Sunday features a five-game NBA main slate starting at 3 p.m. ET.
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.
You can also use our SimLabs Lineup Generator, a tool that creates the most user-friendly lineup generation process.
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.
Stud
Damian Lillard has been playing some of his best basketball since joining the Bucks. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past eight outings, and he’s had at least 50.25 DraftKings points in four of them. He’s coming off a clunker in his last outing, but he’s still averaged 1.28 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Lillard will have a chance to build on his success Sunday. He’s taking on the Grizzlies in a game that should feature plenty of offense. The total on this contest sits at a massive 246.5 points, and the Bucks’ 124.75 implied team total is tied for the top mark on the slate.
Despite his recent production, Lillard also remains priced very fairly at $8,800. He leads the position in projected Plus/Minus, and he’s third in terms of projected ceiling. Ultimately, he’s a nice combination of value and upside.
Value
The Bulls are will be without Zach LaVine again Sunday, and his absence has a big impact on the rest of their roster. LaVine is first on the team in both scoring and usage rate, so someone is going to have to step up in his absence.
Coby White is the most likely candidate. He saw a nice uptick in production in his last game without LaVine, finishing with 25 points, four rebounds, and six assists vs. the Raptors. The result was 42.0 DraftKings points, while he increased his usage rate to 26.6%. Overall, he’s seen a +2.93% bump to his usage rate with LaVine off the floor, which is the second-highest mark on the team.
White is expected to play around 32 minutes vs. the Pistons, making him an excellent value at just $6,100.
Fast Break
Cade Cunningham stands out as the top point guard on Sunday’s slate from a pure ceiling standpoint. He’s continued to have a breakout season, and he’s coming off 40 points and 55.5 DraftKings points in his last outing. He draws one of the best possible matchups Sunday vs. the Bulls, who rank third in pace and 24th in defensive efficiency for the year. The Pistons’ 119.75 implied team total represents a significant increase from their season average, and if they’re going to score more than usual, Cunningham will likely be a big part of their success.
Ayo Dosunmu is another potential value option for the Bulls. He doesn’t have the same upside as White as a scorer, but he’s a more productive player in the peripheral categories. He’s coming off 27.5 DraftKings points in his last outing despite shooting just 2-for-9 from the field, so he has the potential for better production vs. the Pistons.
Don’t forget to check out our NBA SimLabs Lineup Generator to create advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation:
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
The 76ers continue to suffer from an injury standpoint. Joel Embiid and Paul George remain out of the lineup, and the team is without a host of rotation players as well. It leaves them with a skeleton crew for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Celtics.
That makes Kelly Oubre underpriced at just $6,300. His price tag comes with a massive 94% Bargain Rating, and he’s put up some big performances for the shorthanded 76ers of late. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in eight of his past nine outings, and he had 46.75 DraftKings points in his last contest. Overall, he’s gone for at least 46.0 DraftKings points in three of his past five games, so he has a phenomenal ceiling for his price tag.
Value
The Grizzlies are expected to be without Ja Morant on Sunday, who is currently listed as doubtful with a shoulder injury. As a result, Luke Kennard is expected to take on a much larger role. He’s currently projected for 31 minutes vs. the Bucks, and he can do some serious damage with that much playing time. Kennard has averaged 0.93 DraftKings points per minute for the year, and he’s increased that figure to 1.07 over the past month. Ultimately, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.33, and Kennard has personally averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.55 in that split (per the Trends tool). He stands out as one of the best pure values of the day.
Fast Break
Paying up for Desmond Bane is also viable with Morant sidelined. He’s seen a +2.67% bump to his usage rate in 15 games without Morant this season, resulting in an average of more than 40 DraftKings points per game. He racked up 48.5 DraftKings points sans Morant in his last outing, and his price tag has also seen a slight dip to just $7,700.
Jaden Ivey is still sidelined for the Pistons, so Malik Beasley should pick up a few additional minutes off the bench. He’s coming off just 13.0 DraftKings points in his last outing, but he had at least 30.5 in each of his previous three. He’s a strong buy-low target in an elite matchup.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
It’s time to buy back in on Kawhi Leonard. It’s been basically a lost half-season for Leonard, who has suited up in just 10 games so far this year. He played 24.5 minutes or fewer in each of the first seven, so his impact has been minimal for most of the season.
However, the team has slowly started to ramp up his workload. He’s logged at least 28.0 minutes in three straight games, and that’s enough for Kawhi to rack up fantasy points. He’s scored 47.5 and 39.75 DraftKings points in his past two outings, which are his two best games of the year by a comfortable margin.
Don’t forget how good this guy is when he’s on the floor. He averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game last season despite sharing the ball with Paul George. With George now out of the picture, he has the potential to be even better on a per-minute basis if his body cooperates.
Leonard is simply too cheap at $6,700 if he’s going to continue to play around 28 minutes per night. He’s also grading out as undervalued in Sim Labs. His projected ownership checks in around 21%, but his optimal lineup rate is above 26.2%.
