Sunday features a six-game slate starting at 6 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and metrics.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
Consult the NBA Player Models directly for any updates as we get closer to lock. Use our FanDuel promo to get three months of free NBA League Pass.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Four of the top eight highest-priced point guards are out, while one is questionable. That will open up the door for Trae Young to not only be the most expensive guard, but the one with by far the highest ceiling. Despite career-lows in field-goal and 3-point percentage, Young is still averaging a team-high 27.5 points and 9.5 assists per game. He has recorded a double-double in four of his last six games, with two of those being 14-assist games.
Young will benefit greatly, as Dejounte Murray is out due to injury. Using our On/Off Tool, Young has a team-high +9.2% usage rate and +8.1 DraftKings Plus/Minus in 284 minutes with Murray off the floor this season. The Bulls rank in the top 10 in defensive rating, but they are allowing 26.9 assists per game, which is the second-most in the league. Young is in a great spot to record another double-double Sunday against the Bulls without Murray on the floor.
Value
In the six games that Markelle Fultz has played since returning from injury, he has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in four. With Jalen Suggs out, Fultz will remain in the starting lineup and is projected to play 28 minutes at a very cheap salary on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Fultz has the highest projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel at the point guard position, and his $4,900 price tag has an 88% Bargain Rating.
The concern with Fultz and any of the Magic players is this difficult matchup against the Raptors. They rank eighth in defensive rating this season, allowing only 110 points per game. The Magic are seven-point home underdogs, as they have one of the worst records in the league at 7-20. No need to get carried away with this Magic team, but Fultz is still a little too cheap across the industry based on his production and playing time recently.
Fast Break
The questionable high-priced point guard who was referenced above is De’Aaron Fox. Make sure to monitor our news dashboard on his status, as Fox missed last game due to a foot injury. Fox has struggled recently, but he’s still shooting over 50% from the field for the first time in his career. He has also increased his peripherals to averaging a career-high five rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. This game against the Knicks is one of three that has a total above 230 points, so if Fox can suit up he can easily return value as a slight road underdog.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
After missing over a month of games, James Harden has returned and is playing like he never left. In his two games since returning, Harden is averaging 24.5 points, 9.5 assists, and 48.3 DraftKings points per game while playing an absurd 38 and 47 minutes. He currently ranks second behind Tyrese Haliburton with 17.7 potential assists per game. The veteran combo guard continues to score with ease and is averaging just shy of double-digit assists with 9.9 a night.
This game against the Hornets may have the lowest total on the slate at 220 points, but the 76ers are double-digit home favorites. They have played three overtime quarters in back-to-back games, so it is tough to expect the super heavy minutes that Harden has played recently. The Hornets are 7-19 while ranking 23rd in defensive rating this season. With Tyrese Maxey still out, Harden will continue to see an extra boost in usage rate and production Sunday.
Value
The best value play on the entire slate is Bogdan Bogdanovic. He has the highest projected Plus/Minus in our Tournament Model on both DraftKings and FanDuel and is coming off of his best game of the season on Friday night, when Bogdanovic scored 31 points and shot 12-for-18 from the field and 7-for-9 from behind the arc. He played a season-high 34 minutes last game, as he seems off of his minutes limit while he also benefits with no Dejounte Murray.
Our model has Bogdanovic projected for 31 minutes Sunday in a home matchup against the Bulls. Over the last three games since receiving more playing time, he is averaging 19 points while attempting 15.7 field goals and 9.7 3-pointers per game. Bogdanovic has a 26.3% usage rate during that time, as he is the second-best scorer on the Hawks behind Young. He is by far the highest-owned player on both DraftKings and FanDuel, nearly doubling up the next closest player.
Fast Break
If the Hornets are going to keep this game against the 76ers competitive, it will be mainly due to point guard Terry Rozier. With LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, and Dennis Smith Jr. still out, Rozier’s seen a major uptick in production and usage rate. Rozier has scored over 20 points in seven-straight games while averaging 24.3 points per game during that time, including one game against the 76ers. His volume has increased dramatically, as Rozier is averaging 21.7 field-goal attempts over his last six games with a 29.9% usage rate.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
LeBron James is starting to consistently play for the Lakers as they are still trying to find their way out of the gutter in the Western Conference standings. This is their final game on their six-game road trip. They started out hot by winning their first two games on the trip, but they have now lost three straight. The Lakers are 5.5-point road favorites Sunday with the highest implied total on the slate at 119.75 points. This matchup has a ridiculously high 234-point total as well.
James is playing heavy minutes recently and has averaged 26.6 points per game in his eight games played since returning from injury. His peripherals are all over the place however, as Anthony Davis leads the league in rebounding and Russell Westbrook is finding his groove again with some high assist numbers. James still has the highest usage rate on the team at 31.7%, while he ranks second on the team in points, rebounds, and assists. He is also much cheaper than Davis on both sites.
