Sunday features a three-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 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.
Try Our New SimLabs Tool!
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new NFL DFS simulations tool! Try SimLabs for FREE while it’s still in beta.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Luka Doncic continues to be the premier point guard pay-up option. He leads the league in scoring with 33.4 points per game and has a 35.3% usage rate. Doncic is averaging 66.8 DraftKings points per game and is the only player priced over $10,000 on DraftKings. He has by far the highest projected ceiling in our NBA Model and is easily the top cash-game option.
The Mavericks are 11.5-point home favorites against the Hornets, who are playing on the second leg of a back-to-back. They have an implied total of 123 points, which is the highest on the slate by over 10 points. This is a great spot for Doncic, as the Hornets rank second in the league in pace and third-to-last in defensive rating. Kyrie Irving is probable to play Sunday, but Doncic has proven that he is still the alpha on the Mavericks. The price is expensive, but he’s more than worth it.
Value
Malcolm Brogdon is once again going to be one of the best plays on the slate. His salary has risen to $7,800 on DraftKings and $7,700 on FanDuel, but he has the highest projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel and the second-highest on DraftKings. Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons remains out, which will move Brogdon into the starting lineup. In his lone start of the season last game, Brogdon had an impressive game with 24 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and three steals.
The Trail Blazers will host the Grizzlies yet again Sunday as a 2.5-point home underdog. Expect another close game, as the Trail Blazers held on in overtime Friday night. In his first year with the Trail Blazers, Brogdon is off to a hot start, averaging 19.2 points, 5.3 assists and five rebounds per game. He is impossible to ignore on this short slate, despite the price hike.
Fast Break
LaMelo Ball has seen a major price decrease across the industry and now will get the benefit of likely playing without fellow backcourt mate Terry Rozier. At $8,500 on DraftKings and $8,400 on FanDuel, Ball is drawing a lot of ownership. In three games without Rozier last season, Ball averaged nearly a triple-double with 25.3 points, 11.3 assists, and 9.3 rebounds per game. He had a 33.1% usage rate as he attempted 23.7 field goals in total, including 12.7 3-pointers per game.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Even though Darius Garland came back from injury and played 32 minutes last game, Donovan Mitchell continued his incredible play with 38 points on 12-for-17 shooting from the field with nine assists. In five games, Mitchell is averaging 54.4 DraftKings points per game with only one game under 48 points. Over that time, he is shooting a career-high 53.2% from the field and 39.1% from behind the arc. Mitchell’s career-high 33.8% usage rate also ranks as the third-highest in the league.
After Doncic, Mitchell has the second-highest projected ceiling on both DraftKings and FanDuel. The Cavaliers are a slight home favorite against the Warriors, as they look to get back on track after losing four of their last five games. Garland could see more minutes in Sunday’s game, but Mitchell is the player to target from the Cavaliers in this high-paced matchup.
Value
The best pure value play on the slate according to our NBA Model is Grizzlies shooting guard Luke Kennard. He flip-flops with Brogdon, as Kennard has the highest projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel. His projected ownership follows suit, as Kennard is the most popular play on DraftKings on Sunday. The Grizzlies are looking for answers, and Kennard could be a big boost to their offense after averaging 11.3 points per game for them last season.
Kennard has only played in three games this season, but his playing time has ramped up in each game. He is projected to play 23 minutes Sunday, which feels modest, and Kennard is still popping as an elite value. After shooting 52.6% from the perimeter last season, Kennard has yet to find his rhythm from deep. If he does Sunday, that will help his upside even more.
Fast Break
Stephen Curry may get the luxury of playing without Klay Thompson, who is listed as questionable Sunday. Monitor his status the closer we get to lock, as Curry averages 3.1 more points per game without Thompson throughout his career. Curry is fourth in the league in scoring with 30.8 points and leads the league yet again with 5.5 3-pointers made per game. The Cavaliers are a strong defensive team, but Curry has averaged 37 points per game against them in his last six seasons.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper Fantasy promo code LABS1 for a $100 deposit match.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
With his small forward and shooting guard eligibility on FanDuel, Desmond Bane is the clear-cut stud at this position. Bane has had a phenomenal start to his season despite the Grizzlies being the only winless team in the league. He is averaging a career-high 26 points per game with a 29.4% usage rate. In his last game against the Trail Blazers two days ago, Bane stuffed the stat sheet with 33 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and three blocks for 67.5 DraftKings points.
A repeat performance is on the table as the Grizzlies are desperate for a victory and Bane is their leader without Ja Morant. Getting Bane at sub-$9,000 on both sites feels like a steal given his upside. In half of his games, Bane has recorded 30-plus points. Normally just a scorer, he has contributed peripherals, which is necessary given how shorthanded the Grizzlies are.
