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 Rockets have had a tough second half of the season, sliding to sixth place in the Western Conference standings. Their offense has been the biggest issue, with the team dropping to 16th in offensive efficiency since the All-Star break. With Steven Adams out for the year and the team no longer able to crush teams on the offensive glass, the lack of shooting that many predicted at the start of the year is finally coming to fruition.
Amen Thompson is not helping the Rockets from a shooting standpoint, but he can do everything else on the court at a pretty high level. As a result, he’s averaged 1.12 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s also projected for 37 minutes on Sunday’s slate, which is the top mark at the point guard position.
The Rockets draw a plus matchup vs. the Pelicans, who rank 24th in defensive efficiency for the year. They’ve been a bit better down the stretch, but Houston still ranks third on the slate in implied team total. Thompson also stands out as underpriced on DraftKings, where his $8,100 salary comes with a 95% Bargain Rating.
Value
Miles McBride has missed nearly three months for the Knicks, but he has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s marquee showdown vs. the Thunder. He was able to practice with the Knicks recently, so he should be back sooner rather than later.
If McBride does return Sunday, he should step back into a key reserve role for the squad. That makes him an intriguing value play at the absolute minimum. McBride is currently projected for 18 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s been a solid per-minute contributor this season. He leads all point guard options in projected Plus/Minus, and using him allows you to load up the rest of your lineup with studs.
Fast Break
Reed Sheppard is another potential target for the Rockets. Unlike Thompson, shooting the ball is Sheppard’s specialty. With the team hurting for offense, it’s no surprise that they’ve given him more responsibilities down the stretch. He’s averaged 1.09 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for more than 30 minutes vs. the Pelicans. He’s another player who looks like a solid value, with his $6,200 salary resulting in a 98% Bargain Rating.
Scoot Henderson is still looking to put it all together at the NBA level, but he’s shown some flashes of late. He’s scored at least 31.25 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, and he’s averaged 1.02 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He has solid upside for his price tag, especially in an elite matchup vs. the Wizards.
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 Hornets are on the second leg of a back-to-back Sunday, so we’re still waiting for the team’s official injury report. However, it’s their opponent who has the potential to be really shorthanded. The Celtics originally listed Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Neemias Queta as questionable, but Brown has since been ruled out while Tatum and Queta should play. White is still questionable, however, so they could be a couple players short in this matchup. That would definitely be a plus for the Hornets’ prospects.
Kon Knueppel continues to have a historic rookie season. He’s already made more 3-pointers than any rookie in NBA history. He’s shooting better than 43% from 3-point range, and he’s doing it on massive volume. Knueppel is averaging 8.0 3-point attempts per game, so he’s already one of the best floor spacers in basketball.
Knueppel hasn’t been at his best for fantasy purposes of late, posting a negative Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games. However, the lone outlier was a 55.25-DraftKings point eruption. He’s still capable of putting up big numbers, averaging 1.07 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Knueppel has the third-highest Sim Labs optimal lineup rate at shooting guard, and it exceeds his projected ownership. He’s the top option if spending up at the position.
Value
Tari Eason is another potential value target for the Rockets. He hasn’t been quite as dominant on a per-minute basis as in years past, but he’s seeing more volume in 2025-26. He’s currently projected for 27.5 minutes, which is plenty for a player with a $4,400 salary. Players with comparable salaries and minutes projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +1.91, and Eason has personally averaged a Plus/Minus of +8.94 in that split (per the Trends tool).
Eason ultimately ranks second at the position in optimal lineup rate, trailing only Sheppard. His salary also comes with a 97% Bargain Rating, so the Rockets stand out as a pretty underpriced team on DraftKings.
Fast Break
Josh Hart has had an up-and-down season for the Knicks, but he enters this contest in good recent form. He’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +2.06 over his past 10 games, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past five. He’s averaged an excellent 1.12 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for 35.5 minutes vs. the Thunder. OKC is a tough matchup, but Hart had a double-double and 30.5 DraftKings points in just 24.9 minutes in his first meeting vs. the Thunder. With more playing time, he could definitely put up a solid figure.
