Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Monday, January 26th

by Taylor Smith (tcsmith031) Last Updated 2026-01-26 23:32:04 Premium Content Part of the product NBA DFS

A daily fantasy sports OG, Notorious has been roaming the DFS streets ever since they were invented. He has racked up multiple live final seats and several six-figure tournament wins in his DFS career. On weekends, Taylor Smith takes the reins. So, who better to walk you through the madness of NBA DFS slates on DraftKings and FanDuel? Core Plays LIVE will zoom out on the slate as a whole, zoom in on the best plays, and constantly update as news breaks. Whether you are diving into the slate 5 hours before it starts or 5 minutes before it starts, you’ve come to the right place.

Hello! I will be filling in for Noto today, and he will be back for his normal schedule tomorrow. We’ve got an unusual NBA schedule that features a couple of rare weekday afternoon games, but we’re here to discuss tonight’s 5-game main slates on DraftKings and FanDuel. One of the games is a rematch of last night’s GS/MIN clash, so we should be on high alert for potential load management shenanigans from Golden State.

Otherwise, things don’t look too wild. This is the NBA though, so that’s always subject to change. In the meantime, let’s dive in and break it down.

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NBA DFS Top Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel: Core Plays LIVE for Monday, January 26th

Slate Overview

• 5-game main slate
  - 7:00 PM ET – Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers
  - 8:00 PM ET – Memphis Grizzlies at Houston Rockets
  - 8:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago Bulls
  - 8:00 PM ET – Portland Trail Blazers at Boston Celtics
  - 9:30 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA Injury Report
• Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays

News Updates

Here’s where I’ll provide news updates.

Team Previews

Orlando Magic (at CLE)

The Magic have really been scuffling lately, and they’ve been held to 97 and 105 points in their last 2 games. They’ve lost 4 straight overall heading into a rematch of Saturday’s 14-point loss at the hands of the Cavaliers at home. This time, they’ll tangle in Cleveland. Franz Wagner is still out with his sprained ankle, but the Magic are otherwise at full strength. They’re listed as 5.5-point underdogs and have an implied team total of 111 points.

Taking Franz out of the mix should keep Anthony Black in the starting lineup. Black has gotten the biggest usage bump of any Magic player with Franz off of the floor this season (+2.1%). His minutes have been very strong, but he’s priced efficiently for this role. Jalen Suggs logged 24 minutes in the last game in his first back from an injury, so he’ll likely remain capped tonight. Suggs is cheap enough to consider on FanDuel ($5,600) despite the restriction. You’d think Franz’s absence would really boost the usage for Paolo Banchero, but that hasn’t really been the case this season (+0.9%). Like Black, Banchero should play upwards of 40 minutes if the Magic can keep this one competitive. He’s on my radar for tournaments but is hardly a priority.

Desmond Bane is the most alluring target here at $6,900 on DraftKings, though ceiling performances have been elusive for him ever since Banchero returned from his own injury. The SG/SF positional eligibility on FD is handy. However, I’m just not seeing much to love on the Orlando side here. Wendell Carter Jr. is always more of a high-floor play than a high-ceiling play, especially now that Moe Wagner is back in the lineup. The elder Wagner is cheap, but he hasn’t topped 14 minutes in a game as he continues to work his way back from an ACL tear.

Cleveland Cavaliers (vs. ORL)

The Cavs certainly aren’t the juggernaut they were a season ago, but they have won 3 in a row and 5 of their last 6 coming into a second consecutive clash against the Magic. They’re still playing without Darius Garland and Max Strus, while Sam Merrill and De’Andre Hunter are both questionable. The Cavs’ implied team total of 116.5 points puts them right in the middle of the pack on tonight’s slate.

No Garland should mean a boatload of usage for Donovan Mitchell (33.5% with Garland off of the floor this season) as the de facto starting point guard. Mitchell seems to rarely garner significant ownership, yet he’s been putting up ceiling scores since Garland went down. Despite Suggs’ individual prowess, the Magic have also struggled to contain lead guards all season. Once again, I have a ton of interest in Mitchell as a spend-up in tournaments, especially if the ownership won’t be there. Evan Mobley came crashing back down to earth in a big way following a monster outing against the Kings, which is probably to be expected against a significantly better rim defense (Orlando). As has been the case for the past few slates, it’s easier to justify playing Mobley on FanDuel, where he’s a little cheaper than he is on DK.

Jarrett Allen has still been excellent per-minute (1.08) with Garland off of the floor, but we just rarely see him put up a score you have to have to win a tournament. Allen is another player who makes more sense on FanDuel, where you can slot him in at power forward or center. Jaylon Tyson (1.03 FP/minute) has been outstanding since Garland re-injured his toe, and we’re projecting him to retain his starting spot even if Merrill returns. I’ll have more interest in Tyson if Merrill is still out. One of the better cheap options on the slate as of now is Dean Wade, who’s played 25+ minutes in 3 straight games and checks in at just $4,000 on both sites. I don’t mind punting with Wade, though I’d rather do so if he’s not going to be chalky.

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