Sunday features a six-game main slate starting at 6 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.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
The Lakers are coming off a blowout win over the Warriors on Saturday, so they’ll be on the second leg of a back-to-back Sunday. That’s going to make their injury report important to monitor. It’s possible that they look to rest some of their regulars, particularly the 41-year-old LeBron James.
Regardless, Luka Doncic warrants attention, assuming he plays. He owns the top ceiling projection in our NBA Models by a pretty comfortable margin. Doncic has been carrying a massive workload for the Lakers of late. He’s logged at least 37.9 minutes in three of his past five games, and he’s averaged 1.57 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. Doncic is projected for another 37 minutes Sunday, which is tied for the most on the slate.
All those minutes have unsurprisingly led to some strong production. He’s scored at least 59.25 DraftKings points in three of his past five games, and he had 50.5 DraftKings points in less than 30 minutes in yesterday’s blowout. The Lakers are implied for the second-highest total of the day at 122.5 points, making Doncic an excellent stud option.
Value
The Pelicans will also be on the second leg of a back-to-back Sunday, and with Zion Williamson leaving Saturday’s game early, it seems likely he’ll be out for this game. That could benefit Jeremiah Fears, who started the second half in place of Williamson. Even if he comes off the bench with Dejounte Murray returning to the starting lineup, Fears has seen an uptick in playing time of late, and he’s responded with a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games.
Fears took things to another level Saturday. He logged 34.5 minutes on the first leg of the back-to-back, resulting in 43.25 DraftKings points. He’s increased his production to 1.07 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he should continue to provide excellent value with 30-plus minutes per game,
Fears also stands out as one of the best pure values on DraftKings. He’s priced at just $4,700, resulting in a 97% Bargain Rating. He leads all players in Sim Labs optimal lineup rate by a pretty wide margin, checking in at nearly 60%.
Fast Break
Murray is another possible option for the Pelicans. He recently returned to the lineup after missing more than a year due to injury, and he’s averaged 1.23 DraftKings points per minute in his first two games back. He had 42.25 DraftKings points and a 31.9% usage rate in his second game back, giving him solid upside at just $5,900.
The game between the Blazers and Hawks should be another prime target Sunday. Both teams rank in the top eight for pace this season, and the game has the highest total of the day. Jrue Holiday stands out as a nice option for Portland. He’s averaged 1.15 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA Models. He’s another player priced at a discount on DraftKings, with his $6,700 salary resulting in a 93% 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
After trading away James Harden, Kawhi Leonard is going to have to do a ton of heavy lifting for the Clippers down the stretch. Leonard has seen a team-high +3.82% usage bump with Harden off the floor this season, and he’s increased his production to 1.55 DraftKings points per minute in that split.
Leonard’s performances of late have been a bit of a mixed bag, but his highs have been incredibly high. He’s coming off 62.5 DraftKings points and a 44.7% usage rate in his last outing, and he’s had a usage rate north of 40% in three of his past seven games.
That gives Leonard plenty of upside on a nightly basis, and his matchup vs. the Pelicans on Sunday is a good one. New Orleans ranks 26th in defensive efficiency for the season, so he should have plenty of opportunities to score the ball.
Value
Quentin Grimes hasn’t been nearly as good for the 76ers this year as he was down the stretch last season, but he should get the opportunity to play a bit more than usual Sunday. The team will be down a few key players, and Grimes is projected for 27 minutes in our NBA Models.
That should be enough for Grimes to return value. Players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.11 (per the Trends tool). Grimes has scored 24.5 and 37.25 DraftKings points in his past two games with a comparable workload, and he ranks third at the position in projected Plus/Minus. His $4,200 salary also comes with a 95% Bargain Rating, so he checks a lot of boxes for a strong value target.
Fast Break
Bryce McGowens is another potential value option. He’s even cheaper than Grimes at $3,400, but he’s projected for more minutes (29). He’s also been a comparable per-minute producer, averaging 0.74 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. McGowens has posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past eight games, including 30.0 DraftKings points vs. the Jazz on Saturday.
Brandon Williams continues to make the most of his playing time with the Mavericks. He’s averaged 1.1 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games. Williams could be even more productive than usual with Cooper Flagg out of the lineup on Sunday. He’s seen a team-high +2.65% bump to his usage rate with Flagg off the floor, and he’s averaged 1.16 DraftKings points per minute in that split. Williams is projected for less than 10% ownership on this slate, making him one of my favorite contrarian targets for tournaments.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Saddiq Bey has been one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise dismal season for New Orleans. He’s been as good as ever despite missing all of last season while recovering from an ACL tear, averaging 1.06 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Bey has been on a heater of late. He’s dominated in back-to-back games vs. the Jazz, finishing with 60.25 and 42.75 DraftKings points. He’s logged more than 34 minutes in both of those outings, and he’s projected for another 33.5 minutes in our NBA Models. As long as Bey continues to play big minutes, there’s no reason to expect much different moving forward. His 11 Pro Trends are tied for most at the position Sunday, while his $6,300 salary comes with a 96% Bargain Rating.
