Although Monday's holiday features nine games, FanDuel's main slate focuses on only four contests and excludes all games before 7:00 p.m. ET. Using RotoWire's trusted NBA projections, I'll dig deep to find our best elite, chalk and value plays in the shallow player pool. The injury situations for tonight are fairly cut and dry, so you should be able to confidently make an early build without much to worry about. On small slates, I tend to use a cash game approach, as tournaments are harder to hit with fewer unique profit avenues. I recommend mixing some head-to-heads with 50/50s, with perhaps some 3-player contests sprinkled in.
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NBA Games Today
You have to use every game with shallow slates like this, but we paid the most attention to the MIA/GSW contest and its high projected total. The only team we faded completely was Brooklyn, so that's a roster you can explore for contrarian value.
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NBA Injuries Today
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report. Below are some of the most recent and relevant injuries for Monday. Keep in mind that this is not a complete list. Use your best judgment when evaluating ongoing injury scenarios elsewhere on the slate.
PHI Paul George (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
PHI Joel Embiid ( knee) - QUESTIONABLE
Both players have a shot at returning, so it's a bit too early to assign suitable pivots in this spot. Kelly Oubre ($4,300) and Quentin Grimes ($4,700) will log more time if George is out. I'll refrain from naming Adem Bona or Andre Drummond, as they are currently canceling each other out when they platoon in this spot.
PHX Devin Booker (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Booker appeared to be a step slower after making a return Saturday, so his status is up in the air leading into Monday's contest. Collin Gillespie ($6,100) would take on a more significant role if he is sidelined.
BKN Michael Porter (rest) - PROBABLE
BKN Drake Powell (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
BKN Ziaire Williams (illness) - QUESTIONABLE
Powell should be back after a day off, but Powell and Williams are less likely to return. Cam Thomas ($5,100) will take on a larger role if Powell and/or Williams are absent.
BOS Payton Pritchard (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Anfernee Simons ($5,100) will be in line for more playing time if Pritchard's tag holds.
Elite Players
We have two elite guards atop the player pool with $10k-plus salaries, and it's pretty clear that Tyrese Maxey ($10,100) has the better matchup against the Pacers. There's undoubtedly some blowout risk, and Cade Cunningham ($10,600) is almost certain to play a full minute total. Both guards are playable due to the shallow pool, but I don't view them as must-starts.
There are only three players available in the $9k range, and we have a similar problem with Joel Embiid ($9,000), who may not even suit up and would likely hit the bench if the game gets out of hand. Stephen Curry ($9,100) likes to ball out in prime-time holiday games, so I'd rather go with him in this range.
We also have just three players in the $8k range. We can give Derrick White ($8,400) a bit more usage if Pritchard is out. Jimmy Butler ($8,300) represents one of two revenge scenarios in this game tonight, so I wouldn't rule him out against the Heat.
Also consider: Pascal Siakam, IND ($8,900) @ PHI
Expected Chalk and Value Plays
Bam Adebayo, MIA ($7,500) @ GSW
I'm not a fan of the cross-country trip, but Adebayo's shot is dialed in currently. He also posted 40.9 FDFPs against the Warriors back in November, so both data points compel me to take advantage of his dual eligibility tonight.
VJ Edgecombe, PHI ($6,700) vs. IND
Edgecombe has fallen off a bit over the past two games, but he had a good total when he last played the Pacers, and he could get a bump if the Sixers build a big lead and elect to limit Paul George.
Andrew Wiggins, MIA ($6,000) @ GSW
I'm not opposed to an Adebayo/Wiggins stack, although it's a little unorthodox. Wiggins made the list because his floor registers right at 5x value at this salary, and Wiggins might want to ball out in front of his old home crowd in this one. I'm usually a fan of the revenge intangible, and his 33.7 FDFPs in his last tangle with the Warriors is a good sign.
Mark Williams, PHX ($5,900) @ BKN
There's no travel involved in this road game, as it's just a simple trot over the Brooklyn Bridge to the Barclays Center against the Nets. Nic Claxton has played reasonably well recently, but I think Williams could have the slight edge over him in this contest. Williams has the slight height advantage and has better assist facilitators at his disposal.
Brandin Podziemski, GSW ($5,300) vs. MIA
Although I am sold on max minutes for Curry and Butler in this game, I think Steve Kerr will opt to give Podziemski another go after an impressive run of accurate shooting over the past couple of games. He needs at least 25 minutes to be effective, and we need to hope the game flows in his direction once he joins with the second unit.
Tobias Harris, DET ($5,200) @ BOS
Harris could be overlooked after his early exit on Saturday. He's not on the injury report, and he's in a pretty good spot for this cost against the Celtics. He's a value option who will populate most of my builds.
