10 mins agoLos Angeles Lakers forward/center
Anthony Davis (elbow) has shaken off a questionable tag and will play against Detroit on Monday. Davis has been battling a foot problem throughout the campaign and is now also dealing with an elbow contusion. However, he will be ready to push through the issues once again. Davis struggled to score in the last game against Sacramento, but he has been on an impressive six-game double-double streak lately. The run includes three games with at least 30 points and three games with 15-plus rebounds. The Pistons give up the third-fewest rebounds in the league to opposing centers, so Davis's double-double streak gets a good test on Monday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mike Trudell
18 mins agoLos Angeles Lakers forward
LeBron James (foot) will play in Monday's matchup against Detroit. A foot injury keeps James a regular on the injury report, but the Lakers have upgraded him from questionable to available ahead of tip-off. James is fresh off a 32-point performance against Sacramento. He also stepped up his defensive efforts at the weekend, snagging four steals in a 103-99 win over the Kings on Saturday. Detroit has a below-average defense, meaning this is a good matchup for James to build up further momentum ahead of this week's Christmas Day matchup against the Warriors.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mike Trudell
42 mins agoDenver Nuggets forward/center
Dario Saric (ankle) is active against Phoenix on Monday. The Croatian veteran has battled an ankle sprain lately but will be ready to contribute if called upon versus the Suns. However, it's unlikely to happen, as Saric has had a very small role in the rotation this season, logging 12 or fewer minutes in seven of his 10 appearances. He is firmly stuck behind
Nikola Jokic,
DeAndre Jordan, and
Zeke Nnaji on the depth chart.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
50 mins agoGolden State Warriors forward/center
Draymond Green (ankle) will return from a one-game absence on Monday versus Indiana. After Green missed Saturday's action against Minnesota, the Warriors initially listed him as questionable for Monday's game. He'll be back in the lineup as a starter. The veteran has been inconsistent with his performances throughout the month, averaging 9.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.0 steals in 27.0 minutes. With that said, a matchup against a team that is ranked sixth in pace offers Green a good opportunity to fill the box score.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Ohm Youngmisuk
1 hour agoIndiana Pacers guard/forward
Ben Sheppard (oblique) is good to go for Monday's meeting with Golden State. The team has upgraded him from questionable to available. The 22-year-old has averaged over 20 minutes a night across the season, but Sheppard's contributions haven't been good enough for fantasy managers. He has been limited to 6.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. Sheppard likely isn't quite at his best either at the moment after only recently returning from a 14-game absence.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Indiana Pacers
2 hours agoGolden State Warriors guard/forward
Gary Payton II (calf) will not play against Indiana on Monday, missing his first game of the season. Payton II has shown impressive durability with 27 consecutive appearances, but a calf contusion has knocked him out of the lineup for Monday's game. He'll get his first chance to return on Christmas Day when the Warriors face the Lakers.
Buddy Hield and
Brandin Podziemski will be in a position to play more without Payton II in the lineup on Monday. However, it's a bad matchup for Golden State's bench mob, as the Pacers give up the fourth-fewest bench points in the league.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Dustin Dopirak
2 hours agoGolden State Warriors guard/forward
Moses Moody (knee) will be active against Indiana on Monday. He's available again for selection after missing the previous four contests with a knee problem. However, Moody availability isn't big news from a fantasy perspective, as he simply hasn't produced good enough numbers to be a viable option for managers. The 22-year-old has notched 7.4 points in 15.6 minutes this season.
Dennis Schroder's addition also further complicates Moody's life in San Francisco.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Dustin Dopirak
2 hours agoDenver Nuggets point guard
Jamal Murray (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against Phoenix. He was initially tagged as questionable for the game with a right ankle sprain, and head coach Michael Malone has now officially ruled him out. Malone hopes to have Murray back for Wednesday's Christmas matchup against the Suns. Murray's absence will give
Russell Westbrook his seventh start of the season. In previous starts, Westbrook has averaged 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 2.7 steals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Duane Rankin
2 hours agoPortland Trail Blazers guard/forward
Dalano Banton (hip) will be back in the lineup on Monday versus Dallas. He's available again after sitting out two contests with a hip injury. Banton adds a bit more quality to the Trail Blazers bench, with him averaging 9.8 points per game with 2.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 16.7 minutes across the season. However, he does not have much fantasy value with a healthy squad. In fact, this is a horrible matchup for the entire Portland bench, as the Mavericks give up the third-fewest points in the league to opposing second units.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Portland Trail Blazers
3 hours agoPortland Trail Blazers center
Robert Williams III (ankle) will skip Monday's meeting with Dallas. After missing nine contests because of a concussion, Williams III returned to the lineup for only three games before picking up another injury. For the season overall, we have seen Williams III suit up just 10 times for the Trail Blazers.
Deandre Ayton and
Donovan Clingan will work as Portland's lone centers in Monday's favorable matchup. Dallas gives up the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing fives.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Portland Trail Blazers
3 hours agoLos Angeles Clippers center
Ivica Zubac (calf) will remain in the lineup on Monday versus Memphis. He was initially considered iffy for the contest due to a calf strain. However, Zubac will maintain his proud record of featuring in every game this season, starting alongside
James Harden,
Kris Dunn,
Norman Powell, and
Derrick Jones Jr. Memphis' frontcourt features
Jaren Jackson Jr., the 2023 Defensive Player of The Year award winner, and the Grizzlies have the second-best rebounding rate in the league, so this is a tough matchup for Zubac.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Los Angeles Clippers
3 hours agoMemphis Grizzlies guard
Marcus Smart (finger) will be absent from Monday's game against the Clippers. After recovering from a shoulder injury, Smart hurt his right index finger at the weekend and must come out of the lineup again. Luckily for the Grizzlies,
Ja Morant (back) is back in the mix, and
Desmond Bane (illness) remains in the lineup.
Scotty Pippen Jr. might see additional action due to Smart's absence, but Morant's presence severely limits his fantasy appeal.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
3 hours agoMemphis Grizzlies point guard
Ja Morant (back) will return to action on Monday versus the Clippers. A back problem kept Morant sidelined for Saturday's contest against Atlanta, but the team has removed him from the injury report ahead of Monday's contest. The Grizzlies superstar gets a difficult matchup on Monday, as only six teams have given up more fantasy points to opposing point guards than the Clippers, who are ranked sixth in defensive efficiency.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
3 hours agoMemphis Grizzlies guard/forward
Desmond Bane (illness) has been cleared to face the Clippers on Monday night. He landed late on the injury report with an illness, but the team has upgraded Bane from questionable to available. Bane has not been the best version of himself this season, settling for 14.9 points in 28.0 minutes. The Clippers have a top-six defense in the league, so it might be another quiet night offensively for Bane on Monday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Memphis Grizzlies PR
3 hours agoToronto Raptors guard/forward
RJ Barrett (illness) will rejoin the action on Monday against the Knicks. He's missed two games because of an illness and was initially considered questionable for Monday's contest. However, Barrett has been upgraded to available and will start against his former team. Barrett only recently cooked up a 30-point game against the Knicks and should be eager to repeat the performance on Monday night. Ja'Kobe Walter,
Jamison Battle, and
Jamal Shead will likely lose minutes with Barrett's return.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Toronto Raptors
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