Value
Rookie Brandon Miller has been one of the best first-year players in the league thus far. He is averaging 14.4 points per game while shooting 48.1% from the field and scoring double-digit points in each game. Miller has also competed on the glass with 5.2 rebounds per game. With Rozier likely out, that will boost usage and production for Miller on Sunday. Using our On/Off Tool, Miller has played a team-high 50 minutes with Rozier off the floor. Small sample, but worth noting.
The Hornets are double-digit underdogs on the road, but Miller is projected to play 34 minutes and is the best small forward value for both DraftKings and FanDuel. He may draw the spot start with Rozier out, as Miller has come off the bench in every game this season. If not, Miller is still going to get plenty of playing time for the Hornets, who will need his scoring.
Fast Break
Shaedon Sharpe has really taken a big leap in his second year for the Trail Blazers. Through his first six games, Sharpe is averaging a team-high 20.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Even on poor shooting nights, Sharpe can still return value due to how many minutes he has been playing. Ever since being inserted into the starting lineup, Sharpe is averaging 40.6 minutes per game. Sharpe is projected to play a slate-high 38 minutes Sunday, which makes him look great in this matchup.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Not only does Jaren Jackson Jr. have the highest ceiling at the power forward position, but he also ranks in the top four on both sites for projected Plus/Minus. Jackson Jr. is a boom-or-bust fantasy player and should only be used in tournaments. For example, Jackson Jr. has three games with a positive Plus/Minus averaging 50.5 DraftKings points per game. In his three games with a negative Plus/Minus, Jackson Jr. is averaging 30.2 DraftKings points per game. High risk, high reward.
Jackson Jr. dominated the Trail Blazers on Friday night with a 30-point, 10-rebound double-double with three assists, three blocks, and one steal. He had a season-low one personal foul, which was a big reason why Jackson Jr. played 38 minutes while being aggressive. If Jackson Jr. can stay out of foul trouble again, he is one of the best tournament plays on the slate.
Value
Opposite of Jackson Jr., is Hornets power forward P.J. Washington, who has been consistent as they come. In his five games played this season, Washington has scored between 25 and 33 DraftKings points in each game. With Rozier off the floor, Washington has a team-high +13.74% usage rate and a +7.84 DraftKings Plus/Minus. Washington is second on the team in scoring with a career-high 18.2 points per game, while shooting 54.9% from the field and 42.9% from downtown.
The Mavericks frontcourt had the worst rebounding percentage (47.1%) in the league last season and added only rookie Dereck Lively. This is a great matchup for Washington to potentially capture his second double-double of the season. Given the matchup and how well Washington has played, it is no surprise that he has the third-highest ownership on both sites.
Fast Break
Evan Mobley has averaged a 15.2-point and 10.8-rebound double-double this season with 2.5 blocks per game. Even with Jarrett Allen playing in his first game of the season, Mobley still dominated last game with 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and three steals. He is second to Jackson Jr. in power-forward ceiling, but he is much more consistent. Mobley is cheaper than Jackson Jr. across the industry and is coming in at much lower ownership on both sites Sunday.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Deandre Ayton is a big reason why the Trail Blazers have won three-straight games. He is leading the league in both rebound rate and defensive win shares while ranking second in rebounds per game. Over the last three games, Ayton is averaging a double-double with 14 points and 15.3 rebounds per game. He has 43 or more DraftKings points in each game while shooting 60.6% from the field. Ayton’s defense has also been excellent with nine steals and four blocks over that time.
Ayton had a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double against the Grizzlies on Friday night while shooting 7-for-11 from the field. If Jackson Jr. gets into foul trouble unlike last game, Ayton could feast even more on this undersized Grizzlies frontcourt. With how many peripherals he has captured plus his scoring and rebounding upside, Ayton looks incredible on this slate.
Value
Mark Williams has the same matchup that P.J. Washington gets against the Mavericks’ depleted frontcourt. Williams exploded for a career-high 27 points Saturday night against the Pacers, as he shot 9-for-12 from the field and made all nine of his free throws. He added seven rebounds, and he captured two blocks and two steals for the second-straight game. Priced around $6,000 on both sites, Williams is a great value, as he is projected to play nearly 30 minutes yet again Sunday.
Oddly enough with Rozier off the floor this season, Williams has a +10% usage rate, which is the second-highest on the team behind Washington. Not only have the Mavericks been terrible on the glass, but they have also allowed 52.4 points per game in the paint this season, which ranks as the eighth-highest in the league. Great spot to capture another double-double.
Fast Break
With the Cavaliers’ huge frontcourt, Kevon Looney is going to have to play big minutes in this spot. Over the last three games against this frontcourt, Looney has averaged 5.7 points and a remarkable 14.7 rebounds while playing 30.3 minutes per game. Looney is one of the sneakiest plays on the slate given this matchup forcing him to play heavy minutes. Projected for under 20% ownership on FanDuel and under 10% on DraftKings, Looney could be in the optimal lineup on this slate.
