A daily fantasy sports OG, Notorious has been roaming the DFS streets ever since they were invented. He has racked up multiple live final seats and several six-figure tournament wins in his DFS career, and Noto will mix it up in all different types of contests. So, who better to walk you through the madness of an NBA DFS slate? Core Plays LIVE will zoom out on the slate as a whole, zoom in on the best NBA DFS picks, and constantly update as news breaks. Whether you are diving into the slate 5 hours before it starts or 5 minutes before it starts, you’ve come to the right place.

Happy Monday!

The NFL regular season is officially over, which means more eyes will be on the NBA for the rest of the season. My Jaguars fumbled their chance at winning the division and now have to watch the playoffs from home. My brother-in-law was kind enough to send me a link to an article about the Jaguars when they were 8-3 on the season. They had a 99% chance of making the playoffs at that point. The good news is that while I still root for my teams, I don’t have nearly the same passion for them as I did before I found DFS.

We kick off the NBA week with 6 games on the schedule. I thought this would be a good day for the sites to leave the final game off of the main slates, as it starts a full two-and-a-half hours later than the rest. However, all six games are included on the main slate for both FanDuel and DraftKings. The Suns and Clippers are the two teams playing in the second half of a back-to-back, and we don’t have any teams that are playing in the front end of a back-to-back.

NBA DFS Top Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Monday, January 8th

Slate Overview

• 6-game slate
  • 7:00 PM ET – Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets
  • 7:00 PM ET – Boston Celtics at Indiana Pacers
  • 7:00 PM ET – Oklahoma City Thunder at Washington Wizards
  • 7:30 PM ET – Houston Rockets at Miami Heat
  • 8:00 PM ET – Utah Jazz at Milwaukee Bucks
  • 10:30 PM ET – Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Clippers
• Teams on the front end of a back-to-back: None
• Teams on the back end of a back-to-back: Suns, Clippers
• NBA DFS Injury Report: The Situation Room
• Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays

News Updates

5:30 PM ET – is officially out. is expected to play.

5:25 PM ET – has been ruled out, so the Hornets are without another part of their usual rotation. For the Pacers, Andrew Nembhard, , and are all expected to play.

5:10 PM ET – and are expected to play tonight. has been ruled out.

4:05 PM ET – is not listed on the injury report and is expected to play.

12:30 PM ET – We have some injury updates early today.

and have been ruled out, while has been taken off the injury report. Here’s the CourtIQ with Tatum off the floor this season:

This is obviously a boost for the entire Celtics team.

is now questionable for the Hornets. is now questionable for the Bulls.

Team Previews

Chicago Bulls (at CHA): The Bulls have all of their key players back from injury and have won 6 of their last 10 games. They continue to inch closer to the top 10 spots in the Eastern Conference standings. Tonight, they travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets, who are 25th or worse in rebounding rate, defensive rating, and points allowed per game. The Bulls have a team total that is 2.4 points above their season average. On the injury front, and are both listed as questionable.

While I like the spot for Chicago as a whole, they aren’t my favorite team to target for DFS. will likely still be on a minute restriction (played 25 minutes off the bench in his first game back), is unlikely to play his usual allotment of minutes, and has seen a dip in form over the last couple of weeks. is my favorite option here and is the only player on the team with a positive RGValue in the projections.

Charlotte Hornets (vs. CHI): The Hornets have lost 9 of their last 10 games and are only 8-25 on the season. Tonight, they host the Bulls, who are the slowest-paced team in the NBA. Despite playing at home, their team total is lower than their season average. There are plenty of injuries to talk about, as , , , and have all been ruled out.

There are a lot of paths you can take when it comes to the Hornets, but is the most obvious play. He has topped 50 fantasy points in 3 of his last 6 games and should dominate the usage on offense. and Brandon Miller should both play big minutes, has a path to 30+ minutes, and will continue to benefit from starting with Williams out. My favorite play outside of Rozier is probably Martin, who is coming off his best game of the season.

Boston Celtics (at IND): The Celtics not only have the best record in the NBA, they are 3 games clear of the next closest team. Tonight, they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers, who are 1st in pace and 26th in defensive rating. The Celtics don’t need a good matchup to be productive, but they get one tonight. Their team total is the 3rd highest on the slate and 2.8 points higher than their season average.

We do have some injuries to monitor here, as , , and are all listed as questionable. Let’s take a wait-and-see approach for now, as the absence of Porzingis and/or Tatum could change how we approach this slate.

Indiana Pacers (vs. BOS): The Pacers have won 7 of their last 10 games and are now 5 games above .500 on the season. They have a tough draw this evening, as they host the best team in basketball. The Celtics are ranked 20th in pace and 2nd in defensive rating, so this is far from an ideal matchup. The Pacers come into the game with a team total that is 6.6 points below their season average. , , and Andrew Nembhard are all listed as questionable.

I won’t be forcing anyone from the Pacers into my lineups tonight, but has averaged 55 fantasy points over his last 4 games and is a good bet to finish with a double-double. If Brown and/or Nembhard end up being out, I suppose there could be a lot of minutes open on the wing. And if Jackson is out, perhaps we see more minutes for and .

