NBA DFS Advice for Monday, February 22 (2021) – Top Picks, Sleepers to Consider, and Recommended Lineup

Monday promises to be a solid platform for daily fantasy basketball. A six-game slate greets DFS gamers, with this schedule being much more palatable than recent slates.

It’s also a pretty explosive one at first glance, with several games offering bulky game totals, per the top NBA betting sites.

As usual, you’ll want to keep an eye on any injury news or lineup changes. Going into Monday, NBA DFS gamers already know some big names are out or could end up sitting.

Dillon Brooks won’t play, Tyler Herro is questionable, and Dennis Schroder is out. More names could follow, but that’s a good starting point.

That’s step one to unwrapping Monday’s daily fantasy basketball slate, while more news will trickle out as the day goes on.

I’ll get you headed in the right direction early, as I break down my favorite NBA DFS picks, sleepers, and top lineup for Monday.

Damian Lillard is on a heater, but Doncic is just $500 more. Both of these guys are insanely expensive, but Doncic has the softer matchup (Dame gets CP3 defense), and he’s been even better.

I don’t think you can go wrong either way, and perhaps we can allow ownership projections to do the talking. But from a raw points perspective, I’ll take Luka.

Shooting guard is a battle between Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine up top, and it’s another close call. In this case, I’ll save the $400 and go with LaVine, who is on a roll at the moment.

Check out his last four games.

For me, this is an ownership play, as Beal is probably the high-owned guy at a similar price point. LaVine has been just as good, however, and he’s got a better matchup.

Instead of facing the Lakers, he goes up against a battered Houston team that he torched to the tune of 54 fantasy points earlier this season.

Butler stands out as a terrific pivot off of LeBron James, too. James has been rock solid and is a borderline 50+ fantasy point lock, but Butler is going to be in that same area, but for $1.2k less.

Jimmy has been a triple-double machine, and it’s helped him top 43+ fantasy points in nine of his last 10 games. He feels like a slam dunk against OKC, especially with Tyler Herro iffy for this one.

Gordon Hayward is just too cheap.

I’ll hear the “return home” or “revenge” narrative as he faces his former Jazz squad in Utah, but this is just about pure value.

Charlotte pushes the pace enough (16th in pace), and Hayward feels a bit too cheap for what he’s done on a regular basis this year. He’s also shown a solid ceiling at times, with one of his best games (49 fantasy points) coming against Utah earlier this year.

I’ll cap my top NBA DFS picks off in that same game, with Gobert standing out as the top center play. I have eyes for Deandre Ayton due to price, but Gobert is too cheap given his high floor.

Gobert could feast against the Hornets down low, as he already showed his potential here with 38.8 fantasy points in the most recent meeting. He can clean up on the boards and with blocks, and barring a random minutes drop, I like him a lot.

I’ll also mention Kendrick Nunn here, as Goran Dragic is still sidelined, and Tyler Herro could be out on Monday.

Tyler Herro (hip) is listed as questionable by the Heat for Monday vs. Thunder.

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) February 21, 2021

Maledon just gets the nod here due to price. He’s starting and seeing about 30 minutes these days, and he’s significantly cheaper. The matchup with Miami isn’t great, but on a smaller slate, you may need to find guys with decent upside at cheaper rates.

KCP is one punt worth considering, and all Lakers spares are on the table with Dennis Schroder out for at least the next three games.

Caldwell-Pope needs to score to pay off, but he logged 35 minutes last game. The home date with a bad Wizards defense is the icing on the cake. Not a fan of KCP? You probably need to consider someone like Alex Caruso or Wesley Matthews, then.

I also like the cheap Rockets guys, assuming DeMarcus Cousins is out. Houston announced they are going to part ways with the star center, and if they’re going to trade him, it makes little sense to put him at risk of injury.

If Cousins is out, Houston is going to go small, with guys like Nwaba, House, Jae’Sean Tate, and P.J. Tucker all getting a little more burn.

I’ll cap my favorite NBA DFS sleepers off with Carter, who is back to regular minutes. He logged 33 in his last game, and that’s enough for me to take a stab at him in a favorable matchup with the Rockets.

You need raw points on a slate like this, so you need at least one stud. Doncic is my stud of choice, and ultimately, I’m not sure him being chalky ruins it for me.

He just offers more upside than anyone else on this slate. His recent explosion against the Pelicans is a reminder of that.

I’ll run it back with Morant in that game, because if Doncic is going to erupt like I think he can, it’ll likely mean he plays the whole game. If Morant pushes for his ceiling in minutes, 40-45 fantasy points from him is a real possibility (maybe more).

Hayward and Gobert are too cheap, as discussed. I have zero trouble fitting them in, and I think they both can safely hit 40+ fantasy points, if not more.

Nwaba is a cheap Rocket that should get plenty of run, and Maledon should be locked into a decent role. This entire lineup hinges on the two Lakers spares panning out, but if there was ever a spot to throw caution to the wind, it’s a home date with the Wizards.

Both Matthews and KCP got 30+ minutes last game, and they won’t find a better spot all year. I think given the rest of the roster and Luka, I don’t mind taking the chance.

Hopefully my NBA DFS picks, sleepers, and top lineup serve you well. If you’re ready to take things to the next level and bet on the NBA, be sure to hit up the best sports betting sites.