Monday's single-game showdown pits MIN against CLE, and it locks at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT). The format is the standard captain setup: the captain slot scores 1.5x points at 1.5x salary, and the cap is $50,000.
Our model's top plays are clustered on the CLE side and among the high-priced MIN names. Donovan Mitchell ($9,600) carries the highest ceiling on the sheet at 57.6, with a DraftKings average of 39.2. James Harden ($8,600) is close behind at a 56.3 ceiling, and Evan Mobley ($9,000) sits at 53.0. For MIN, LaMelo Ball ($8,800) has a 54.9 ceiling and Anthony Edwards ($10,400) has a 54.6 ceiling, though Edwards carries a Q tag from DraftKings and needs watching before lock.
The value plays are where this slate gets interesting. Terrence Shannon Jr. costs just $3,000 with a 40.2 ceiling, well above his 18.2 DraftKings average. Craig Porter Jr. ($1,000) shows a 20.6 ceiling against a 5.0 average, and Jaylen Clark ($1,000) has a 15.3 ceiling. Those minimum-salary options matter because they free up room for the stars. Note that Donte DiVincenzo (MIN), Khalifa Diop (CLE) and Nae'Qwan Tomlin (CLE) all carry OUT tags.
The sheet does not include ownership figures, so we can't say where the crowd will land. With this much star power at the top of the salary scale, lineups will likely differ in how they pay for it.
Our model's top lineup uses $48,000 of the $50,000 cap. It puts Mitchell at captain for $14,400, then adds Joan Beringer ($4,200), Mobley ($9,000), Harden ($8,600), Ball ($8,800) and Shannon ($3,000). The build leans on CLE's core and uses Shannon's low salary to fit it all in.
Lock is Monday at 7:00 p.m. ET, so settle your lineups before then.
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