The NBA slate on December 29 features 10 to 11 games, offering ample opportunities for daily fantasy sports players amid widespread injuries. Key absences include Grayson Allen and Jakob Poeltl, boosting roles for backups like Nick Richards and Sandro Mamukelashvili. Top picks such as Nikola Jokic and Jalen Brunson stand out for their high projections against favorable matchups.
The final Monday of 2025 brings a packed NBA schedule, with DFS contests on platforms like FanDuel and DraftKings highlighting a mix of elite performers and value plays influenced by injuries. According to RotoWire and NBA.com analyses, the slate includes matchups like Denver at Miami, Oklahoma City hosting Atlanta, and Phoenix visiting Washington, among others. While exact game counts vary slightly between sources—RotoWire notes 10 games, with one preview listing 11—the focus remains on optimizing lineups amid shifting rotations.
Injuries are reshaping several teams. For Phoenix, Grayson Allen (knee) and Mark Williams (suspension) are out, paving the way for Nick Richards ($3,500 on FanDuel) to start and Royce O'Neale ($5,100) to remain in the lineup. Washington's Kyshawn George (hip) is sidelined, elevating Alex Sarr ($7,300), who has been performing strongly. Charlotte faces absences with Kon Knueppel (ankle) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) out, and Sion James (illness) questionable, potentially increasing minutes for Collin Sexton ($5,000) and Moussa Diabate ($5,400). Toronto's Jakob Poeltl (back) is out, with Sandro Mamukelashvili ($6,100) starting again. Other notables include New York's Josh Hart (ankle) out and Miles McBride (ankle) questionable; Indiana's Isaiah Jackson (concussion) out; Houston's Alperen Sengun (calf) questionable; Atlanta's Trae Young (quad) questionable and Jalen Johnson (illness) out; and Oklahoma City's Ajay Mitchell (shin) questionable.
Elite DFS targets include Nikola Jokic ($12,900 on FanDuel) of Denver, projected for high fantasy points against Miami despite his premium salary. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,900) of Oklahoma City is favored against the short-handed Hawks, with a 33% usage rate. Jalen Brunson ($9,400) of New York benefits from the Pelicans' poor defense (fourth-worst in the league), averaging 41.5-plus DraftKings points in 10 straight games. Anthony Edwards ($9,800 on FanDuel) of Minnesota targets the Bulls, who allow the third-most fantasy points to opponents.
Mid-range options like Julius Randle ($7,700) against Chicago and Desmond Bane ($7,600) at Toronto offer solid value. Value plays include Tim Hardaway ($4,700) of Denver at Miami, consistently beating 5x value, and Oso Ighodaro ($4,300 on FanDuel) of Phoenix versus Washington, the league's worst defensive team. Experts advise monitoring late updates via injury reports and using optimizers for lineup construction, as pace-ups and usage bumps could lead to standout performances.