $6,000 | Washington Wizards |
| Anthony Davis | $10,700 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Nikola Mirotic | $6,200 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| DeMarcus Cousins | $9,700 | Atlanta Hawks |
| DeAndre Jordan | $9,700 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
Dwyane Wade ($7,200) vs. Boston Celtics
The Miami Heat all-time great and future Hall of Famer has been productive lately. Dwyane Wade scored 28 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished four assists in his team's 114-109 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
Wade sat out the Heat's 99-97 loss to the Washington Wizards on Friday, and the day of rest looked to revitalize him.
After having Sunday off, the Heat host the Boston Celtics on Monday, and Wade should be ready. In 22 games this season after having a day's rest, Wade is averaging 21 points, 5.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds.
When the C's come calling, Wade should deliver a strong statistical performance.
Anthony Davis ($10,700) at Milwaukee Bucks
With Mr. Triple-Double (aka Russell Westbrook) and the Oklahoma City Thunder idle on Monday, the New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis becomes the most automatic fantasy performer on the schedule.
Since returning from his shoulder injury on March 4, Davis is averaging 30.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 5.3 blocks. That production has been good for an average of 64 DraftKings fantasy points per contest.
Davis is on a tear, and the Milwaukee Bucks are the next team in his way.
Nikola Mirotic ($6,200) vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Since Taj Gibson went out with an injury, the Chicago Bulls' Nikola Mirotic has been on fire. In his last five games, Mirotic is averaging 21.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
Monday's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies should render more good results for the 24-year-old rookie. The Grizzlies bigs defend the post well, but Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol aren't real keen on defending near the three-point line.
During the teams' first meeting on Dec. 19, Mirotic poured in 27 points. He made all six of his three-point attempts, and he was instrumental in the Bulls' 103-97 win. Mirotic has been deadly in spot-up three-point situations this season, per Synergy Sports Tech:
Mirotic figures to get more opportunities to shoot and create off the dribble on Monday.
Those are the studs and obviously you wish you could draft them all, but you can't. That said, here's my optimal lineup for DK on Monday.
Low-Cost, High-Value Guys
| PG | Aaron Brooks | Memphis Grizzlies | $4,900 |
| SG | Dwyane Wade | Boston Celtics | $7,200 |
| SF | M. Kidd-Gilch... | Washington Wizards | $6,000 |
| PF | Nikola Mirotic | Memphis Grizzlies | $6,200 |
| C | DeAndre Jordan | Minnesota Timberwolves | $8,800 |
| G | Eric Gordon | Milwaukee Bucks | $5,300 |
| F | Andrea Bargnani | Denver Nuggets | $5,600 |
| UTIL | Khris Middleton | New Orleans Pelicans | $6,000 |
Andrea Bargnani ($5,600) vs. Denver Nuggets
As the New York Knicks' only dependable offensive threat, Andrea Bargnani has stepped up in a major way. Over the last two games—both against the Indiana Pacers—Bargnani has averaged 23 points per game.
He's not going to do much in the way of rebounding or distributing, but with a DK salary under $6,000, his scoring will do just fine. It also doesn't hurt that the Knicks are hosting the Denver Nuggets on Monday. On the season, Denver is 26th in the NBA in points allowed per game.
Khris Middleton ($6,000) vs. New Orleans Pelicans
On Saturday night, the Milwaukee Bucks' Khris Middleton put up 30 points and nine rebounds in his team's 91-85 win over the Washington Wizards. Middleton has been consistent all season and has provided the occasional boon in production.
He hasn't been held under 10 points since Jan. 31 (15 games). In that time, Middleton has scored 20 or more points four times. If you're looking for a dependable DK option, don't overlook Middleton.
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