With a week before the Christmas Day showcase, the NBA isn’t messing around this Monday with an 11-game DFS slate. The Rockets and Wizards are the only two teams playing for the second night in a row, and only the Grizzlies are scheduled to play again on Tuesday. With so few back-to-backs, we should get relatively regular rotations for the most part.
There are always plenty of injuries to monitor at this point in the season, and on Monday, there are some big names that could radically impact the slate with their potential absences. Always be sure to refresh the NBA Models for the latest updates and keep an eye on the news hub.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
There are multiple star point guards in great spots who are strong options to build around on this mega slate. Trae Young stands out since he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel. He is priced just under the most expensive plays at the position and still brings an elite upside to his very favorable home matchup against the Pistons. Young’s Hawks have the second-highest implied team total on the slate, and the game has the second-highest over/under, according to our Vegas Dashboard.
Young got some extra work on Friday without Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle, questionable). Without Bogdanovic to back him up, Trae played 38 minutes in Cleveland and had a 33.5% usage rate. He has a 32.2% usage rate on the season and has produced 1.44 DraftKings points and 1.34 FanDuel points per minute.
Over his last eight games, Young has been especially dialed in. He has at least nine assists in each of those contests with six double-doubles and six 30-point games. He has exceeded salary-based expectations in six of those contests and has averaged 1.56 DraftKings points and 1.42 FanDuel points per minute. As long as the Pistons keep things competitive in Atlanta, Young should be set up for another monster stat line, especially if Bogdanovic misses another game.
Value
Nets PG Spencer Dinwiddie edges Young out for the top Projected Plus/Minus at point guard on FanDuel, where he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the entire slate. The veteran ranks second at point guard on DraftKings behind only Trae and has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard.
Dinwiddie had a season-high 14 assists to go with his 16 points on Saturday against Golden State. He significantly outperformed salary-based expectations and played just under 40 minutes in Brooklyn’s four-point loss. In his eight games since Cam Thomas returned to the rotation, Dinwiddie has still produced 1.07 DraftKings points and 1.05 FanDuel points per minute and played the second-most minutes on the team behind only Mikal Bridges.
On Monday, Dinwiddie gets a very favorable matchup as the Nets continue their road trip with a stop in Utah to face the injury-depleted Jazz. The Jazz will remain without Jordan Clarkson (hamstring) and Keyonte George (foot), leaving them very beatable by opposing point guards.
Fast Break
There are injury questions around a couple of the top point guards on the slate, with De’Aaron Fox (shoulder) and Tyrese Haliburton (knee) questionable. Both will be good plays if available in excellent matchups. If both are sidelined or too high-risk, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been locked in and fully healthy lately, averaging 1.54 DraftKings points and 1.61 FanDuel points per minute over his last 10 games while playing 36.2 minutes per contest. After a huge win over the Nuggets, SGA’s Thunder come home to play Memphis.
Tyus Jones has taken his game to another level in his two most recent games. He had a triple-double in Friday’s win against the Pacers and followed that up with 22 points and 11 assists in Sunday’s close loss to the Suns. The Kings-Wizards matchup has the highest over/under on the slate and should be a good game environment for him to stay hot as a good midrange option. Jones has the fourth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at point guard on FanDuel, where he has an 87% Bargain Rating.
If you’re looking to go ultra-cheap at point guard, Jacob Gilyard deserves a look. The Grizzlies will be without Ja Morant (suspension) for one more game, and both Marcus Smart (foot) and Derrick Rose (hamstring) are out as well. Gilyard has the highest Projected Plus/Minus of any point guard under $5,000 on FanDuel and $4,800 on DraftKings. The developmental point guard did start a few games in November with mixed results, but as a play under $4,000, he is a high-upside punt play at point guard.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Donovan Mitchell has the highest ceiling, median, and floor projection of all shooting guards on DraftKings and FanDuel, and he also has the fourth-highest Pts/Sal on both sites, showing he’s actually under-priced. He’ll have to carry more of the workload for the Cavs’ offense for the next several weeks without Evan Mobley (knee) and Darius Garland (jaw).
In his first game since Garland’s injury, Spida had a season-high 13 assists on Saturday and exceeded salary-based expectations even though he didn’t shoot the ball well. If he gets his shot going, he has an extremely high ceiling against the Rockets since he has a 33.1% usage rate in the five games he has played without Garland available and has averaged 52.5 DraftKings and 51.0 FanDuel points per game in those contests.
Mitchell has a good home matchup against the Rockets, who are on the second night of their back-to-back. He’ll be an elite play as long as he’s carrying the bulk of the workload in Cleveland.
Value
The Mavericks will continue to be without Kyrie Irving (heel) as they head to Denver and take on the Nuggets on Monday. One player helping to pick up the slack and step up alongside Luka Doncic in his absence has been Tim Hardaway Jr. Hardaway has exceeded salary-based expectations in four of his last five games and has scored 20+ points in three of his last four.
