Injuries will plague teams all season. There's no avoiding that. But from injuries emerge opportunities, for unlikely candidates, and for those who share the spotlight.

Tonight's lineup features several defending champions looking to pick up the slack in the absence of the NBA's best player, along with a center who eats double-doubles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and others hoping to step up while other stars and key players around them are likely to miss action.

Check out my Daily NBA Picks for DraftKings, 1/4/16.

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DraftKings DFS Point Guards

Ricky Rubio (at PHI, $7,100)

Rubio has been on a quiet fantasy tear of late, as his price has slowly jumped back up into the $7,000's. He has breached the 40 fantasy point mark three times in five games, and hasn't posted below 30 in that span. Rubio has averaged 11 assists and has picked up 17 steals over his last five contests. No other Minnesota guard will ever really challenge Rubio for playing time, even in the advantageous matchup against the 76ers. Even though his price continues to rise, he is still extremely affordable.

Shaun Livingston (vs CHA, $4,500)

Livingston is of course handcuffed to the status of Stephen Curry, but could be a huge, and smart, play if the reigning league MVP misses action on Monday. Curry left Saturday's game after appearing to have re-injured his left shin. Anybody starting on the Warriors is an appealing pickup in daily fantasy, mainly because they have only lost twice this season, and because they lead the league in scoring with 114 points per game. If Livingston starts, he should inherit a lot of minutes, and is more than capable of dropping over 20 fantasy points; valuable for his price.

 

DraftKings DFS Shooting Guards

Rodney Hood (vs HOU, $5,500)

Hood is coming off a season best 47.5 fantasy points, in his season high 32 point performance against the Grizzlies Saturday. It was the second straight game Hood broke out for 40+ fantasy points, and now faces a very generous defensive team in the Houston Rockets. Not saying that Hood will repeat his showing from Saturday night, but he should continue his short hot streak against a team vying for sole ownership of most points allowed a night. Derrick Favors is listed as questionable, and could miss his sixth straight game. The Jazz will look to Hood and Gordon Hayward for production.

Klay Thompson (vs CHA, $7,800)

Thompson is the second of four players on this list that could benefit from the absence of Stephen Curry. If Curry sits, the Warriors will look to their second-leading scorer for most of the production. Thompson is entering Monday riding two straight games of 40+ fantasy points, and three out of the last four. Harrison Barnes will also likely miss action Monday. In both Curry and Barnes' absence Saturday, Thompson dropped 26 points and grabbed seven boards. Even if Curry plays, Thompson should be considered in any contest.

 

DraftKings DFS Small Forwards

P.J. Hairston (at GS, $3,400)

This is another handcuff situation, where Hairston is tied to the status of Nicolas Batum. Batum is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the defending champions, and if he doesn't dress, Hairston will likely start in his place again. In relief of Batum Saturday, Hairston scored 10 points and picked up 15.25 fantasy points in 21 minutes. The numbers aren't stifling but Hairston is extremely cheap. The Hornets head to Golden State to face a potentially Curry-less Warriors, in what should be a high scoring, fast paced game.

Jae Crowder (at BK, $6,200)

Crowder will also benefit, as those on Golden State, of openings on the court, as other Celtics in the starting lineup are likely to be sidelined. Avery Bradley has officially been ruled out of Monday night's game, while Isaiah Thomas is the only other potent scoring threat on Boston. Crowder is heading to the Barclays Center having scored in double digits in seven straight, and has posted 30+ fantasy points in six games over that span. Crowder is a cheap option that could give your lineup a boost facing the vulnerable Brooklyn Nets.

 

DraftKings DFS Power Forwards

Draymond Green (vs CHA, $9,900)

If Green's price was five-figures, I probably wouldn't pick him. Okay, so maybe that's a lie, but the Warriors starting power forward enters Monday high off of a 86.75 fantasy point performance. It's unlikely that Green will duplicate his stats from Saturday but he is always a triple-double threat and will also be relied on heavily with Curry's status in question. Although, 31-2, Golden State has played in plenty of close games this season and will battle with a gritty, yet slumping, team in the Hornets. It's obviously unrealistic to start the entire Warriors lineup in daily fantasy, as awesome as that would be, but Green should be considered every time his feet touch the court, regardless of who is injured or not.

John Henson (vs SA, $4,100)

Henson has posted 20+ fantasy points in four of Milwaukee's last six games. The former Tar Heel plays just enough behind starter Jabari Parker to produce efficiently for his cheap price. The Bucks draw the Southwest Division leading Spurs, in what will most likely be a lopsided affair, showcasing plenty of catchup play from Milwaukee. Henson has shot over 60% from the field in three of his last four on only 20 shot attempts. When Henson shoots, he makes them count.

 

DraftKings DFS Centers

Andre Drummond (vs ORL, $9,200)

No matter his price, Drummond is always worth the nod. The center has 29 double-doubles in 34 games this season, and has failed to reached double-digit rebounds in only three. His average of 16.1 rebounds a night is higher than what most players average scoring a night. Drummond's value is never hurt by his atrocious free throw percentage, as he makes up for his Shaq-like abilities at the charity stripe in almost every other category.

 

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