Monday's NBA slate offers plenty of opportunity for fantasy managers and DFS players willing to navigate shifting NBA lineups and a lengthy injury report. With multiple teams shorthanded and several star players listed as questionable, staying on top of the latest NBA news and player injuries is critical when building lineups. This breakdown covers NBA games today, highlights elite and value DFS options, and factors in recent NBA stats, player roles and matchup context. Whether you're using projections, monitoring starting lineups or adjusting builds based on late injury news, this guide is designed to help optimize decisions across season-long fantasy basketball and NBA DFS formats.
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Slate Overview
UTA at CLE: Jazz 4-13 on road; Cavaliers 14-9 at home
BOS at IND: Celtics 12-7 on road; Pacers 6-15 at home
PHI at TOR: 76ers 11-7 on road; Raptors 13-8 at home
BRO at DAL: Nets on three-game slide, 6-10 on road; Mavericks 10-10 at home
LAL at SAC: Lakers 13-6 on road; Kings 6-13 at home
CHR at LAC: Hornets 7-13 on road; Clippers 9-9 at home
For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Injuries to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
UTA - Georges Niang (foot): OUT
CLE - Dean Wade (knee): OUT
BOS - Sam Hauser (hamstring): Questionable; Jaylen Brown (back): Doubtful; Josh Minott (ankle): OUT
IND - Andrew Nembhard (back): Questionable; Bennedict Mathurin (thumb), Isaiah Jackson (rest): OUT
PHI - Joel Embiid (knee), Paul George (knee): Questionable
TOR - Brandon Ingram (thumb): Questionable; RJ Barrett (ankle), Jakob Poeltl (back), Ja'Kobe Walter (hip): OUT
BRO - Egor Demin (foot), Cam Thomas (hamstring), Ziaire Williams (illness): OUT
DAL - Daniel Gafford (ankle), Moussa Cisse (shoulder): Questionable; P.J. Washington (ankle), Brandon Williams (illness): Doubtful
LAL - Austin Reaves (calf): OUT
SAC - Domantas Sabonis (knee), Keegan Murray (ankle): OUT
CHR - Miles Bridges (knee): Probable; Collin Sexton (hamstring), Pat Connaughton (illness): Questionable
LAC - Kawhi Leonard (ankle): Questionable; Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring): OUT
Elite Players
Guards
Tyrese Maxey, 76ers 
($10,000) at Raptors
Maxey finished with an impressive line in Sunday's overtime loss to the Raptors, recording 57.3 DK points. The star point guard has been dominant against Toronto this season, averaging 31.0 points, 7.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks per game across three outings. Even with the Sixers on the second leg of a back-to-back set, Maxey has been exceptional in six games this season with zero days of rest, during which he has averaged 33.8 points, 7.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 41.0 minutes per contest.
Derrick White, Celtics 
($8,400) at Pacers
With Jaylen Brown (back) unlikely to suit up Monday, the Celtics will need White to step up. Even if Brown manages to shed his doubtful tag, White will still have a strong chance to stuff the stat sheet. He has posted at least 32.0 DK points in 10 straight games, including two outings against the Pacers. During that stretch, the veteran guard has averaged 19.8 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.5 steals in 36.4 minutes per tilt.
Forwards/Centers
Joel Embiid, 76ers ($9,000) at Raptors
Embiid is listed as questionable for the second leg of this back-to-back set against Toronto after sitting out Sunday's overtime loss due to left knee injury management and left groin soreness. While his status will be worth monitoring ahead of tipoff, he'll be a strong option if he's cleared to play. The star big man has logged 39.3-plus DK points in nine of his last 10 appearances, averaging 28.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game during that span.
Michael Porter, Nets 
($8,700) at Mavericks
Porter got the night off during Brooklyn's loss to Memphis on Sunday and should remain the focal point of the offense while potentially seeing an increased workload against Dallas with Cam Thomas (hamstring) and Egor Demin (foot) unavailable for the second leg of this back-to-back set. Porter has recorded 38.5 or more DK points in eight consecutive contests, averaging 26.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.1 three-pointers, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 39.3 percent from downtown during that span.
Lauri Markkanen, Jazz 
($8,500) at Cavaliers
Markkanen sat out Saturday's loss to Charlotte and should be well rested when he goes up against one of his former teams. The star forward has posted at least 35.1 DK points in 12 of his 13 appearances dating back to Dec. 1, averaging 27.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game over that stretch.
Expected Chalk
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers 
($9,400) vs. Jazz
Mitchell has registered at least 45.6 DK points in five straight appearances, averaging 31.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.6 steals in 33.2 minutes per game during that span. He'll have a prime opportunity to extend that streak against his former team, which ranks last in the league in defensive rating (122.0) and has allowed at least 123 points in four of its six games to open the month.
Mid-Range Money
Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers ($6,300) vs. Jazz
With only six games Monday, the options at center are relatively limited. However, Allen is a strong, cost-effective play, as he has notched 30.5-plus DK points in each of his last six appearances. The big man has totaled five double-doubles over that stretch, during which he has averaged 16.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals in 29.5 minutes per contest.
Naji Marshall, Mavericks 
($6,100) vs. Nets
Marshall has started three straight games, racking up 24.4 or more DK points in all of them. He should continue to see an increased workload with Anthony Davis (finger) on the shelf. In 16 starts so far this season, Marshall has averaged 16.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.8 minutes per tilt.
Value Picks
Noah Clowney, Nets ($5,200) at Mavericks
While efficiency continues to be an issue for Clowney, he has still tallied 22.7-plus DK points in 12 of his 17 appearances dating back to Dec. 1. Additionally, the 21-year-old forward has finished with 31.6 or more in three of his last four outings. Although the Nets are on the second leg of a back-to-back set, Clowney has been solid on zero days of rest this season, averaging 15.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 three-pointers, 1.7 assists and 1.3 combined steals-plus-blocks across 28.3 minutes per game in those six outings.
Collin Murray-Boyles, Raptors 
($5,100) vs. 76ers
The rookie first-rounder has started five consecutive contests with Jakob Poeltl (back) sidelined, and the former is coming off a season-high 55.5 DK points in Sunday's win over the 76ers. Murray-Boyles has finished with 19.9 or more DK points in four straight games, including two outings with at least 50.9. During that four-game span, he has averaged 11.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks in 31.5 minutes per tilt.
Luka Garza, Celtics ($4,700) at Pacers
Garza continues to string together impactful performances off Boston's bench, generating at least 17.0 DK points in seven consecutive contests. During that stretch, he has averaged 10.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 combined steals-plus-blocks while shooting 69.0 percent from the field in 21.7 minutes per contest. The big man has suited up in each of Boston's wins over Indiana this season, posting 24.3 and 22.8 DK points.
The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.
