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Free daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for today's slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Use Zach's NBA DFS expert picks to building winning DFS lineups on December 1st, 2025.
The NBA tips off December with nine games on this Monday night slate. After a busy weekend following an off-day on Thanksgiving Day, the NBA schedule has five teams finishing a back-to-back on Monday, while only the Wizards have to turn around and play again on Tuesday. FanDuel included all 18 teams in their main slate of contests for Monday, while DraftKings splits the slate with the six early games as the main slate tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET, followed by the three-game night slate, which includes the three games that start at 9:00 p.m. ET or later.
I'll do my best to give you my favorite picks for both slates and some slate-specific advice for your lineups. The early slate is a little easier to project at this point since the later games have more teams playing for the second day in a row. In the early games, Alexandre Sarr (adductor) is the only star who is questionable, with Giannis Antetokounmpo (adductor), Jalen Duren (leg), and Michael Porter Jr. (back) all listed as probable. In the later games, LeBron James (foot) missed Sunday's game but could return Monday, Deandre Ayton (knee) left Sunday's game but could also be back, P.J. Washington (ankle) is questionable, and several teams have no injury reports. Be sure to double-check for any changes before tip-off.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy basketball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 12/1/25. Remember to monitor NBA injury news and our awesome NBA injuries report tool, as the slate can completely change before lineups lock at 7:00 p.m. EST on FanDuel and DraftKings. To keep up with all the latest developments and get access to updated projections, grab an NBA season pass and also gain access to our RotoBaller Premium Discord, where our experts are talking about the slate up until lineups lock!
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NBA DFS Core Picks
EARLY GAMES
Jalen Johnson, PF (also SF on FD) - ATL ($10K DK/$10.3K FD)
Without Trae Young (knee), Jalen Johnson has been a fantasy stud for the Hawks all season and has emerged as a superstar. He led Atlanta to wins over the Cavaliers and 76ers on Friday and Sunday, earning over 70 DraftKings points in each contest.
CAREER NIGHT FOR JALEN JOHNSON!
🔥 41 PTS (career-high)
🔥 14 REB
🔥 7 AST
🔥 4 3PMHe leads the Hawks to the double OT victory. pic.twitter.com/RsHFwoQdAs
— NBA (@NBA) December 1, 2025
Johnson has been remarkably consistent all season, and especially recently, posting at least 49.75 DraftKings points in nine of his last 10 games, including some monster performances. He typically contributes excellent non-scoring and defensive numbers, and he's carrying a huge workload for Atlanta until Young returns.
On Monday, he and the Hawks fly into the Motor City to take on the Pistons. Since Detroit has been so good, Johnson could see this as another chance for a statement win. He's been so red-hot lately that his hefty salary totally seems worth it after he dropped over 70 fantasy points in each of his last two contests. The Hawks haven't put out an injury report yet, but as long as there aren't any surprises, Johnson should be a great play again on Monday.
Jalen Suggs, PG (also SG on FD) - ORL ($7K DK/$6.6K FD)
Suggs and the Magic are in a great matchup against the Bulls in one of the best stacking spots on the slate. With Paolo Banchero (groin) still out, usage should be available for the rest of the roster, including Suggs, who is getting back to a full workload after easing his way into action at the start of the season.
He has posted at least 30 DraftKings points in six straight games, averaging 15.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 28 minutes per game over that span. He had a season-high 26 points against the Knicks and a season-high 11 assists against the 76ers during that span.
Jalen Suggs vs NYK pic.twitter.com/DaYwfifncw
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) November 23, 2025
In such a favorable matchup, Suggs brings a very high ceiling for a player with such an affordable salary in the early wave of games this Monday. Like Johnson, he stuffs the statsheet in multiple categories, giving both a high ceiling and a high floor.
LATE GAMES
Reed Sheppard, PG/SG - HOU ($5.9K DK/$6.1K FD)
The Rockets have been flying high this season, and one of the key reasons for their success has been the growth of Reed Sheppard. Sheppard was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft but only averaged 12.6 minutes per game last year in a minimal role. This season, he has been a key contributor, playing 25.3 minutes per game and averaging 13.9 points, 3.4 assists, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game.
He has started each of the last three games for Houston, earning 21.2, 56.8, and 34 DraftKings points. He has at least 30 DraftKings points in seven of his last nine games, after posting 34 DraftKings points against the Jazz on Sunday. He only had nine points after dropping a career-high 31 points on Wednesday, but he still had a solid fantasy performance since he had four steals, two blocks, four assists, and six rebounds.
Reed Sheppard steal from behind + transition dunk. pic.twitter.com/SlWLiakDTl
— Rockets Clips (@Rockets_Clips) November 30, 2025
In a rematch against Utah, Sheppard is in a great spot since the Jazz have allowed the most fantasy points per game this season to shooting guards and the seventh-most to point guards. He's a very affordable core piece to build a late lineup around, and he brings a very high ceiling, especially if he sticks in the starting lineup.
Peyton Watson, PF (also SF on DK) - DEN ($5.4K DK/$5.8K FD)
In Denver, the Nuggets have been asking Watson to help fill in for the injured Aaron Gordon (hamstring), and Watson has risen to the challenge. He's started the last eight games for Denver, averaging 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 30.8 DraftKings points. He had two massive games during that run of success, scoring 32 points against the Pelicans and 27 points against the Grizzlies to finish with 55.5 and 43.75 DraftKings points, respectively.
He's always been a high-flyer with plenty of highlights, but his consistency since moving into the starting lineup has been huge for the Nuggets, giving him great value and upside in Monday's favorable home matchup against the Mavericks.
PEYTON WATSON WITH POWER 😱😱
He brings it ALL the way back for the slam!
