Monday blesses us with a 10-game featured NBA slate, with the action kicking off at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Let’s go through every matchup and highlight a few stats and players that you should be aware of before building your lineups.
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Lakers at Hornets
On the Lakers side, Rui Hachimura ($4,600; calf) is questionable for tonight’s game, which could mean the forward ends up inactive for his second straight contest. Dorian Finney-Smith ($3,500) started in place of his teammate on Saturday against Golden State, but did not exactly inspire a lot of confidence as a fantasy asset. Finney-Smith logged just 25.9 minutes, finishing with 12.75 FPTS and a microscopic 7.0% usage rate. For Charlotte, Mark Williams ($8,200) has been a DFS monster in recent weeks, averaging 23.3 points, 13.2 rebounds and 50.2 FPTS in his last six games.
Pistons at Cavaliers
Keep an eye on the status of Tobias Harris ($5,800; head), who left the Pistons’ last game and did not return. Malik Beasley ($5,000) would likely join the team’s starting five if Harris is eventually ruled out and he should be on your DFS radar. In Beasley’s 11 starts in 2025-24, he’s averaging 19.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers continue to play without Dean Wade (knee), Caris LeVert (wrist) and Isaac Okoro (shoulder). That’ll open up minutes and shots for Max Strus ($4,400) and Ty Jerome ($4,200).
Rockets at Celtics
This is a matchup between two of the five best teams in the league by defensive rating, so the implied total is justifiably one of the smallest on the slate. Still, it’s worth monitoring Derrick White ($6,700; shin), who is listed as questionable for this contest. If White is unable to go, Payton Pritchard ($4,800) instantly becomes an intriguing value option. When these squads met earlier in the month, Pritchard registered 20 points and 32.0 FPTS.
Kings at Nets
The Kings come into this matchup at full strength and with Domantas Sabonis ($10,000) on quite the heater. In his last nine starts, Sabonis is averaging 57.8 FPTS and an astonishing 1.45 FPTS per minute. Brooklyn is 2-12 in January and owns the league’s fifth-worst defensive rating in that span (117.3). For the season as a whole, the Nets are allowing the eighth-most FPTS per game to opposing centers. Sabonis could very likely dominate this matchup and he could be a very nice pivot off Nikola Jokic ($12,000), who is sure to be popular this evening — more on that below.
Pelicans at Raptors
Let’s get ready for this matchup between [checks notes] …two of the hottest teams in the league? When did that happen? New Orleans comes into Monday having won four of its last six games. Not to be outdone, Toronto has a victory in four of its last five. The main DFS storyline to watch here is the status of Jakob Poeltl ($6,500; back). Both Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk ($3,600; calf) are questionable, with the latter having missed Saturday’s win over the Hawks. If both sit, suddenly Orlando Robinson ($3,200) is the last big man standing on the Raptors roster — a man currently playing on a 10-day contract. Robinson would essentially be a free space if this scenario plays out.
Magic at Heat
Treat this game like the Grinch: Don’t touch it with a 39.5-foot pole. Not only does this tilt sport the night’s lowest implied total by a considerable margin, but both these rosters could be at full strength, making it difficult to find any value. Jalen Suggs ($7,700; back) returned to action this past weekend, while Jimmy Butler ($7,200) has seen his two-game suspension end. He’s not listed on the Heat’s injury report. Even Kel’el Ware ($5,900) disappointed his last time out, scoring only seven points versus the Nets on Saturday.
Grizzlies at Knicks
This contest has a massive total, yet it might be hard to trust Ja Morant ($9,100) in your lineups. The former All-Star returned from a one-game absence on Saturday against the Jazz, but didn’t look like he was operating at full speed, finishing with just 11 points and a modest 22.4% usage rate in 25.7 minutes. Maybe the bright lights of Madison Square Garden will get Morant a little more engaged than the Utah Jazz, but it’s a big bet at a salary over $9K. For the Knicks, Josh Hart ($7,800; knee) is questionable after a massive triple-double performance his last time out. It seems like he’s going to play, though.
Nuggets at Bulls
Get your stacks ready. The Bulls are a perfect DFS opponent, playing at the league’s third-fastest pace (103.8) and also owning the league’s seventh-worst defensive rating (115.3). It’s why this game has this slate’s highest implied total and, honestly, one of the highest totals I can remember seeing in some time. Jokic averages 1.81 FPTS per minute overall. He should absolutely shred this underwhelming Chicago team, though he’ll be doing it with a price tag $1,500 more than any other asset on tonight’s slate. On a positive note for the Bulls, Zach LaVine ($8,100) has come alive in January, averaging 28.5 points on 53.5% shooting in the month.
Hawks at Timberwolves
The biggest injury news of the slate so far is in the Hawks’ rotation. Trae Young (hamstring) and Jalen Johnson (shoulder) have already been ruled out, while De’Andre Hunter ($6,000; illness), Zaccharie Risacher ($4,100; adductor) and Larry Nance Jr. ($3,500; hand) are questionable. Keaton Wallace ($3,800) has been recalled from Atlanta’s G League team with the Young ailment. Wallace has appeared in just one game this month for the Hawks, starting and notching 53.0 FPTS on January 15 — the last time Young missed a contest. Vit Krejci ($5,000) is another name to watch here.
Wizards at Mavericks
No need to get too complex with this one, right? The Wizards sport the league’s worst defensive rating, surrendering 118.3 opponent points per 100 possessions. The team is also allowing the most FPTS per game to opposing point guards and the second-most FPTS per game to opposing centers. Kyrie Irving ($8,900) and Daniel Gafford ($6,700) need to be part of your player pool this evening. Gafford’s eclipsed 40 FPTS in three of his last four starts.