Value
Herbert Jones also warrants consideration for the Pelicans. He’s not nearly the same per-minute producer as Bey, but he’s projected for 31.5 minutes at just $4,500 on Sunday. Jones has posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, including 40.0 DraftKings points in his last outing. That’s definitely a bit of an outlier, but he’s a great bet to return value at his meager price tag vs. the Clippers.
Fast Break
Jaylen Brown continues to garner some MVP consideration for the Celtics. They haven’t just survived without Jayson Tatum this season, they’ve thrived. Brown has been a big reason for their success, averaging career-highs across virtually every category. He’s done that while increasing his scoring efficiency, so he’s been tremendous. For fantasy purposes, he’s averaged 1.51 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s scored at least 57.25 DraftKings points in three of his past four games. Brown doesn’t grade out as a particularly strong value on this slate, but he still has the fourth-highest optimal lineup rate at the position.
Bennedict Mathurin has seen a nice uptick in value since moving from Indiana to Los Angeles. He’s averaged 1.17 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, serving as the No. 2 offensive option for the Clippers behind Leonard. He’s coming off a disappointing performance in his last outing, but he had posted a positive Plus/Minus in his previous five games. That makes him a nice bounceback candidate in a great matchup vs. the Pelicans.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
The Hawks are another team that will have to be monitored heading into lineup lock. They currently have some key names listed as questionable on their injury report, including Jalen Johnson.
If Johnson is able to go, he stands out as the clear top stud at the top of a weak position. Johnson has been tremendous for Atlanta this season, averaging 23.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. He’s averaged a massive 1.63 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and before exiting early vs. the Wizards on Tuesday, he had scored at least 56.5 DraftKings points in seven of his previous eight games.
Johnson leads all power forwards with 12 Pro Trends on Sunday, and his price tag has come down a bit from its peak. He checks in at $10,500 vs. the Blazers, giving him a solid 86% Bargain Rating.
Value
Karlo Matkovic has gotten the opportunity to play more for the Pelicans of late, and he’s taken full advantage. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five straight games, including 28.5 DraftKings points in 25.3 minutes vs. the Jazz on Saturday.
Matkovic has ultimately averaged 1.01 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he should see another expanded workload Sunday. He’s currently projected for 23 minutes in our NBA Models, which should be more than enough to provide value at just $3,600. He ranks first among power forwards in projected Plus/Minus, and he’s No. 2 in optimal lineup rate.
Fast Break
Jerami Grant is in his 12th professional season, but he’s still just 31 years old. He’s definitely still capable of getting the job done at the NBA level. He’s averaged 18.8 points in just 29.4 minutes per game this season, and he’s racked up 0.95 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. Grant is projected for 32.5 minutes vs. the Hawks on Sunday, making him a nice midrange option.
The Kings are running out of bodies in the frontcourt, so Precious Achiuwa has seen an uptick in opportunities in recent games. He’s logged at least 30.1 minutes in four of his past five games, and he’s eclipsed 40.0 DraftKings points in three of them. Achiuwa has averaged 1.19 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he’s been extremely productive overall. Achiuwa is up to $5,700 on DraftKings, but he still has plenty of upside at that figure.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Donovan Clingan has been an elite per-minute producer basically since arriving in the NBA, and he’s starting to get the opportunity to play legit starter minutes for the Blazers. He’s eclipsed 31 minutes in three of his past five games, and he’s responded with 50.0, 54.25, and 63.5 DraftKings points in those outings. Clingan has averaged 1.48 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so the prospect of him playing 30-plus minutes is extremely appealing.
Clingan is projected for another 31.5 minutes on Sunday’s slate, making him a clear target at $7,300. He leads all centers in projected Plus/Minus and optimal lineup rate, and he stands out as one of the strongest options regardless of position.
Value
Flagg isn’t the only player the Mavericks will be missing Sunday. They’ve also ruled out Marvin Bagley, while P.J. Washington is doubtful and Naji Marshall is questionable. It leaves the team potentially very shorthanded in the frontcourt.
Daniel Gafford could be a beneficiary in that scenario. He’s currently projected for 23 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged better than a fantasy point per minute over the past month. Gafford has historically averaged a positive Plus/Minus with a comparable salary and minute projection, and he trails only Clingan, Matkovic, and Achuiwa in terms of optimal lineup rate at the position.
Fast Break
Jalen Duren continues to do the most with the least. He doesn’t play more than 30 minutes per game very often, but that hasn’t stopped him from posting some huge performances. His upside is also a bit higher than usual with Isaiah Stewart sidelined due to suspension. He’s gotten to more than 31 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s scored 67.0 and 54.25 DraftKings points in those outings.
Dominick Barlow should see plenty of minutes Sunday for the shorthanded 76ers. He’s projected for just under 30 minutes in our NBA Models, which is a ton for someone priced at just $3,900. Barlow hasn’t been particularly efficient with his minutes of late, as he’s averaged 0.79 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, but he doesn’t need to do much to potentially return value.
Pictured: Saddiq Bey
Photo Credit: Rob Gray, Imagn