Value
With so many Hawks players looking intriguing, it is time to look on the other side of this game with a Bulls value player. That would be Patrick Williams, who is a perfect boom/bust tournament play. Williams is a very low-usage player, but he has scored double-digit points in seven of his last 10 games. He can rebound the ball well while also delivering a good amount of steals and blocks, so he may be best utilized on FanDuel on Sunday.
The Bulls may be three-point road underdogs, but this matchup has the second-highest total on the slate at 233.5 points. In his third year in the league, Williams has started every game but one while averaging a career-high 9.5 points per game. His percentages are down as well as his peripherals playing alongside high-usage players like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic. Williams is a cheap way to get exposure to this high-totaled game.
Fast Break
Speaking of DeMar DeRozan, he looks fantastic on FanDuel on Sunday. He is $8,200 on both sites, but he has recorded a positive Plus/Minus on FanDuel in 10 of his last 12 games. He has 12 Pro Trends, which is one of the highest on the slate. The Bulls are struggling this season, but not DeRozan. He is averaging over 25 points in his second-straight year with the Bulls while also shooting over 50% from the field again. Prioritize DeRozan on FanDuel, where he has been more successful.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been very disappointing recently, especially at the most expensive salary on DraftKings. We haven’t seen a true high-ceiling game in quite a while since Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday returned from injury. Giannis looks much better on FanDuel, where he ranks third in salary and has a 92% Bargain Rating. It’s a pretty great spot to get back on track, as the Bucks are 10-point road favorites against the Rockets with an implied total of 118.25 points.
The Rockets rank 28th in defensive rating (116.3), entering Sunday’s games allowing 117.2 points per game. Surprisingly, they rank in the middle of the pack in points allowed in the paint despite having a very small frontcourt. Giannis can easily dominate this game, and if the Rockets can somehow keep this competitive, he could be in the optimal lineup despite his big DraftKings price tag. It’s a little risky given how he has played lately, but he is still the Greek Freak.
Value
Jalen McDaniels is another cheap forward value play who has boom-or-bust tendencies. In three of his last four games, McDaniels has a double-digit positive Plus/Minus on FanDuel. He has dealt with some foul trouble lately, but he’s still able to put up good numbers and easily pay off his cheap salary. McDaniels only played 21 minutes last game due to foul trouble and blowout, but the three prior games he played 33 and more in each game.
This is a tough matchup for the Hornets, as they have by far the lowest implied total on the slate at 104.75 points. They are double-digit road underdogs, as Joel Embiid is getting nearly everyone in foul trouble. Luckily McDaniels won’t find himself on Embiid very often. Forward continues to be a weaker position, but McDaniels looks good on both sites.
Fast Break
Pascal Siakam is one of the few big men who has both power forward and center eligibility on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Siakam is coming off of his second-best game of the season, where he put up 36 points and 63.25 DraftKings points. In a home matchup against the Magic, who rank 26th in defensive rating this season, Siakam should dominate Sunday. He will play heavy minutes like usual, especially if the Magic keep this game close.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Joel Embiid vs. Anthony Davis is arguably the biggest decision on the slate. Feel free to play both players, as Davis has power-forward eligibility on FanDuel, but we’ll start with Embiid. What an incredible matchup for the 76ers big man as the Hornets have allowed 51.6 points per game in the paint this season, which ranks 23rd in the league. They also rank 21st in rebounding percentage, so Embiid should feast against this weak Hornets frontcourt.
Having James Harden back has taken a little bit of Embiid’s upside, but he has still been incredible all season long. Embiid is averaging a career-high 32.2 points per game while shooting a career-best 52.6% from the field. He is also leading the league in free-throw makes and attempts, as Embiid has gotten a favorable whistle for several years now. This is such a great spot to get exposure to Embiid, especially if the Hornets keep this game competitive.
Value
Looking for a super-cheap value on Sunday’s slate? Look no further than Jalen Duren on DraftKings at $3,600. He has recorded a double-double in back-to-back games and has the highest projected Plus/Minus for centers on DraftKings, where he also has a 99% Bargain Rating. Duren is back in the starting lineup, as he has played 27 and 28 minutes in the last two games. If he is starting again, Duren is a great way to get different at center Sunday.
In a matchup against the Lakers, Duren has another great chance to record his third consecutive double-double. The Lakers rank 26th in points allowed in the paint and 20th in rebounding percentage. They also have the highest pace in the league, so this will be the best game to get exposure to. The center position is easy Sunday. Either pay up for Embiid or Davis or pay all the way down and play Duren in a fantastic spot against the Lakers.
Fast Break
Now on to Anthony Davis, who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career. He leads the Lakers in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals this season while shooting a career-high 59.3% from the field. If you take out his game where he left due to an illness, Davis is averaging 43.3 points and 70.1 DraftKings points per game while shooting a ridiculous 71.4% from the field. Davis is dominating the glass, and that should also continue Sunday.
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