FanDuel (1.5u). Luka Garza finds himself in a unique spot tonight. Not only are the Celtics resting Jayson Tatum, but both Neemias Queta and Nikola Vucevic are also sitting tonight, leaving Garza to absorb the bulk of the big man minutes. The Hawks have been excellent defensively, but the one area they do struggle is down low, ranking 28th against roll men and 23rd overall against points in the restricted area. Even if the Celtics pivot and go with smaller rotations (which I do expect due to the lack of front-court depth tonight), Garza should still clear this line in his normal minute allotment, let alone any extended looks.
The Hawks have won 12 straight home games, and they have a clean injury report entering Monday's showdown with Boston. It's a quick revenge spot for Atlanta, which fell 109-102 in Boston on Friday. The Celtics won in Charlotte on Sunday without Jaylen Brown or Derrick White, while the Hawks rested. Jayson Tatum poured in 32 points on 12-of-23 shooting, adding eight assists. It's unclear if Tatum will play on the second night of a back-to-back, and whether Brown and White will return; the Celtics' injury report has not been released. Either way, I like the young Hawks to stay hot at home.
Mitchell is likely to serve as emergency depth for the Celtics in his rookie season.
Gonzalez has a chance to claim a larger role in 2026-27 after the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the 76ers in exchange for Paul George.
Cenac appears to be buried on the Celtics' depth chart ahead of his rookie season.
Newell will look to build upon his rookie campaign after averaging just 11.4 minutes across 44 regular-season appearances.
Nembhard will look to establish himself in Atlanta's backcourt after joining an organization with plenty of competition for guard minutes.
Ejiofor enters his rookie campaign after the Hawks selected him 23rd overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Flemings enters his rookie season after Atlanta selected him with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Tatum (knee) should once again serve as the unquestioned centerpiece of Boston's offense after the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown for Paul George and other assets, John Schuhmann of NBA.com reports.
White could see a slight uptick in offensive responsibility following Boston's acquisition of Paul George in exchange for Jaylen Brown, John Schuhmann of NBA.com reports.
Hauser's role could become more secure following Boston's offseason shakeup with the team swapping Jaylen Brown for Paul George, John Schuhmann of NBA.com reports.
