Sunday features a five-game slate starting at 6:00 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 300 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.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
After a five-game absence, Tyrese Haliburton returned Friday night and picked up right where he left off. He recorded a massive double-double with 21 points and 17 assists, totaling over 50 DraftKings points. Haliburton continues to lead the league in assists with a career-high 12.6 per game. He also leads all guards with 27 double-doubles this season. Despite playing last game, Haliburton is listed as questionable, so make sure to keep an eye on his status the closer we get to lock.
The Pacers are 5.5-point road underdogs against the Suns in the best game environment on the slate. This game total of 247.5 points is nearly 10 more points than the next closest game. Haliburton is a near lock at this point to record a double-double, which boosts his ceiling. Prioritize him on DraftKings, where his $9,800 salary is resulting in a 94% Bargain Rating.
Value
D’Angelo Russell has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in four of his last five games and has the second-highest projected Plus/Minus at the point guard position on both DraftKings and FanDuel on Sunday. In that five-game stretch, Russell is averaging 24.2 points per game, while shooting 52.3% from the field and 51.4% from behind the arc. He is the third scoring option on the Lakers behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who are both questionable to play once again Sunday.
This would be a great game for one of the Lakers’ stars to sit with the team being double-digit home favorites against the Trail Blazers. The Lakers are 2-0 against the Trail Blazers this season, who rank 22nd in defensive rating and 28th in net rating. Russell is a great mid-range target across the industry given this matchup and how well he has played recently.
Fast Break
Jamal Murray put on a scoring clinic against the Celtics on Friday night. He finished with 35 points while shooting 15-for-21 from the field. Murray also pulled down eight rebounds and dished out five assists. Coming off that incredible performance, Murray will draw a much easier matchup against the Wizards, who rank last in defensive rating at 120.9. They are allowing a league-high 125 points per game. At his mid-range salary, Murray is projected for a slate-high 55% ownership on FanDuel.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
It wasn’t quite his career-high 70 points, but Devin Booker was nearly flawless in his last game against the Pelicans. He scored 52 points while shooting 18-for-30 from the field and 6-for-11 from behind the arc and making all 10 of his free throws. Even though Booker is averaging a career-high 7.7 assists per game, and he can take games over offensively with his scoring as well. Priced under $10,000 on DraftKings and FanDuel, Booker is a contrarian pay-up option who is worth getting exposure to.
After recording a negative Plus/Minus in 12 of his last 13 games, Booker has been on a mission lately, averaging 33.3 points and seven assists per game in his last four contests. The Pacers not only play at the second-fastest pace in the league, but they also rank 27th in defensive rating. This is a great spot for Booker to dial up another fantastic performance.
Value
Jalen Green will be one of the most popular shooting guards on the slate, despite the difficult matchup against the Celtics. Green is a boom-or-bust fantasy option who relies on his scoring to exceed value. The third-year shooting guard is averaging 17.1 points per game, but he’s shooting just 39.8% from the field. However, with the volume of field-goal attempts and 26.4% usage rate, it doesn’t take many shots to go in for Green to pay off his cheap salary. He is a strong value play on both sites.
The Rockets are 11-point home underdogs against the league’s best team Sunday. They are implied for a slate-low 108 points with the Celtics ranking second in defensive rating at 110.6. Despite being a difficult team to roster on this five-game slate, Green has strong home/road splits. He is averaging 18.1 points per game at home versus 15.9 per game on the road.
Fast Break
Priced at $5,000 on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is another value play to target. He is a cheap way to get exposure to the Nuggets’ 125.75 implied point total. Caldwell-Pope is drawing the most ownership at the shooting guard position on FanDuel at nearly 40%. He has scored double-digit points with a positive Plus/Minus in five of his last six games. The Nuggets sharpshooter leads the team in steals and is shooting a blistering 40.5% from behind the arc.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Despite a few lackluster games in a row, Jayson Tatum has the highest projected ceiling at the small forward position. His teammates Jrue Holiday and Al Horford are both questionable for the first leg of their road back-to-back, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see both Holiday and Horford sit this one out. If they do, Tatum looks even better in this spot. With Holiday and Horford both off the floor this season, Tatum has a +4.92% usage rate and a team-high +11.53 DraftKings Plus/Minus.
The Celtics beat the Rockets 145-113 at home eight days ago and are double-digit road favorites Sunday. Tatum only played 30 minutes in the first meeting, but he finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. He shot 9-for-17 from the field, including five made 3-pointers. This is a good matchup for Tatum that will get even better if Holiday and Horford were to sit.
