A Monday six-pack leads off the workweek in the NBA. Let’s load up and lock in on some top DFS plays and props to consider tonight!

Written By: Ryan Humphries on Twitter &  LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries

Straight Locks🔒 | NBA Props w/ Shannon & Tyler!

DFS Main Slate Rundown 📰

A not-too-hectic-but-still-bountiful six-game NBA slate leads us off this week! I’m not sure about you guys, but I’ll take a slate this size over a 10+ gamer or a <5 gamer any day of the week. Let’s dig our claws into this one and see if we can’t cash out some nice DFS/prop bet profits this evening!

Today’s Key Injuries:

Pelicans: Z. Williamson - OUT, B. Ingram - OUT, L. Nance Jr. - Probable

Wizards: B. Beal - OUT

Bulls: A. Caruso - Questionable, Jav. Green - Questionable

Celtics: M. Smart - OUT

Bucks: K. Middleton - OUT, S. Ibaka - OUT

Knicks: RJ Barrett - Doubtful

Spurs: K. Johnson - OUT, D. Vassell - OUT, J. Poeltl - Probable

Grizzlies: J. Morant - Questionable, S. Adams - Questionable, B. Clarke - OUT, J. LaRavia - Questionable

Lakers: L. James - OUT, A. Davis - OUT, R. Westbrook - Probable, L. Walker IV - OUT, A. Reaves - OUT, T. Brown Jr. - OUT

Nuggets: Jeff Green - OUT

Magic: B. Bol - OUT, C. Okeke - OUT

Main Slate Match-Ups w/ Game Totals & Point Spreads

Note: NBA position designations are never going to perfectly align between the major DFS sites. For the purposes of these newsletters, positional designations will default to DraftKings.

💫 = Favorite Play

Point Guards/Shooting Guards to Consider 🏀

PG Russell Westbrook, LAL | DK: $7.7k, FD: $8.5k | @ DEN | Cash & GPP

Aside from a game on January 2nd where he played just 11 minutes, Westbrook has been an excellent DFS asset as of late. He has put up at least 43.0 DKFP in his other four most recent games while averaging a stellar 1.46 FPPM over this five-game span. On top of Anthony Davis’ continued absence, the Lakers are dealing with multiple injuries to other secondary scorers, and now LeBron James was recently downgraded from “probable” to “questionable.” It’s also a great match-up on paper against a Nuggets team that ranks 25th in defensive efficiency. Westbrook dropped a 15-11-12 triple-double (53.25 DKFP) against Denver a few weeks ago and he may have to be a “do it all” guy again tonight.

Update: LeBron is out tonight.

PG/SG Malcolm Brogdon, BOS | DK: $5.3k, FD: $5.8k | vs. CHI | Cash & GPP

Marcus Smart (knee) has been ruled out so we’ll likely want to look at this Celtics backcourt when building our lineups tonight. The two obvious guys to target would be Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White. White will get the start and has a more secure minutes floor -- by all means, he’s a solid play on this slate. But if we’re gunning for upside, Brogdon would be the preferred target given his 1.10 FPPM average over the last 20 games, compared to 0.85 FPPM for White in that same span. Brogdon comes off of the bench so his minutes are less “projectable” but that also means that he won’t be sharing as much court time with one, or both, of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown -- two very high-usage players for the Celtics. When Marcus Smart last missed a game (Dec. 21st vs. IND), Brogdon ended up logging 30 minutes off the bench and came away with 37.5 DKFP compared to 26 minutes and 16.5 DKFP for Derrick White.

PG Tyus Jones, MEM | DK: $4.9k, FD: $5.2k | vs. SAS | Cash & GPP (If J. Morant is still out.)

The Grizzlies’ injury report will be a key one to monitor leading up to the 8:00 ET tip-off. Ja Morant, Steven Adams, and Brandon Clarke all sat out the first leg of the back-to-back last night -- Clarke has already been ruled out again tonight while Morant and Adams are listed as questionable. Desmond Bane doesn’t currently have an injury designation, but he has not played the second leg of Memphis’ last two B2Bs so he is also a candidate to sit tonight. If Morant is out once again, Tyus Jones would start in his place and become one of the most obvious plays on the slate. He has scored anywhere between 26.25 and 55.75 DKFP in all six of his previous starts this season. Were he to start tonight, he’ll face a Spurs team that ranks dead last in defensive efficiency.

Other Guards to Consider:

PG De’Aaron Fox, SAC | DK: $8.7k, FD: $8.9k | vs. ORL | Cash & GPP

PG Jalen Brunson, NYK | DK: $8.1k, FD: $8k | vs. MIL | GPP Preferred

SG Desmond Bane, MEM | DK: $6.6k, FD: $6.7k | vs. SAS | Cash & GPP (If J. Morant is still out. Bane may also sit on this second leg of a B2B)

PG Markelle Fultz, ORL | DK: $6.1k, FD: $7.5k | @ SAC | DK Preferred

PG Dennis Schroder, LAL | DK: $5.7k, FD: $5.8k | @ DEN | GPP Preferred

PG/SG Derrick White, BOS | DK: $5.1k, FD: $5.4k | vs. CHI | Cash & GPP

PG/SG Josh Richardson, SAS | DK: $4k, FD: $5.3k | @ MEM | DK Preferred

PG Delon Wright, WAS | DK: $3.3k, FD: $4.4k | vs. NOP | DK Preferred

Small Forwards/Power Forwards to Consider 🏀

PF/C Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL | DK: $12k, FD: $11.8k | @ NYK | GPP Preferred

Just a massive, massive flop for Giannis in his last game (9-4-0 stat line vs. CHA in 22 minutes) but the Greek Freak does not stay down for long. The Knicks do rank 1st against opposing power forwards but that has not stopped Giannis from scoring 66.0+ DKFP against them in two previous contests this season. If you count that 22-minute performance against Charlotte on Friday as nothing more than a strenuous shootaround session, Giannis essentially comes into this game on five days' rest. He has averaged +13% more FPPG when well-rested this season and you know Giannis will want to show out in Madison Square Garden tonight.

