Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (2) pushes the ball up the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 50.71 DK - 52.89
All eyes will be on this game as it features the only two teams ranked outside the Top 20 in defensive efficiency. For me, it starts with LaMelo who has picked up where he left off before the break and opened the second half with back-to-back double-doubles, one with rebounds, and one with assists. Going back to the end of January, Ball has been one of the hottest players in the league nearly averaging a triple-double on 24.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 9.4 assists for just shy of 55 fantasy points per game. On this smaller slate, he is my top guard and top overall play on both sites.
Opponent - CHA
Proj Pts FD - 30.66 DK - 33.71
On the other side of this fantasy-friendly matchup, we have another player who has been producing excellent PTS/$ numbers in the short term. Ivey comes in with the second-highest usage in the current starting lineup for the Pistons and has taken double-digit shot attempts in five straight while providing 30+ fantasy points in each of those games. This game has a total(236.5) that is 11 points higher than the next highest, the Hornets rank outside the Top 20 in defence, and with a price that is only slowly on the rise, Ivey is a top PTS/$ play for me in all formats Monday.
Opponent - NY
Proj Pts FD - 31.38 DK - 33.42
While this matchup is not nearly as fantasy-friendly as the one above, Jaylen Brown will be out for the Celtics which opens up some PTS/$ value at the guard position. The biggest beneficiary of Brown's absence is Derrick White who has averaged over six more shots per game and over 43 fantasy points per game over eight games with no Brown going back to the start of January. There is a bit of risk here as he is dealing with an ankle injury which has me a little less interested on FanDuel at nearly $7K but on DraftKings where the price is still way down in relation to his role, White is a top value and a core play in all formats.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 30.31 DK - 32.74
Not only do the Hornets get the best matchup on the board Monday, but they are also a bit short-handed with P.J. Washington expected to miss his second straight game. While the positions are not completely correlated, Gordon Hayward still benefits and most of all has been playing very well in the short term. He is getting double-digit shot attempts on the regular and has delivered in a huge way shooting just over 58% from the field over his last five games while providing us just over 39 fantasy points per game. The price is on the rise but considering the matchup and current situation, Hayward is a great play in all formats tonight.
Opponent - NY
Proj Pts FD - 49.48 DK - 53.46
I mentioned above that Jaylen Brown will be sitting this one out for the Celtics and that means there is no way we can ignore Jayson Tatum who is already on an MVP run this season. There isn't a ton of boost here as he is already averaging 53.5 DK points per game going back to the start of January but does see more usage with no Brown and gets that average up above 55 per game with him out. He is an elite contributor at both ends of the floor and has also averaged over 50 fantasy points per game against the Knicks this season. All things considered, Tatum is another top-priced play that we can build around in all formats tonight.
Opponent - DET
Proj Pts FD - 34.55 DK - 34.07
By this point, you are asking yourself "How many Hornets players are too many?" on this small slate and I am not sure there is a cap at this point. It not only comes down to the matchup against the Pistons' 29th-ranked defence, but for Williams, it comes down to opportunity with P.J. Washington expected to miss his second straight game. Since being unleashed in the starting lineup, the rookie has been a bit up and down but there is no denying the talent and upside as he has tallied 29 or more DK points in four of six games and is coming off a monster game with 18 points and 20 rebounds. I will have exposure to Williams in all formats.
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