Value
Jayson Tatum leads all small forwards in projected Plus/Minus, with Michael Porter Jr. right behind him. Priced at $6,500 on both DraftKings and FanDuel with small forward and power forward eligibility, Porter Jr. is another way to get cheap exposure to the Nuggets offense. He leads the team with 2.8 made 3-pointers per game and is shooting over 40% yet again from downtown. Porter Jr.’s shooting upside bodes well for this matchup with the Wizards allowing 37.9% from distance.
Porter Jr. has done a great job rebounding the ball this season with 7.1 per game. He has eight or more rebounds in three of his last four games, providing sneaky double-double upside. The Wizards are not only a poor defense, but they also rank last in rebounding percentage at 44.7%. Porter Jr. can get it done in this matchup with both his shooting and crashing the glass.
Fast Break
If LeBron James is able to play, he looks exceptional in this matchup against the Trail Blazers. In his only game against them this season, James recorded 35 points and nine assists while shooting 13-for-22 from the field and 5-for-9 from behind the arc. If James is unable to play, there are several Lakers with small-forward eligibility who are worth rostering. Taurean Prince, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves all have small-forward eligibility on FanDuel and are drawing some ownership.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
With power-forward and center eligibility on both DraftKings and FanDuel, it is impossible to ignore Anthony Davis in this matchup. Even with Deandre Ayton back for the Trail Blazers, Davis remains too cheap on DraftKings at $10,100 with his projected ceiling. He has a 96% Bargain Rating and is tied for a slate-high 14 Pro Trends. Over his last four games, Davis has stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game with eight blocks and seven steals.
The Trail Blazers have been dominated by opposing big men all season. They rank 24th in rebounding percentage and have allowed the fifth-most points in the paint at 55.3 per game. In his two games against them this season, Davis is averaging 23 points, 13.5 rebounds, and four blocks per game. He has the second-highest projected ceiling on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Value
Aaron Gordon has the highest projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel at the power forward position and the second-highest on DraftKings behind Anthony Davis. Priced at $6,200 on both sites, Gordon is more appealing on FanDuel with the lesser salary restrictions. Gordon is projected for 50% ownership on FanDuel, which is second on the slate behind Jamal Murray. He has continued his efficient shooting with 54.5% from the field and 13.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Gordon played 42 minutes in the Nuggets’ victory over the Celtics, but he failed to record a field goal for just the second time all season. He made his presence felt on the glass with 10 rebounds, but Gordon shot 0-for-6 from the field and 0-for-3 from downtown. Expect a bounceback performance from Gordon, who shot 67.5% from the field in his previous nine games.
Fast Break
Paolo Banchero has struggled recently, but he is always capable of getting back to the stretch of great basketball he played in the start of January. The Magic are one-point home underdogs in the least-appealing game on the slate that has a 214.5-point total. Banchero will be a contrarian pay-up option against the difficult Heat defense. In his two meetings with the Heat, Banchero is averaging 17.5 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists per game. He still has upside in this matchup.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Nikola Jokic has the highest projected ceiling on DraftKings and FanDuel in our Player Model on Sunday. With plenty of value to play and the potential for even more, getting exposure to Jokic isn’t that difficult. His price tag is reasonable on both sites, and Jokic has an untouchable ceiling on this five-game slate. He is coming off a great game against the Celtics where he had 34 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. Jokic shot 14-for-22 in that difficult matchup with a 36.4% usage rate.
The Wizards are one of the best possible matchups for the two-time MVP. They are allowing 58.3 points per game in the paint this season, which is the second-highest in the league. We already previously mentioned how awful they are rebounding the ball and playing defense in general. Jokic is a priority pay-up option, especially if more value surfaces.
Value
Jusuf Nurkic will never have a high usage rate when the Suns are fully healthy, but he has been a monster on the glass and is a capable passer. Nurkic recorded a season-high nine assists last game to go along with his 15 rebounds. He has recorded 12 or more rebounds in four consecutive games and will get plenty of opportunities to scoop rebounds in this up-tempo game environment. Due to the Pacers’ fast-paced offense, they are attempting a 92.5 field goals per game.
This is also a great matchup for Nurkic to record a double-double with his scoring. The Pacers are allowing a league-high 60.9 points per game in the paint this season with opponents shooting 50.3% from the field. Nurkic is averaging a double-double with 12.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. This is a great opportunity for him to add to both of those statistics.
Fast Break
Alperen Sengun leads the slate with 15 Pro Trends on FanDuel and is tied with Anthony Davis with 14 on DraftKings. Sengun is coming off the best game of his season with 37 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists. He shot 15-for-26 from the field with a 29.8% usage rate and finished with a season-high 69 DraftKings points. The Celtics have been a tough interior matchup for opposing big men, but Sengun has proven he can stuff the stat sheet against anyone. He is drawing a slate-high 37% ownership on DraftKings.