PF/C Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM | DK: $6.8k, FD: $7.6k | vs. SAS | Cash & GPP

JJJ is averaging an absurd 5.4 BLK+STL/Gm over his last five. For most players, that would be an unsustainable BLK+STL figure. However, Jackson’s prowess as an elite rim protector leads to those juicy peripheral stats being fairly sustainable. He’ll draw an excellent match-up against the Spurs’ porous defense and he may pick up some extra minutes/usage due to the Grizzlies’ dealing with multiple injuries to key players.

SF/PF Naji Marshall, NOP | DK: $5.5k, FD: $6k | @ WAS | Cash & GPP

The big minutes are secured for Marshall as the Pelicans continue to play without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. I have Marshall projected for 36 minutes in tonight’s game against the Wizards and, given his solid 0.90 FPPM average over his last five starts, those minutes should lead to Marshall being a strong and affordable floor play on this evening’s slate.

Other Forwards to Consider:

PF Julius Randle, NYK | DK: $10.4k, FD: $10.1k | vs. MIL | Cash & GPP

SF/PF Paolo Banchero, ORL | DK: $8.2k, FD: $7.9k | @ SAC | GPP Preferred

SF/SG Kevin Huerter, SAC | DK: $5.7k, FD: $6.1k | vs. ORL | GPP Preferred

PG Keegan Murray, SAC | DK: $4.3k, FD: $5k | vs. ORL | GPP Preferred

SF/SG Doug McDermott, SAS | DK: $3.2k, FD: $4.3k | @ MEM | DK/GPP Preferred

Centers to Consider 🏀

C Nikola Vucevic, CHI | DK: $8k, FD: $8.4k | @ BOS | Cash & GPP

Vuc is on a nice run at the moment and has posted at least 37.5 DKFP in seven consecutive games with a 65.5 DKFP ceiling in that time frame. He’s been sharp against the Celtics in three previous match-ups this season, averaging 47.3 FPPG. Vucevic has upped his production to 1.29 FPPM over his last five starts and he’s averaging nearly 37 minutes a night in that stretch. If you don’t want to spend up on the other Nikola tonight, Vuc makes for a very worthy target out of the $8k range.

C Robert Williams, BOS | DK: $4.4k, FD: $5.4k | vs. CHI | GPP Preferred

Maybe it won’t happen today, but the Celtics have to give the “Time Lord” more than 22 minutes at some point, right? Williams is coming off his best performance of the season from a fantasy perspective. In his paltry 22 minutes off of the bench on Saturday against the Spurs, Time Lord put up a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double which included four blocks, three assists, and two steals -- a stat line that netted him 41.75 DKFP. He’s an elite shot blocker and owns an excellent 21.% rebound rate. Whenever he begins to push closer to 25-28 minutes, he’s going to post some massive games. As it stands now, he can still provide massive value in his 20-22 minutes allotment, but he’s tough to trust as a cash play for the time being.

Other Centers to Consider:

C Nikola Jokic, DEN | DK: $11.7k, FD: $11.4k | vs. LAL | Cash & GPP

PF/C Bobby Portis, MIL | DK: $6.7k, FD: $6.6k | @ NYK | GPP Preferred

C Jonas Valanciunas, NOP | DK: $6.6k, FD: $6.9k | @ WAS | GPP Preferred

C Thomas Bryant, LAL | DK: $6.3k, FD: $6.8k | @ DEN | Cash & GPP

C Mitchell Robinson, NYK | DK: $5.2k, FD: $6.2k | GPP Preferred

C Daniel Gafford, WAS | DK: $4.7k, FD: $5.6k | vs. NOP | Cash & GPP

NBA Player Props 📊

Player Prop or Bet | Odds | Unit Bet Size

Nikola Vucevic OVER 27.5 Points + Rebounds | -105 (DraftKings) | 2.0 Units

Bobby Portis OVER 9.5 Rebounds + Assists | -130 (DraftKings) | 2.5 Units

Bonus Prop:

Markelle Fultz OVER 21.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists | -125 (DraftKings) | 2.0 Units

PrizePicks Power Play ⚡

Here is a two-pick “Power Play” I’m liking for today's NBA action over on PrizePicks! Nothing is ever a guarantee to hit but I put my own money on these bets so I don't just lightly throw these out there without believing they'll cash! If it hits, it will return 3x the wager.

Nikola Vucevic MORE than 26.5 PTS+REBS

Bobby Portis MORE than 9.5 REBS + ASTS

🆕 Props Edge+ 🆕

In LineStar’s ongoing mission to improve, innovate, and help you reel in some cash, we are introducing Props Edge+ for NBA – available for LineStar Premium users! This tool can help you find value and mispriced odds on player props from sportsbooks and, more specifically, for PrizePicks and UnderDog Fantasy!

Speaking of props, put the Props Edge+ tool to use by signing up for PrizePicks (Promo code: BETFULLY) or Underdog (Promo code: LINESTAR). You'll receive a 100% match on first deposits up to $100 PLUS a free two-month subscription to LineStar Premium. Many people may not realize that you can legally place prop bets in most states using UnderDog (or PrizePicks) – it’s called Pick'Em, and it’s incredibly easy.

That will wrap us up with today’s “Daily Dribble” edition! Once again, you can find me on Twitter or in LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries. Good luck everyone!