At this early point in the season, we are still feeling our way with rotations. Teams are figuring out their strengths and weaknesses and trying to optimize their talent in the best ways possible. For that reason, I’m prioritizing past performance, minutes and usage -- as well as Las Vegas totals -- and playing it a little safer as the season starts.

Here are the players to target on Monday in your daily leagues, from the high-priced studs to the solid mid-priced values to the cheaper, riskier players with upside.

In general, you want to use safer options in your cash games and rely on some riskier, high-upside options in your bigger tournaments. If you can average six points per $1,000 of salary, you'll typically end up with at least some cash in your pocket.

Happy Halloween!

Point Guard

High-priced plays

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers ($9,300 FD, $8,500 DK)

Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors ($7,400 FD, $7,400 DK)

While there are a few middle-priced options on today’s small slate, I will be doing what I can to fit both Paul and Lowry into my lineups. Paul gets the Phoenix Suns and Lowry gets the Denver Nuggets, both of which rank near the top in terms of point guard matchups for fantasy. Lowry has been relatively quiet, but solid so far, and on a night with few games, that is critical. I typically like to use Paul in more difficult situations, but Phoenix has been surprisingly competitive the past two games vs. Golden State and Oklahoma City. He’s a go tonight.

Solid value

Jeremy Lin, Brooklyn Nets ($6,500 FD, $6,300 DK)

Rajon Rondo, Chicago Bulls ($7,300 FD, $6,400 DK)

Dennis Schroder, Atlanta Hawks ($6,300 FD, $6,600 DK)

Lin and Rondo get the solid seal of approval tonight as they face off against each other in what Vegas has as the highest point total for the night. Both have been filling stat sheets so far this season, and that should continue tonight. Schroder could fall into the upside category, but he’s not that cheap, so I included him here. The most volatile of the three middle-priced guys I like, Schroder should be used in tournament lineups, going against a Sacramento team with a defensive efficiency score of 107.

Shooting Guard

High-priced plays

DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors ($7,900 FD, $7,300 DK)

Two games in, that's 72 points for DeRozan. He is feeling it right now, and is priced just about right. If you spend up on Paul, you might choose to pair him with DeRozan and save at your other point guard/guard slot, but I’m happy to use DeRozan tonight in a great matchup even if I also have Lowry. DeRozan is enjoying the second highest usage rate in the league right now.

Solid value

Dwyane Wade, Chicago Bulls ($6,900 FD, $6,500 DK)

Wade is always solid when healthy, and is priced very fairly for a sweet matchup with Brooklyn. I love the total on this game for scorers, and players with a few rebounds, assists and steals up their sleeves provide a nice floor. His usage so far has been the highest on the Bulls team.

Cheap with upside

Will Barton, Denver Nuggets ($5,300 FD, $5,700 DK)

Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers ($4,900 FD, $4,100 DK)

You can differentiate on a short slate by going cheap at SG. Will Barton has been terrific last season and this one when he starts, so be sure to check the news later today on Gary Harris' status. If Barton starts, he’s a nice pivot play because he scores in so many ways that his floor is very high. Crawford, like Paul, gets a dream matchup with the Suns, and because of that he makes my upside list. Not doing much besides scoring gives Crawford an uncomfortably low floor, but if his shot is falling he could easily go for 30-plus fantasy points tonight.

Small Forward

High-priced plays

Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls ($8,000 FD, $7,600 DK)

Butler should bounce back -- if you want to call a 16/5/3/1 game against the Pacers a low point -- with what could be his best game of the season tonight. I love Butler, and expect others will too. Chicago is working through the rotation changes they’ve put in place for this season, and much of that was geared toward letting Butler shine. I think he dominates tonight.

Solid value

Rudy Gay, Sacramento Kings ($7,300 FD, $6,300 DK)

T.J. Warren, Phoenix Suns ($5,500 FD, $5,400 DK)

Gay is the tournament option -- almost always -- while Warren could/should be in all lineups. The price for Warren on FanDuel is especially attractive, as he has been on fire the past two games. The Clippers are a good defensive team, but Warren’s 35-plus minutes per game give him ample opportunity to pick up points and rebounds. Gay is off to a very solid start, posting nearly identical stat lines in his first three games, but that is not a career pattern, which is a fact that keeps his ownership low. Add the fact that Atlanta is still a good defensive team -- in fact, they are ranked No. 1 in defensive efficiency with just 80.8 points per 100 possessions thus far -- and Gay is a player who could dip in production tonight. At his price, it’s a risk I’m not taking in cash game lineups, but would consider in GPPs.

Power Forward

High-priced plays

Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers ($9,000 FD, $8,800 DK)

Griffin had a monster preseason followed by a hot opening performance before taking a dive against Utah. I’m crediting the Jazz for that dip in Griffin’s fantasy value and fully expect a strong bounce-back performance tonight against Phoenix. He’s still two-for-two in double-doubles, and I like his four steals. He’s worth the price tonight in all formats.

Solid value

Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks ($8,100 FD, $7,900 DK)

Taj Gibson, Chicago Bulls ($5,400 FD, $5,100 DK)

Trevor Booker, Brooklyn Nets ($5,300 FD, $4,700 DK)

There are numerous options for a second PF or F. I expect Gibson to be the highest owned, as his combination of price and matchup is a perfect storm. Brooklyn, albeit through less than a week of basketball, has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing power forwards. Millsap is arguably the safest player no one ever relies on in DFS. For me, he’s a guy I often look at and say “I’d rather pay up for Griffin or save with Gibson or Booker” or whoever the other options are. The stats are there, he’s just in a weird price range where I think I can find better value most times. Speaking of value, Booker has been terrific through three games, with double-doubles in his last two, including Indiana. You can build a nice, high-floor lineup with Booker and Gibson tonight, or differentiate with Millsap.

Cheap with upside

Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors ($3,700 FD, $3,300 DK)

If you want all the studs, perhaps consider Siakam at the PF position. I don’t know much about the rookie, but I do know that this position has been a thorn in Toronto’s side for some time. His minutes -- 15 and 22 in two games -- are somewhat of a concern, but the matchup with Denver is suppressing that concern. The Nuggets have been a top target for opposing bigs for a couple years now. Siakam looks decent to good in the limited time he’s seen, and my hope is that the Raptors continue to let him take on a bigger role as he gains more experience.

Center

High-priced plays

DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings ($9,900 FD, $10,800 DK)

A bargain like Siakam comes in quite handy if you want to pay up for someone like Cousins. While Atlanta is a great defensive-minded team, they have a new center in town who isn’t exactly a lock-down defender. Cousins should be good for around 50 fantasy points tonight, which may not be fantastic given his price, but they will be 50 fantasy points you don’t want to not have with only four games on the slate.

Solid value

Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors ($6,400 FD, $6,700 DK)

I’m not going to make the case for anyone except Valanciunas here, because most of the middle-range centers tonight have been more volatile than I’d like. On a short slate, I want the guaranteed points, and Valanciunas is playing his heart out right now with back-to-back double-doubles. If you’re saving here, but still want at least 30 fantasy points, JV is your man.

Cheap with upside

Justin Hamilton, Brooklyn Nets ($4,900 FD, $4,000 DK)

You might take a flier on Hamilton in a GPP lineup tonight. Though he’ll be back on the bench to start the game (most likely), he actually posted his best performance in that role. Thanks to the high total on this game, I like Hamilton more than I normally would, but I’m leaning more towards Cousins or Valanciunas in my lineups.