Value
Sticking with the Clippers, Terance Mann stands out as an intriguing punt play at just $3,100. Mann is currently projected for 27 minutes in our NBA Models, and that’s a ton of playing time for someone priced basically at the minimum. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.99.
The Clippers also draw a fantastic matchup Sunday vs. the Raptors. Toronto ranks ninth in pace and 25th in defensive efficiency, so the team has a bit more offensive upside than usual.
Fast Break
Jaylen Wells has had a solid rookie year for the Grizzlies, averaging 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. It’s enough to get him in the Rookie of the Year conversation in a historically weak rookie class. Wells has scored at least 20.5 DraftKings points in four of his past five outings, including 23.75 DraftKings points sans Morant on Thursday. He’s projected for another 29 minutes Sunday, and he can definitely return value with that much playing time.
Small forward is one of the weakest positions on the slate, so paying up for Jaylen Brown is an interesting option. He’s projected for just 7.3% ownership, but he’s showing up in the optimal lineup simulations at the fourth-highest rate at the position. He’s scored at least 41.0 DraftKings points in four straight games, and he’s a bit cheaper than usual at just $8,000.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Whenever Morant is out of the lineup, Jaren Jackson Jr. stands out as a priority pay-up option. Sunday’s matchup vs. the Bucks is no exception. He’s seen a team-high usage bump with Morant off the floor this season, and he’s averaged 1.42 DraftKings points per minute in full games without his star teammate. That represents a significant increase from his average of 1.28 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Jackson’s recent dip in production has created a prime buy-low spot for the talented big man. He’s down to just $8,100 on DraftKings, but he’s been priced as high as $9,600 within the past month.
Value
Derrick Jones Jr. stands out as another solid source of value for the Clippers. He’s not going to wow you with his per-minute production, but he’s not a complete dud in that department, either. He’s averaged 0.83 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which is a respectable figure.
Jones has the potential to play a bit more than usual Sunday. The team has already ruled out leading scorer Norman Powell, while it’s unclear whether Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills will be available to make their team debuts. As a result, Jones is currently projected for 31 minutes in our NBA Models, and that’s more than enough for him to pay off his $4,200 salary.
Fast Break
The Mavericks are available on this slate, and they sent shockwaves through the league when they traded away Luka Doncic on Saturday night. I’m not sure what possessed them to trade away a generational talent at just 25 years old, but it’s going to have an impact on their rotation on Sunday. P.J. Washington, Kyrie Irving, and Daniel Gafford are all listed as questionable, so this is going to be a very important team to monitor. If Washington is able to suit up, he would be an intriguing option as one of their primary sources of offense. If he’s unable to go, there will be some value to exploit vs. the Cavaliers. Make sure to monitor the news for updates.
Santi Aldama likely won’t see as much playing time as some of the other Grizzlies’ value options, but he makes up for it with superior per-minute efficiency. He’s averaged 1.15 DraftKings points per minute for the year, so he doesn’t need a ton of minutes to potentially pay off his $4,700 salary.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Giannis Antetokounmpo has PF and C eligibility, so he’s pretty easy to play alongside Jackson if you choose to. That’s something I’d certainly consider. While Jackson stands out as the better “value” of the two in our NBA Models, he can’t hold a candle to Giannis from a ceiling standpoint; no one on this slate can. Giannis’ ceiling projection is roughly eight points higher than Cunningham, the No. 2 option from a ceiling standpoint, and he clears the rest of the field by at least 13.
Giannis has scored at least 61.0 DraftKings points in three straight games, and he’s still available at a slight discount. He’s priced below $12,000 on DraftKings, and Giannis has been a prime target whenever he dips below that figure. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.13 with a price tag below $12k. Add in a pace-up spot vs. the Grizzlies, and there’s plenty to like with Giannis on Sunday.
Value
Jalen Duren continues to put up big numbers for the Pistons. He’s increased his production to 1.25 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s scored 33.5 DraftKings points in five of his past six outings. That includes 44.75 DraftKings points in his last contest. He simply shouldn’t be available at $6,200 at this point, especially in a potential smash spot vs. the Bulls. They’ve been one of the best possible matchups for centers this season, giving Duren an Opponent Plus/Minus of +6.15.
Fast Break
Kristaps Porzingis has put up back-to-back big games for the Celtics. He’s coming off 45.75 DraftKings points in his last outing, and he erupted for 63.25 DraftKings points the game prior. Not many players with a $7,000 tag are capable of going for 60-plus, so he’s a viable contrarian target in tournaments.
Nikola Vucevic is another member of the Bulls who should benefit from the absence of LaVine. He’s coming off 43.5 DraftKings points without LaVine in his last outing, and he’s now scored at least 43.5 DraftKings points in three of his past four games. He hasn’t seen a huge spike in production with LaVine off the floor overall, but he definitely has a bit more upside than usual in that scenario.