Watch on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/SktGGig7TK pic.twitter.com/11ZUbdCvG0
— NBA (@NBA) November 9, 2025
NBA DFS GPP Pivots
EARLY GAMES
James Harden, PG (also SG on FD) - LAC ($9.8K DK/$9.8K FD)
Harden has regularly turned back the clock this year, and he has been carrying the Clippers through some rough seas in the early part of the season. He is averaging 27.7 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game and has produced at least 50 DraftKings points in seven of his last nine contests.
He still brings the kind of extremely high ceiling you should be looking for in GPP lineups. He had 87 DraftKings points against the Mavericks with a 40-point triple-double a couple of weeks ago, and he dropped over 75 DraftKings points in his 55-point game against the Hornets. Since the Heat give up the third-most fantasy points per game to point guards, he's in another great spot on Monday night.
Kyshawn George, SG (also SF on FD) - WAS ($6.3K DK/$6.8K FD)
George has been battling an illness for the last week, which has forced him to miss a game and may have been part of his struggles on Friday against the Pacers. The 21-year-old has flashed a very high ceiling in his second season out of Miami and is a great way to get a high ceiling at a remarkably affordable salary.
He only had five points, three rebounds, and four assists on Friday, but in his previous game against the Bulls, he had 17 points, 12 boards, seven assists, and four steals on his way to over 50 fantasy points. George has that kind of upside if he's back to full strength against the Bucks on Monday, since Milwaukee has been a very favorable matchup for forwards all season long.
LATE GAMES
P.J. Washington, SF/PF - DAL ($7K DK/$6.7K FD)
Washington is questionable, which could help keep his ownership down on Monday's slate. He could be a very nice contrarian play, though, since he has been so consistent for the Mavericks all season despite all their injuries. Washington is averaging 33.2 DraftKings points and 32.7 FanDuel points per game, but he has produced over that average in each of his last four games. His matchup against Watson and the Nuggets should be a high-scoring one in Denver, so look to slide him in as a differentiator for your late lineups if he is given the green light to play through his ankle injury.
Dillon Brooks, SF (also SG on FD) - PHX ($6.1K DK/$6.2K FD)
Brooks against the Lakers always sets up great theater, and his ceiling is high enough to make him a viable option for GPP contests. His actual results in the box score have been volatile against L.A. in the past, but this season, he has stepped into a much more active scoring role with the Suns.
Brooks is averaging 21.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game in his 15 starts for the Suns. He had 27 points on Saturday against the Nuggets on an efficient 10-for-18 shooting in 28 minutes. It was his fifth 25-point game of the season, and his non-scoring contributions continue to give him a high ceiling.
NBA DFS Value Picks
EARLY GAMES
Egor Demin, PG (also SG on FD) - BKN ($4.4K DK, $4.5K FD)
The Nets look like they'll get Demin and Michael Porter Jr. back in their rotation on Monday night when they host the Hornets in a game packed with value options on both sides. MPJ missed the last two games, while Demin missed just Saturday's game against the Bucks due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The rookie has been impressive lately when available, though, and he really stepped up without Porter on Friday with 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal, for almost 50 DraftKings points.
Egor Demin 23 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 8/18 FG, 5/14 3FG, 60.9% TS vs 76ers https://t.co/BFMtQVRkWF pic.twitter.com/CJBmiiiFev
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) November 29, 2025
He'll look to build off that big game in this favorable matchup on Monday, and he brings an elite ceiling as a player on the rise with such an affordable salary.
Moussa Diabate, C - CHA ($4.2K DK, $5.0K FD)
On the other side of that early game, Diabate makes sense as a very affordable big man, especially on DraftKings, where his salary is just over $4K. He has been coming off the bench behind rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner, but he has still been very effective when given minutes.
He had 15 points and 11 rebounds in a spot start against the Bucks, but in his eight games since then has still chipped in 7.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game in 22.6 minutes per game off the bench. He's a very solid value against the Nets, and he has the potential to go big in any game where he steps into an expanded role.
LATE GAMES
Ryan Nembhard, PG - DAL ($3.7K DK/$3.9K FD)
The Mavericks have tried multiple solutions at point guard while they wait for Kyrie Irving (knee) to be ready to rejoin the lineup. Brandon Williams (adductor, questionable) started for nine games, but in the last two contests, rookie Ryan Nembhard has taken over at the point. He had 17 points, four assists, and a steal in 23 minutes against the Lakers on Friday and followed that up with eight points and three assists in 21 minutes against the Clippers on Saturday.
Mavs undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard 17 PTS (7-11 FG, 3-5 3P, 77% TS), 4 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL in 23 minutes vs. Lakers https://t.co/w0Is0vmSiI pic.twitter.com/aGolpV4dwY
— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) November 29, 2025
He gives the Mavericks starting lineup a true point guard, so the team could continue to give him more playing time as their road trip rolls on with a stop in Denver on Monday. If Williams is out, Nembhard would get even more work, but he's already getting enough opportunity to be a solid play under $4K on both DraftKings and FanDuel. If you need late-wave value, he's a great option to consider.
Today's Top Game Stacks
- Bulls at Magic (238.5 O/U, 8.5-point spread)
- Suns at Lakers (234.5 O/U, 5.5-point spread)
- Bucks at Wizards (233.5 O/U, 8.5-point spread)
My Favorite NBA DFS Picks for Today
Here is where I leave you with some of my favorites.
- My favorite OVERALL play on the slate: Jalen Johnson (early), Reed Sheppard (late)
- My favorite CASH play on the slate: Jalen Suggs (early), Reed Sheppard (late)
- My favorite GPP play on the slate: Kyshawn George (early), P.J. Washington (late)
- My favorite VALUE play: Egor Demin (early), Ryan Nembhard (late)
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