Sunday features a six-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and projections.
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 Leverage 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
The Grizzlies stand out as one of the top teams to target on Sunday’s six-game slate. They draw an excellent matchup vs. the Pelicans, who rank dead last in defensive efficiency this season. New Orleans is also on the second leg of a back-to-back, so it could be even worse than usual in that department. As a result, the Grizzlies lead the slate with a 124.25 implied team total.
Memphis is also going to be playing without a few key players. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama have both been ruled out, giving Ja Morant a boost in value. The Grizzlies have been cautious with Morant this season, limiting him to 39 games and 29.6 minutes per contest, but he’s seen a +6.33% boost to his usage rate with Jackson and Aldama off the floor. He’s averaged 1.36 DraftKings points per minute in that split, so he doesn’t need more than 30 minutes to do damage Sunday. He ranks third at the position in ceiling projection and projected Plus/Minus, making him a nice combination of value and upside.
Value
Like the Pelicans, the Jazz are another team that has been a disaster this season. They currently own the worst record in the Western Conference, and they’re playing without a host of their best players at the moment. John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and Walker Kessler have all been ruled out, creating value with the rest of the roster.
Keyonte George still leaves a lot to be desired from an efficiency standpoint, but he is not shy about getting his shot up. That’s particularly true when the team is shorthanded. He’s posted a usage rate of just under 30% with the five previously mentioned players off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.12 DraftKings points per minute. He’s increased that figure to 1.25 in full games without all five players.
George is currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models, which should be more than enough for him to return value vs. the 76ers. Philly ranks 26th in defensive efficiency for the year, so George and the Jazz have more offensive upside than usual.
Fast Break
C.J. McCollum is a viable target for the Pelicans on the second leg of their back-to-back set. The Pelicans will almost certainly be without Zion Williamson, and McCollum has seen a team-high +4.84% boost to his usage rate with Williamson, Dejounte Murray, and Brandon Ingram off the court. The Grizzlies have also played at the fastest pace in the league this season, so McCollum has plenty of upside if this game stays competitive.
Editor’s note: McCollum has been ruled out of Sunday’s game.
Keon Ellis has been an excellent source of value for the Kings recently. They’re playing without Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis, which has allowed Ellis to log at least 32.5 minutes in back-to-back games. He’s responded with at least 30.75 DraftKings points in both contests, and his salary has yet to reflect his increased production. He’s priced at just $4,700 for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Clippers, resulting in a 91% Bargain Rating.
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
If I told you before the start of the season that Quentin Grimes would be a stud play for the 76ers, you’d probably think I was on bath salts. That said, that’s where we are Sunday. The season has spiraled into an absolute disaster for the 76ers, and they’re going to be without Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and a host of additional players vs. the Jazz. It leaves Grimes as their top offensive option.
Grimes has scored at least 33.5 DraftKings points in three of his past four outings, including a 44-point outburst vs. the Warriors last week. He’s averaged 0.93 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he has the potential to be significantly better vs. the Jazz. They’re 29th in the league in defensive efficiency, so Grimes is simply too cheap at $6,500. He ranks third on the entire slate in projected Plus/Minus, and he’s No. 1 among non-centers.
Value
Lonnie Walker is another potential option for the 76ers. He’s very affordable at just $3,400, and he’s currently projected for 26 minutes. Historically, players with comparable salaries and minute projections have averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.20 (per the Trends tool). Walker has scored at least 24.25 DraftKings points in two of his past three games, and his 91% Bargain Rating is tied with Ellis for the top mark at shooting guard.
Fast Break
Vince Williams is also a viable value option. He’s been an excellent per-minute contributor this season, but his minutes have been capped at around 25 per game. He could pick up a few additional minutes with Aldama out of the lineup, but he has the potential to return value even if he doesn’t. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games, and the lone exception was a game where he was limited to just 13.4 minutes.
Jordan Hawkins has increased his production to 0.87 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he has a bit more upside than usual with Williamson likely out of the lineup. He hasn’t seen a huge spike in usage in that split, but there should be a few more shots available in a pace-up spot vs. the Grizzlies.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
DeMar DeRozan and the Kings draw a tough matchup Sunday vs. the Clippers. They’re second in defensive efficiency and 21st in pace, which is a brutal combination. As a result, they’ve allowed the fourth-fewest points per game.
Still, it’s impossible to ignore what DeRozan has done recently. In his past two games without Monk and Sabonis, DeRozan has racked up 50.5 and 42.75 DraftKings points. He played at least 38 minutes in both contests, and he’s increased his usage rate by +5.34% with Sabonis, Monk, and De’Aaron Fox off the floor this season. The tough matchup could also result in lower ownership than usual for DeRozan, making him a strong tournament target.