With Kyrie off the floor, Hardaway’s usage increases by 1.1 percentage points to 25.4%, which is the third-highest mark on the team in that scenario. He has averaged 0.92 DraftKings points and 0.86 FanDuel points per minute over his last five games and has made four or more three-pointers in four of those outings.
Since he brings such a high ceiling and will be needed if the Mavs hope to keep pace with the defending champs, Hardaway is in the top 10 in Projected Plus/Minus at shooting guard on DraftKings and the top 10 in Projected Plus/Minus at both shooting guard and small forward on FanDuel.
Fast Break
The Clippers have won seven straight games, and both James Harden and Paul George are strong plays at shooting guard on FanDuel in their cushy matchup against the up-tempo Pacers on Monday night. PG13 gets the added boost of the narrative that he’s back to where he started his NBA career, but Harden has been especially excellent lately, outperforming salary-based expectations in eight of his last nine games on FanDuel, where he is eligible at both shooting guard and point guard.
With Morant’s return looming Tuesday, Desmond Bane will have to carry the Grizzlies offense for one more game. So far this season, he has produced 1.24 DraftKings points and 1.19 FanDuel points per minute with a team-high 30.0% usage rate. Bane will likely have to play a little more point guard due to all the injuries at the position and brings a very high ceiling in this matchup against Oklahoma City.
After a brutal three-game shooting stretch, Kevin Huerter found his touch on Saturday against the Jazz. He had 11 points and five assists in 25 minutes while helping to cover for the absence of De’Aaron Fox. With Fox off the floor this season, Huerter has seen an increase of 2.5 percentage points to his usage and produced 0.99 DraftKings points and 0.95 FanDuel points per minute. Especially if Fox misses another game, Huerter is a great option to consider. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus of all players under $6,000 on FanDuel at both shooting guard and small forward and is in the top five in that bracket at shooting guard on DraftKings.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Lately, the Clippers have been carried by Kawhi Leonard, who hasn’t been sitting out any games and has been pouring in plenty of points. Kawhi has scored at least 27 points in five straight games and exceeded salary-based expectations in each of those games and eight of his last 10 on DraftKings. In those 10 games, he has an Average Plus/Minus of 7.2 DraftKings points and has averaged 1.32 DraftKings points and 1.31 FanDuel points per minute.
Leonard is an especially strong play on Monday on DraftKings, where he has the highest Projected Plus/Minus and Pts/Sal at both small forward and power forward. He has a 90% Bargain Rating on that site and the second-highest median and ceiling projection at goth forward spots, even though there are several options priced above his fairly affordable $8,600 salary.
Throughout his scoring binge, Kawhi has continued to produce good numbers in other categories as well. His multi-category potential raises both his ceiling and his floor in what is expected to be one of the best game environments on Monday’s schedule. The Clippers have the biggest pace differential on the slate as they visit Indiana since the Pacers play at the fastest pace in the NBA.
Value
Vince Williams Jr. has started the last two games for the Grizzlies and played at least 24 minutes in six of his last seven games. He was a second-round pick for Memphis in the 2022 NBA Draft out of VCU and is lined up for more playing time, at least until Ja returns.
On DraftKings, Williams has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward, while he’s only shooting guard eligible on FanDuel, where he brings the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at that position.
In his last seven games, Williams has averaged 0.86 DraftKings points and 0.83 FanDuel points per minute and played 25.9 minutes per contest. He has scored double-digit points in three straight and added 8.0 rebounds per game as well. From under $5,000, he’s a great value play Monday in OKC.
Fast Break
The Lakers are hanging their In-Season Tournament banner as they return home after a 1-2 trip through Texas. LeBron James has the highest median projection at small forward on both DraftKings and FanDuel. James missed one of the three games on the trip but played very well in the other two games. He and Anthony Davis are both questionable, and they need to settle into a sustainable regular-season workload.
On FanDuel, Deni Avdija has the highest Projected Plus/Minus since he has a 97% Bargain Rating with his $5,800 salary. Avdija has been quieter lately but still has averaged 0.97 DraftKings points and 0.96 FanDuel points per minute on the season. In the good game environment in Sacramento, Avdija could be positioned for a big bounce-back performance, especially if any of his fellow Wizards sit out on the second game of the back-to-back.
Isaac Okoro got the start on Friday for the Cavs in their new-look, injury-depleted lineup. Okoro stepped up and matched his season high with 18 points, adding three assists and three boards. Okoro has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward on FanDuel, where he has a 97% Bargain Rating. If you need a cheap small forward play on DraftKings, Isaiah Joe and Dalen Terry are punt plays worth a look if you can’t afford Williams (discussed above).
