These fantasy basketball picks are your guide to cashing in BIG tonight!

Last night was a tough 4-game slate with injuries, blowouts and the like, but we get to turn right around to a HUGE slate of action this evening. Let’s kick it off.

These plays are intended to help you gain a solid return on salary (at least 2.5X, with the ideal level being 3x or higher) with each player you roster. Sometimes I will highlight a minimum salary player, and the intent is to maximize the number of roster spots where you have potential to hit 3X salary. Keep in mind that a minimum-priced player on DraftDay is even more valuable than a minimum-salary player elsewhere, due to the large gap in pricing with a $100,000 cap. Another key to remember is that in DFS, late injury news can be HUGE when deciding your final rosters. Just because someone was a great play in the morning doesn’t necessarily mean that better options won’t arise throughout the day. Monitor Twitter closely before locking in your lineups.

Today’s Top Plays

Guard:

Michael Carter-Williams ($15,550) at Boston – As you may know, DraftDay’s scoring gives bonuses for double-doubles and triple-doubles with 2 additional points each. MCW is a walking double-doube machine, having already notched 8 this season as well as 3 triple-doubles. A matchup with Marcus Smart and company doesn’t worry me in the slightest, and with Tony Wroten out, his minutes are solidified. He makes for a great tournament play tonight.

Elfrid Payton ($9,350) vs Los Angeles Lakers – The Lakers have been among the worst defensive teams all season, especially against PG, and Payton can get it done in a myriad of ways. He is coming off of a 14/6/9 line against the Spurs, and should have no problem reaching that level once again tonight.

Klay Thompson ($13,450) at Atlanta –Klay Thompson has shown his elite-level offense over the past few weeks, and while a matchup with the Hawks seems tough on paper, Kyle Korver’s defense is anything but tough. My guess is that Atlanta will try and show some DeMarre Carroll on Klay, but he is an elite scorer (22.4 per game this season), and should have no trouble showcasing his talent in this clash of teh top two teams in the NBA.

Kevin Martin ($12,100) vs Memphis - Martin has been great since his return, scoring at least 19 real points in 4 of 5 games. He feasted on a Miami team that struggles with SG last time out to the tune of 30/3/3 and now draws a Grizzlies team whose biggest weakness is SG. Minnesota will need a big game out of him if they are going to compete tonight.

Forward:

Greg Monroe ($13,550) vs Denver - The Nuggets have been nothing short of awful recently, and frontcourt defense has been a major issue for quite some time. I expect Monroe to have a field day against Kenneth Faried and company and his price tag is phenomenal. Price considered, he is my favorite play at PF tonight.

Khris Middleton ($11,300) at Houston - Middleton has been phenomenal over his last two games, posting 44.50 and 45.50 FP in those contests. He has a solid floor also, having bested 20 FP in 16 of his last 17 games. A matchup with Trevor Ariza isn’t ideal, but he is hot and getting big minutes (42, 38, 45 over last three). I’m riding the hot hand here.

Tobias Harris ($11,200) at Los Angeles Lakers - I mentioned the Lakers deficiencies on defense, and this one should come as no surprise. Harris is back to his early-season form, and confidence is riding high after a 23/10/6 game against Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs. He is in line for a big night tonight.

Ed Davis ($9,850) vs Orlando - Carlos Boozer is the flavor of the week, and for good reason. But with Jordan Hill on the shelf, Davis is in line for big minutes also. He is nearly $2,000 cheaper than Boozer, and is coming off of a 7/20/3 performance that was good for 35.75 FP against Milwaukee. Orlando is soft down low, and Davis is in a great spot.

Center:

Roy Hibbert ($11,900) vs Cleveland - I’m pumped to play Roy Hibbert tonight. These seem like famous last words, but with Lavoy Allen and Ian Mahinmi out, Hibbert is the only healthy C on the roster. Luis Scola should see some more run, but Hibbert has been playing well, with double-doubles in 3 of his last 5 games. He isn’t devoid of risk, so I wouldn’t roll him out in cash games, but I’m a big fan of his in tournaments.

You can find me on Twitter @BigItaly42 and I’d love to help you out with any questions you have about determining salary, finding value, or any lineup construction tips!