NBA News
LeBron James Active Against Pistons
Los 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.
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Dario Saric Available On Monday
Denver 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.
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Draymond Green Ready To Go Monday
Golden 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.
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Ben Sheppard Upgraded To Available
Indiana 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.
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Gary Payton II Misses First Game Of The Season
Golden 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.
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Moses Moody Available For Monday's Game
Golden 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.
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Jamal Murray Out On Monday
Denver 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.
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Dalano Banton Returns From Two-Game Absence
Portland 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.
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Robert Williams III Sits Out Monday's Game
Portland 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.
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Ivica Zubac Active Versus Grizzlies
Los 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.
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Marcus Smart Unavailable Monday
Memphis 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.
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Ja Morant Back In Grizzlies Lineup
Memphis 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.
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Desmond Bane Good To Go Monday
Memphis 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.
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RJ Barrett Returns To Action Monday
Toronto 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.
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Alexandre Sarr Ruled Out On Monday
Washington Wizards forward/center Alexandre Sarr (back) has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The rookie big man was listed as questionable coming into this contest, but will ultimately sit out due to a back issue. It's worth noting that Sarr missed time earlier in the month due to the same issue. His absence should mean increased playing time for Jonas Valanciunas on Monday. The veteran big man has been quiet lately, but is worth a look as a streaming choice with additional playing time. Last time he played over 20 minutes, Valanciunas finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds.
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Bilal Coulibaly Won't Play Monday
Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (groin) has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. His absence shouldn't come as a huge surprise considering Coulibaly was listed as doubtful heading into this game. The absence of Coulibaly will open up significant playing time considering he's averaging 34 minutes per game this season. Justin Champagnie, Corey Kispert, and Johnny Davis should all see bigger roles on Monday. Champagnie posted a dud his last time out, but remains the best streaming option between the three ahead of Monday's game.
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Terry Rozier Ruled Out For Monday
Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier (knee) will not play against Brooklyn on Monday. He was initially expected to feature in the contest, as the team gave Rozier a probable designation on the injury report, but knee inflammation will keep Rozier sidelined. Miami also won't have Jimmy Butler (illness), so Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo will be expected to carry the offense, with Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. also chipping in. Additionally, Dru Smith also becomes an interesting fantasy target with Rozier out. He's already had a handful of strong performances lately, going for 10-plus points in four of the last five games.
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Luka Doncic Returning On Monday
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (heel) is available ahead of Monday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Doncic will make his return to the court after missing each of the last two games due to a left heel contusion. There is no word on Doncic being limited, so fantasy managers should expect him to have a full workload on Monday. The return of Doncic should shift Spencer Dinwiddie back to the bench. The move back to the bench will probably mean the end to most of Dinwiddie's streaming appeal.
3 hours ago
Bogdan Bogdanovic Will Not Play On Monday
Atlanta Hawks guard/forward Bogdan Bogdanovic (lower leg) will not suit up for Monday's matchup against Minnesota. Entering Monday, he was already listed as questionable for the contest, so it's not unexpected that Bogdanovic exits the lineup once again. The Serbian veteran has been limited to only 14 appearances this season, averaging 11.3 points in 25.4 minutes. De'Andre Hunter should get extra scoring opportunities off the bench on Monday, with Vit Krejci and Garrison Mathews potentially soaking in some of Bogdanovic's minutes.
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Dillon Brooks A Late Scratch On Monday Versus Hornets
According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (ankle) won't play against the Hornets due to right ankle soreness. Brooks is a late scratch, as he wasn't listed on Monday's team injury report earlier. Amen Thompson could be a serviceable fantasy option with Brooks sidelined, as he will likely see more opportunities. The 21-year-old is averaging 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds across 28 outings this season.
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LeBron James
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Lakers