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
The Raptors have been frustratingly inconsistent, but they’re in a great matchup on Monday night at home against the struggling Hornets. Pascal Siakam is a strong play worth a look in the matchup at power forward. He has the fourth-highest median and ceiling projections at the position on DraftKings and the sixth-highest on FanDuel, but his salary is barely in the top 10 at the position on both sites. Spicy P has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the power forward on FanDuel and the sixth-highest on DraftKings.
Siakam and the Raptors took a bad loss last Friday to the Hawks. He managed just 15 points in that game after scoring 20+ points in six straight games. In those six games, he produced 1.18 DraftKings points and 1.16 FanDuel points per minute and averaged 25.2 points and 6.2 boards per game. In one of those six games, he faced the Hornets and had 25 points, five boards and four assists.
Value
The Mavericks have been giving more work to Derrick Jones Jr. over the last few weeks, and Airplane Mode has been regularly exceeding salary-based expectations. Jones has the fifth-highest Projected Plus/Minus at small forward on DraftKings and the fifth-highest on FanDuel, where he also brings power forward eligibility.
Jones has scored 12+ points and exceeded salary-based expectations in six of his last eight games. In one of those down games, he left early with a quad injury, and the other was in his first game back. He looked past the issue on Saturday, though, with 18 points and four assists against the Trail Blazers.
Over his last eight games, Jones has produced 0.88 DraftKings points and 0.90 FanDuel points per minute. He doesn’t typically need a lot of usage to put up good fantasy production, which makes him a solid fit next to Luka in Dallas.
Fast Break
The Knicks continue their West Coast trip with a stop in Los Angeles to face Julius Randle’s former team. Randle comes in on a nice roll, having 20 points or more in 10 straight games. He fell short of expectations on Saturday since he only got four rebounds, but he has averaged 8.8 rebounds over that 10-game span and will need to contribute more on the glass while Mitchell Robinson is out.
On the other side of the Dallas-Dever game, Aaron Gordon stands out as a strong midrange play with upside. He has exceeded salary-based expectations by at least 5.0 FanDuel points in three of his last four. He fell just a rebound short of a double-double on Saturday against OKC and had a big game with a double-double last Monday against Atlanta. He is just outside the top 10 in Projected Plus/Minus at power forward on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
While Avdija has the highest Projected Plus/Minus at power forward on FanDuel, Bojan Bogdanovic is worth noting on DraftKings, where he has the third-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position. Bogdanovic can be boom-or-bust playing for the Pistons. He gets plenty of opportunities when in the game but can play limited minutes if games get lopsided. If the Pistons keep Monday’s game close against Atlanta, he could end up as an elite value.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Once again, we get both Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid on the slate as elite stud center plays. Embiid is a little more expensive on FanDuel, and Jokic is a little more expensive on DraftKings. Jokic has the higher ceiling and median projections on Monday and also gets a much better matchup against Dallas than Embiid has against former Sixer Nikola Vucevic and the Bulls.
The Mavericks won’t have starting center Dereck Lively II (ankle) or Maxi Kleber (toe), and Richaun Holmes (illness) is questionable after missing two games with an illness. If Holmes can’t give it a go, the Mavs really have only Dwight Powell and Markieff Morris in the middle. Neither of them is likely to slow down the Joker, who should be in a smash spot.
Jokic has been amazingly good this season, producing 1.87 DraftKings points and 1.79 FanDuel points per minute. He had a 26-point triple-double last Thursday against Brooklyn. After losing to SGA’s Thunder on Saturday, the Nuggets will be out to make a statement and pour it on Dallas. I expect them to feed the Joker, leading to a monster game from the big man. Embiid is the only one who can come close to matching his numbers, and I love this matchup for Jokic, making him the better play on Monday.
Value
Nic Claxton has the highest Projected Plus/Minus on the slate on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel behind only his teammate Dinwiddie. Both players are projected to dominate in Utah, where the Jazz are still dealing with all sorts of injury issues.
Claxton had a great game in Golden State on Saturday, delivering 19 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks to blow away his salary-based expectations. His minutes and usage have fluctuated due to foul trouble, injuries, and the Nets trying to find the right rotation. When on the floor, he has produced a solid 1.16 DraftKings points and 1.21 FanDuel points per minute. He’s projected for 29.0 minutes on Monday, which should be enough to make him one of the best values on the board in this plus matchup.
Fast Break
On DraftKings, Joel Embiid has exceeded salary-based expectations in 10 straight games with an impressive Average Plus/Minus of +9.3 DraftKings points. During that span, he has averaged 2.06 DraftKings points and 2.02 FanDuel points per minute. It’s hard to go wrong with him putting up such great numbers nightly.
In his last three games, James Wiseman has been outstanding, averaging 15.7 points and 7.3 rebounds, but on FanDuel, he’s still just $4,100 with a 98% Bargain Rating. He has the second-highest Projected Plus/Minus at the position, behind only Claxton. You won’t find him so cheap on DraftKings, though, where Andre Drummond and DeAndre Jordan are the best ultra-cheap centers in our projections.
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