Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) will once again miss Monday's tilt versus the Los Angeles Lakers. The 10-38 Hornets are clearly in no rush to bring back their franchise centerpiece, considering they continue to rule him out well in advance of tip-offs. Ball's next shot to return comes on Wednesday when Charlotte hosts the Toronto Raptors, but since it's unclear if the All-Star point guard is even practicing at this point, we wouldn't hold our breath on that happening. With Melo on the shelf and Terry Rozier recently shipped to the Heat, Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges have operated as the engines on offense. The Lakers have struggled to defend opposing forwards this year, so both Miller and Bridges feature plenty of DFS appeal if this contest stays close.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (thumb) has been upgraded from probable to available for Monday's meeting with the Philadelphia 76ers. A sprained right thumb has sidelined Irving for Dallas' past six games, but he said after Monday's morning shootaround that he's ready to roll, per SI.com's Grant Afseth. Availability has been an issue for Irving during his first full year with the Mavs he's appeared in only 27 games but he's been a first-round nine-category fantasy player when on the court via averages of 25.2 points, 5.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 three-pointers, and 1.3 steals. It's unclear if Irving's minutes will be limited, but note that Monday is the first leg of a back-to-back set. Josh Green could lose his spot in the starting backcourt, with Tim Hardaway Jr. likely seeing fewer shots against Philadelphia.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (ankle) is available for Monday's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. Doncic is still dealing with soreness in his right ankle, but he'll play through it against Philadelphia and likely take on his usual workload. Monday marks the front end of Dallas' back-to-back set, though. With Joel Embiid (knee) soon becoming ineligible for the 2023-24 MVP award, Doncic is certainly in the running with averages of 34.8 points, 9.6 assists, 8.6 rebounds, 3.9 threes, and 1.4 steals over 41 games. Co-superstar Kyrie Irving (thumb) is back in the Mavs lineup for this one, so while Doncic will have a bit less on his plate, he is still an elite DFS play with this game carrying the highest implied point total (244.5) on Monday's six-game slate.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (groin) is considered questionable for Monday's meeting with the Raptors. The versatile forward could be unavailable for a third straight game. However, Jones got through a full practice session on Sunday, which points to the fact that he might be ready to return. Trey Murphy III has earned a pair of starts during Jones' absence, although his workload actually hasn't increased, as the 23-year-old has featured heavily off the bench all season. Youngsters Dyson Daniels and Jordan Hawkins will take a hit with Jones' return.

Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (knee) is on the injury report as questionable ahead of Monday's action versus the Clippers. The 26-year-old has just returned from a 19-game absence, and the team is trying to manage his right knee injury. Hunter sat out the first leg of a back-to-back on Friday versus Phoenix before returning to the court on Saturday against Golden State. He's been limited to 16 minutes in both of his outings since the long injury layoff, meaning fantasy managers won't currently get much value from Hunter.