Fantasy Basketball Value Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Bargain Plays for Monday 3/30/26

Alex Hunter provides some of his favorite NBA DFS bargain plays on DraftKings for Monday night's six-game slate.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 3:35pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting the dynamic movements and energy of a basketball game, rendered in a vibrant color palette of oranges, blues, and greens.A cubist interpretation of the key fantasy basketball bargain plays for Monday's NBA DFS slate.NYC Today

Alex Hunter highlights three top NBA DFS bargain plays on DraftKings for Monday night's six-game slate, including Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill, Spurs wing Keldon Johnson, and Bulls guard Collin Sexton.

Why it matters

With several key players ruled out, these value picks provide opportunities to build winning DFS lineups and capitalize on increased playing time and usage for these affordable options.

The details

Merrill is expected to see a significant boost in minutes and production with multiple Cavaliers starters sidelined, while Johnson has been thriving off the Spurs' bench and should benefit from playing at home against the Bulls' porous defense. Sexton has been a consistent scoring threat for the Bulls since joining the team at the trade deadline, making him an appealing value play despite the tough Spurs matchup.

  • The DraftKings main NBA DFS slate for Monday starts at 7:00 PM EST and features the first six games of the night.
  • Merrill, Johnson, and Sexton are all in action on Monday's slate.

The players

Sam Merrill

A guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers who is expected to see increased playing time and usage with several key Cavaliers players ruled out for Monday's game against the Utah Jazz.

Keldon Johnson

A wing player for the San Antonio Spurs who has been a strong performer off the bench and should benefit from playing at home against the Chicago Bulls.

Collin Sexton

A guard for the Chicago Bulls who has been a consistent scoring threat since joining the team at the trade deadline and provides value at his $5,000 price tag.

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What they’re saying

“Merrill likely will see even more playing time with Strus and Wade also out of the picture, and with all four of these players off the court this season, Merrill's usage rises a team-high 4.4 percentage points to 21.4% and he scores 0.9 FPTS per minute.”

— Alex Hunter, Fantasy Basketball Analyst

“While Johnson just thrived on a road trip, being back home is great news for him, as Johnson has always been a more productive home player throughout his career. Over the last three seasons, Johnson is averaging 4.0 more FPTS per game at home than on the road.”

— Alex Hunter, Fantasy Basketball Analyst

“No matter the matchup, $5,000 is just too low of a salary for Sexton and being able to roster him as a forward tonight makes him one of the top values on the board.”

— Alex Hunter, Fantasy Basketball Analyst

What’s next

Managers should monitor the latest injury reports and lineup news ahead of lock to ensure Merrill, Johnson, and Sexton maintain their projected roles and value for Monday's slate.

The takeaway

These three bargain plays provide DFS managers with opportunities to build cost-effective lineups that can take advantage of increased playing time, usage, and favorable matchups on Monday's six-game NBA slate.