Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scores 43 for the Short-Handed Thunder as Luka Doncic Drops 42 on Giannis and the Heat: Monday NBA Fantasy Notes

Monday's NBA slate delivered two 40-point nights and a pile of usage signals for fantasy managers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a season-high 43 and hit the go-ahead three as the Oklahoma City Thunder, missing three starters to long-term injuries, beat Cleveland 117-112. Luka Doncic poured in 42 with 13 assists as the Lakers beat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Heat 138-117. And LaMelo Ball set a season high with 34 as Minnesota kept winning without Anthony Edwards.

Here is what mattered from the night, and what to do with it.

SGA carries a depleted Thunder

Oklahoma City entered the game without Jalen Williams (out for the season with a broken fibula and dislocated ankle), Chet Holmgren (out eight to 10 weeks with a knee injury) and Cason Wallace (torn labrum, out indefinitely). Alex Caruso, Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber were also listed out. Gilgeous-Alexander responded by matching his career high with 35 field-goal attempts.

The win was the Thunder's first since the three major injuries, after two road losses. With this many creators out, Gilgeous-Alexander's usage rate is going to be enormous. Efficiency will dip on some nights, and 14-of-35 is not a sustainable profile, but in category leagues the free throw volume and steals more than compensate. He is the clear No. 1 fantasy player in the league as long as this roster is thin.

The secondary beneficiaries are the players picking up the minutes Williams, Holmgren and Wallace left behind. Our earlier breakdown of Isaiah Hartenstein and Ajay Mitchell still applies: both are must-roster players while the Thunder are short-handed.

Luka keeps rolling

Doncic shot 14 of 24 with six threes, and added seven rebounds to his 42 points and 13 assists. It was his fifth straight game with 20 or more first-half points, the first Laker to do that since Kobe Bryant in 2007, and the Lakers moved to 6-2. Austin Reaves added 27.

On the other side, Antetokounmpo posted 30 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort as Miami fell to 2-5. He remains an elite fantasy producer regardless of the team's struggles.

For fantasy, there is nothing to analyze with Doncic beyond the obvious. Reaves, though, deserves a note: his scoring role alongside Luka keeps him a top-60 fantasy option in points leagues, and nights like this make him a strong DFS value when the Lakers face weaker defenses.

LaMelo leads Minnesota again

Ball scored 34 on 12-of-21 shooting as the Timberwolves beat Milwaukee 112-100, and he became the fastest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career three-pointers, getting there in 311 games. He was listed as questionable with a right wrist contusion before the game, which makes the performance more impressive. Minnesota is now 2-2 without Edwards.

Ball is the engine of this offense until Edwards returns, and his usage reflects it. Start him every night. Tyler Herro led the Bucks with 21 in the loss.

The rest of the slate

Raptors 125, Clippers 118. Scottie Barnes scored 15 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, and Immanuel Quickley added 27. Kawhi Leonard sat with his left knee issue, so the Clippers' fantasy outlook stays clouded. Barnes and Quickley are both strong starts in Toronto's balanced attack.

Kings 115, Mavericks 100. Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. scored 25 as Sacramento finally won its first game of the season. Malik Monk added 24 and Zach LaVine 23. Cooper Flagg shot 3 of 19 for Dallas. We have a separate breakdown of Acuff's fantasy case.

Hawks 108, Pacers 104. Indiana was down to six available players because of injuries and rest, and Jay Huff scored 22. Atlanta's Nickeil Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 34, while the Hawks played without Jalen Johnson, who has a sprained left ankle. Alexander-Walker is worth a look in deeper leagues while Johnson is out; Huff is a streamer only while Indiana's injury list stays this long.

Knicks 103, Nets 90. Landry Shamet scored a season-high 22 for New York, its 15th straight win over Brooklyn. Jose Alvarado returned after missing four games with a sprained left ankle.

76ers 126, Bulls 107. Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 26 and remains a top-15 fantasy option.

Fantasy moves for this week

The Verdexed angle

The biggest betting and fantasy story from Monday is how much the Thunder rely on Gilgeous-Alexander now. A team missing three starters still beat a good Cleveland team on the road because its superstar took over. Expect Oklahoma City to stay competitive in close games, but expect plenty of high-usage, inefficient nights too. Verdexed's daily NBA board will be posted at /blog/nba-picks-2026-11-03, and the model's live probabilities are on the /nba/predictions page.