Nikola Jokic Tops NBA DFS Salary Slate as Cavaliers Open -8.5 Favorites Against Raptors

TL;DR: Nikola Jokic leads Monday’s DFS salary slate at $12,400 on DraftKings (and $12,600 on FanDuel) while the Cavaliers are 8.5‑point favorites over the Raptors with an implied team total of 116 points.

The Monday NBA DFS slate features three games, headlined by the Cavaliers‑Raptors matchup at 7:00 pm ET. Cleveland enters as the favorite, with a spread of -8.5 and a combined game total set at 223.5 points. The implied team total for Cleveland, derived from the spread and over/under, is 116.0 points.

Nikola Jokic’s salary places him at the top of both DraftKings and FanDuel lists for the day. On DraftKings he is priced at $12,400, and on FanDuel at $12,600, reflecting his projected fantasy output for the Nuggets’ contest against the Timberwolves later in the evening.

For DFS constructors, Jokic’s high salary demands careful roster balancing; pairing him with lower‑cost, high‑upside players becomes essential. The Cavaliers’ favored status and elevated implied total suggest targeting Cleveland contributors such as James Harden or Donovan Mitchell, who carry salaries in the $8,500‑$9,800 range.

Monitor line movement and injury updates leading up to tipoff, as shifts in the spread or total could alter player value and ownership percentages across both platforms.

What to watch next: any late‑breaking injury news for Cleveland’s backcourt or Denver’s frontcourt, and how the total moves in response to betting action.