Value
Kelly Oubre isn’t a true “value” at $6,600, but like Grimes, he should step into a starring role for the 76ers on Sunday. He’s already been a strong source of value recently, going for at least 19 points in five straight games. Three of those have come with Maxey in the lineup, and Oubre is coming off 48.25 DraftKings points in his most recent contest. Overall, he’s seen a usage bump of +7.52% with Maxey, Embiid, and George off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.06 DraftKings points per minute. Despite a slightly elevated salary, Oubre still stands out as one of the best values at the position.
Fast Break
Trey Murphy will serve as the 1A on Sunday with Williamson and McCollum out for the Pelicans. He’s increased his usage rate by +4.49% with Williamson, Murray, and Ingram off the floor this season, and he’s averaged 1.16 DraftKings points per minute in that split. He leads the position with 12 Pro Trends, and he also has the top ceiling projection among small forwards.
Jake LaRavia is dirt cheap at just $3,300, but he’s seen a solid role for the Kings recently. He’s logged at least 23.5 minutes in three straight games, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in each. That includes 27.75 DraftKings points vs. the Nuggets two games ago, giving him just a smidge of upside for his price tag.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
The Cavaliers and Bucks will square off in a marquee showdown Sunday. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most expensive option on Sunday’s slate, but he unsurprisingly has the top ceiling projection. He’s one of the best per-minute producers in all of fantasy, averaging a stout 1.83 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
The Bucks have been careful with Giannis’ minutes recently, but he’s coming off 35 minutes Saturday vs. the Magic. If he can get back to that threshold on Sunday, $11,100 is simply too cheap for him. He’s scored at least 58.75 DraftKings points in five straight games, and the Cavs are a solid matchup for fantasy purposes. Giannis owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.89, which is the third-best mark at power forward.
The only real concern is that this is the second leg of a back-to-back. That makes Giannis a risky proposition, but no one on this slate can match his upside.
Value
Brandon Clarke stands out as one of the biggest beneficiaries from the Grizzlies’ current injury situation. He has always been a solid per-minute producer, averaging 1.07 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, but his playing time has been sporadic this season. That shouldn’t be an issue with Jackson out of the lineup. He’s currently projected for 26 minutes in our NBA Models, which is more than enough for Clarke to pay off his $4,100 salary. He’s historically had a comparable salary and minute projection in nine contests, and he’s averaged a +4.91 Plus/Minus.
Fast Break
GG Jackson is also in play for Memphis. Like Clarke, he’s a strong per-minute producer when given the opportunity to play. He’s averaged just 16.5 minutes in his 20 games so far this season, but he’s projected for 23 minutes Sunday. He’s racked up 24.75 and 32.0 DraftKings points in his past two games with more than 20 minutes, so he has plenty of ceiling at $3,800.
Julius Randle had his first true ceiling game since returning from injury in his last contest. He got up to 35.6 minutes, and he responded with 52.5 DraftKings points. That came in a strong matchup vs. the Hornets, but it’s the type of production we’ve come to associate with Randle in the past. His salary is up to $7,200 for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Spurs, but he still has the potential to return massive value. The only real caveat is that Rudy Gobert could return after missing the past 10 games, so make sure to monitor the injury report for updates.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Andre Drummond is the final “stud” to consider for Philly. He’s not priced like a stud at just $5,300, but he has the potential to deliver stud-like production.
The only real question with Drummond is minutes. When he’s on the floor, he’s one of the top producers in fantasy. He’s averaged 1.36 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and with Embiid done for the season, he should pick up more playing time moving forward. His minutes have been inconsistent recently – he’s had as many as 28.7 and as few as 19.9 in his past three contests – but we’re projecting him on the high side of that range vs. the Jazz. If he gets to 25-plus in this matchup, he has the potential to be the best pure value of the day.
Value
On the other side of that matchup, Oscar Tshiebwe is worth considering for the Jazz. He’s averaged a Drummond-like 1.43 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he should see a solid handful of minutes with the team playing shorthanded. He’s seen at least 19.3 minutes in two of his past three games, and he’s scored 22.25 and 37.25 DraftKings points in those contests. Tshiebwe is not expected to see as many minutes as Drummond, but he doesn’t have to at just $3,300. Ultimately, both players are tied for the top Plus/Minus projection on the slate.
Fast Break
Kyle Filipowski is the more traditional center option for the Jazz, and he’s also a strong option. He’s been extremely productive of late, averaging 1.22 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s maintained that level as his playing time has increased. He’s scored at least 36.5 DraftKings points in three of his past four games, and the lone exception was with Kessler active in his last outing. With Kessler back on the sidelines, the coast is clear for Filipowski to handle most of the center minutes and turn in another big performance.
Zach Edey rounds out the value options for the Grizzlies. His production has been down recently, but he’s still averaged 1.13 DraftKings points per minute for the year. He’s projected for 24 minutes with Jackson and Aldama sidelined, so this is a logical buy-low spot.