Oklahoma City Thunder (at WAS): The Thunder are 23-11 on the season and have the best point differential in the Western Conference. They have the dream matchup tonight against the Wizards, who are 2nd in pace and dead last in defensive rating. The Thunder’s team total is 7.5 points above their season average, which is the best mark on the slate. They currently don’t have anyone listed on the injury report, so they should be at full strength for this one.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander projects as one of the top plays on the slate. His floor over the last few weeks has been around 50 fantasy points, even in difficult matchups. He should benefit from the pace of this game and from how bad Washington is defensively. is a strong option in all formats as well, while I don’t mind looking to , , and in tournaments. There will be at least a few players from the Thunder who exceed salary-based expectations tonight.

Washington Wizards (vs. OKC): The Wizards have lost 4 games in a row and are only 6-29 on the season. Tonight, they host the Thunder, who have been one of the best defensive teams in the league this season. The only positive is that both teams are in the top 6 in pace. Surprisingly, the Wizards have a team total that is slightly higher than their season average. They should have all of their key players available for this game.

Even with a fairly high team total, the projections are not a big fan of the Wizards. To be fair, neither am I. They are not only inconsistent as a team but extremely volatile on an individual level as well. I wouldn’t only look to Washington in tournaments or for value plays to round out your lineups.

Houston Rockets (at MIA): The Rockets are 18-16 on the season and would make the play-in tournament if the regular season ended today. Tonight, they travel to Miami to take on the Heat, who are 27th in pace and 13th in defensive rating. This is not the best game environment on the slate, and that’s evident in the team totals. Houston’s total is 5.7 points below their season average. and have both been ruled out.

Despite the tough matchup and low team total, and both have positive RGValues in the projections. VanVleet could end up leading the league in minutes by the end of the season, while Sengun is having a career season. Both deserve consideration in tournaments. There are minutes available on the wing due to injury, but I don’t love the spot for , , or Jae’Sean Tate.

Miami Heat (vs. HOU): The Heat have struggled to stay healthy this season, yet they are still 5 games above .500 in the standings. Tonight, they host the Rockets, who have been one of the worst matchups for fantasy production. On the season, Houston is 26th in pace and 4th in defensive rating. The Heat have a team total that is 1.3 points below their season average. As far as injuries go, is still out, while is listed as doubtful.

Here’s the CourtIQ query with Butler and Martin off the floor this season:

and should dominate the usage for Miami in this one. The matchup isn’t great, but both players have the potential to put up slate-breaking performances. Adebayo feels like the safer of the two, while Herro is more of a tournament play in my eyes.

Utah Jazz (at MIL): The Jazz picked up a nice win against the Sixers the other night but are still only 6-15 on the road this season. They now travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks, who are 4th in pace and 19th in defensive rating. This is certainly a positive matchup on paper, and the Jazz come into the game with a team total that is 3.2 points above their season average. The Jazz are one of the only teams in the league without a single player on their injury report at the moment.

The problem with the Jazz is that they regularly play 10 players for 15+ minutes. It’s hard for players to be consistent when the team has such a deep rotation. On top of that, this has been one of the worst road teams in the NBA. I’m worried about a blowout in this one (and that’s coming from a Jazz fan). With that said, I do think , , , and make solid tournament targets.

Milwaukee Bucks (vs. UTA): The Bucks are 25-11 on the season and currently sit in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference standings. Tonight, they host the Jazz, who have been one of the best matchups for fantasy production all season. The Bucks have a team total that is the 2nd highest on the slate and 3.5 points above their season average. and have both been ruled out of this game, which really opens up some options for Milwaukee.

Here’s the CourtIQ query with Lillard off the floor this season:

As you can see from the table above, has been the biggest beneficiary with Lillard off the floor, and he’s finally playing 30+ minutes regularly. He’s an easy Core Play tag for tonight’s slate. is viable in all formats, is affordable, Andre Jackson could be one of the top punts on DraftKings ($3,100), and there should be plenty of minutes to go around for , , and . The Bucks are easily the top team to target tonight.

Phoenix Suns (at LAC): The Suns are only 19-17 on the season with a point differential of +1.6 per game. Tonight, they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers, who are 23rd in pace and 11th in defensive rating. Both of these teams are playing in the second half of a back-to-back, so there’s no edge on the rest front. When it comes to injuries, the Suns are expected to be without , , and .

You can always make a case for or , but the back-to-back isn’t great and the matchup is far from ideal. I suppose there’s a chance we see the Suns rest a player or two here. If not, I’m more than willing to fade the Suns in both cash games and tournaments.

Los Angeles Clippers (vs. PHO): The Clippers have won 7 of their last 10 games but are coming off of a loss against the Lakers last night. They didn’t have to travel between games and draw a mediocre matchup against the Suns. The Clippers have a team total that is nearly identical to their season average. They don’t have anyone on the injury report this morning, but there’s a decent chance we see a veteran or two rest in the second half of the back-to-back. Much like the Suns, I don’t expect to have much exposure to the Clippers unless they decide to rule out one of their star players.

NOTE: The closer it gets to the slate locking, the less likely it is that I will have the necessary time to update the tables below. For the most up-to-date information, make sure you are watching Crunch Time and monitoring LineupHQ for my Core Play tags and updates to our Premium NBA Projections.

NBA DFS Rankings & Core Plays

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