NBA DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups, Injuries & More Today: Monday Playbook

It's Monday, December 22nd, and we have a seven-game NBA DFS main slate on DraftKings and five games over on FanDuel.

We have some serious star power on this slate, with all of Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cade Cunningham, and Anthony Davis in play. The injury report will play a role in decision-making, with Chet Holmgren out and Jalen Suggs doubtful. Some of the most impactful questionable tags include Cooper Flagg, Lauri Markkanen, and Jerami Grant. Let's break it all down! 

Before actually diving into the meat and potatoes, welcome to the NBA DFS season. If this is your first time reading our column on NBA DFS picks, I just want to welcome you and give you a few tips and tricks on what you should be looking for each night.

• News outlets: reliable sources that give us injury news & starting lineups
• Pace of play: who's playing fast vs. who's playing slow. Which teams get a pace-up spot (more possessions) vs. pace-down (fewer possessions)
• Usage rates: is a percentage of how many plays that player is being used in
• NBA DFS Projections
• Lineup Generator
• NBA Ownership

NBA DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, December 22nd

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Pre/Post-Lock Update Section

This section will be used for anything that changes from the morning until right up to roster lock. 

Injury updates, players we’re higher on than we were in the morning and so much more.

All status updates after contest roster lock will be made in the Fantasy Alarm Discord: https://discord.gg/2yATJxXe8G

4:30 PM ET UPDATE

• Jerami Grant - Doubtful (downgrade) 

4:00 PM ET UPDATE

• Jonas Valanciunas - Probable (downgrade) 
• Alex Caruso - OUT
  • OKC is already down 3 centers, and Caruso not being available might lessen their willingness to run Williams at center. Adding Kenrich Williams and Branden Carlsen to the pool, but both are still very risky. Isaiah Joe is an intriguing pivot if looking at Thunder value pieces. 
• Lauri Markkanen - AVAILABLE
• Ron Holland - Doubtful (downgrade) 
• Jordan Walsh - OUT 
  • Hugo Gonzalez is a core value play if he starts. Still interested in Gonzalez even if Josh Minott or Sam Hauser starts. 

1:00 PM ET UPDATE

• Jaylen Brown - AVAILABLE
• Herbert Jones - AVAILABLE
• Johnny Furphy - AVAILABLE
• T.J. McConnell - OUT
• Klay Thompson - Probable (present at shootaround)
• Max Christie not present at shootaround
• Chet Holmgren - OUT
• LaMelo Ball - AVAILABLE
• Collin Sexton - OUT
• Ryan Kalkbrenner - OUT 

NBA Injuries, News & Updates Today, 12/22

• CHA:
  LaMelo Ball - Probable
  Ryan Kalkbrenner - Questionable
  Collin Sexton - Doubtful
  Grant Williams - Out
• CLE:
  Donovan Mitchell - Probable
  Sam Merrill - Probable
  Craig Porter - Probable
  Evan Mobley - Out
  Larry Nance - Out
  Max Strus - Out
• IND:
  TJ McConnell - Questionable
  Johnny Furphy - Questionable
  Ben Sheppard - Out
  Aaron Nesmith - Out
  Obi Toppin - Out
  Tyrese Haliburton - Out
• BOS:
  Jaylen Brown - Questionable
  Jordan Walsh - Questionable
  Jayson Tatum - Out
• DAL:
  Cooper Flagg - Questionable
  Klay Thompson - Questionable
  Max Christie - Questionable
  Dereck Lively - Out
  Kyrie Irving - Out
  Dante Exum - Out
• NOP:
  Herbert Jones - Questionable
  Dejounte Murray - Out
• UTA:
  Lauri Markkanen - Questionable
  Kevin Love - Out
  Georges Niang - Out
  Walker Kessler - Out
• DEN:
  Peyton Watson - Questionable
  Aaron Gordon - Out
  Christian Braun - Out
• MEM:
  Ja Morant - Out
  Vince Williams - Out
  Brandon Clarke - Out
  Zach Edey - Out
  John Konchar - Out
  Javon Small - Out
  Ty Jerome - Out
  Scotty Pippen Jr. - Out
• OKC:
  Chet Holmgren - Questionable
  Alex Caruso - Questionable
  Aaron Wiggins - Questionable
  Isaiah Hartenstein - Out
  Jaylin Williams - Out
  Ousmane Dieng - Out
  Nikola Topic - Out
  Thomas Sorber - Out
• DET:
  Jalen Duren - Probable
  Ron Holland - Questionable
• POR:
  Jerami Grant - Questionable
  Scoot Henderson - Out
  Matisse Thybulle - Out
  Blake Wesley - Out
  Jrue Holiday - Out
  Damian Lillard - Out
• ORL:
  Tristan da Silva - Questionable
  Jalen Suggs - Doubtful
  Franz Wagner - Out
  Moe Wagner - Out
• GSW:
  Al Horford - Out
  Seth Curry - Out

h/t @UnderdogNBA

NBA DFS Slate & Game Overviews

In the section below, I’m listing the most notable things we need to look at in Las Vegas, including notable O/U and spreads. Not every game is listed, but every game listed has the pace and defensive numbers listed.

NBA DFS Core Player Pool & Lineup Picks

Here are the core players I’m looking at for my NBA DFS picks tonight. You can see the full analysis of tonight’s NBA DFS projections and player pool below or skip ahead to building the best lineups possible by locking these into the aforementioned lineup generator now.

High

•  Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cade Cunningham, Deni Avdija, Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry 

Mid

• Paolo Banchero, Jamal Murray, Keyonte George, Desmond Bane, Cam Spencer, Wendell Carter, Naji Marshall, Ausar Thompson 

Value

• Cameron Johnson, Ajay Mitchell, Tobias Harris, Bruce Brown, Isaiah Collier (DK), Brandon Williams, Moussa Diabate, Hugo Gonzalez, Isaiah Joe, Kenrich Williams, Branden Carlson

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