Brandon Ingram has not been a particularly strong source of value recently, which has led to his salary plummeting. He’s down to $7,800 for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Magic after being priced as high as $8,800 earlier this month. That gives him some buy-low appeal. Ingram is still a scoring machine, and his optimal lineup rate exceeds his projected ownership in Sim Labs.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Kevin Durant is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. He turned 37 years old this season, but he’s still averaging 26.0 points per game with elite efficiency. He’s up to fifth on the all-time scoring leaderboard, and he could pass a few more names before he eventually hangs it up.
Durant has put together some solid performances of late. He’s scored at least 47.25 DraftKings points in four of his past five games, and he’s logged at least 39.7 minutes in two of his past three. Durant is capable of doing a lot of damage with that much playing time, and his $8,900 salary is reasonable.
Value
The SF position is one of the weaker ones on Sunday’s slate, but Ja’Kobe Walter has been impressive for the Raptors of late. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past eight games, including at least 26.75 DraftKings points in two of his past three. His salary has yet to reflect his increased role, with his $3,900 price tag on DraftKings resulting in a 95% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Brandon Miller is another potential stud option at small forward. He looks pretty similar to Durant on paper. The two players have nearly identical per-minute averages over the past month – 1.16 DraftKings points per minute for Miller, 1.17 for Durant – and they have comparable minutes projections Sunday. However, Miller is $1,200 cheaper, making him arguably the superior value. Miller is also coming off a nice showing on Saturday, finishing with 41.5 DraftKings points in 34.3 minutes.
Tristan da Silva has been getting the job done for DFS players of late. The Magic are currently playing without Franz Wagner and Anthony Black, which has opened up more playing time for da Silva. He’s logged at least 32.3 minutes in three straight games, and he’s responded with a positive Plus/Minus in each. His price tag has crept up, but he still has the potential to return value vs. the Raptors.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
The Blazers have the top offensive expectation on Sunday by a pretty comfortable margin. They’re taking on the tanking Wizards, who have been nothing short of a disaster on defense of late. They have a 124.4 defensive rating over their past 15 games, and they’re dead last in that metric for the season. As a result, the Blazers’ 126.75 implied team total leads the slate by more than 10 points.
That makes paying up for Deni Avdija an appealing option. Avdija got off to a roaring start this season, but he hasn’t been the same of late. However, he’s still averaged 1.30 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he got to 37.8 minutes in his last outing. He’s projected for 31.5 minutes vs. the Wizards, and if he can get to that threshold, he has the potential to be the highest-scoring player on the slate.
Avdija ranks second among Sunday’s options in ceiling projection, trailing only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, Avdija is nearly $1,000 cheaper. He owns the top optimal lineup rate at power forward, and he’s first among all of Sunday’s main slate players priced above $8,100.
Value
If you’re looking to go cheaper with Portland, Sidy Cissoko looks like your guy. He’s priced at just $3,300 on DraftKings, and he’s projected for a respectable 26.5 minutes in our NBA Models. That’s a nice combination. Players with comparable salaries and minutes projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.58.
Cissoko isn’t the best per-minute producer (0.64 DraftKings points per minute), but he still leads all power forwards in projected Plus/Minus. He could also get a bit of extra run if the game turns into a blowout, which the 16.5-point spread suggests is possible.
Fast Break
On the other side of that matchup, the Wizards are going to be extremely shorthanded once again. They’ve already ruled out seven players, while Bilal Coulibaly and Leaky Black are listed as questionable. Anthony Gill should see a solid handful of minutes as a result. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five straight games, including 25.25 DraftKings points in his most recent outing. He’s still too cheap at $4,000.
Derik Queen could be starting to heat up again for the Pelicans. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in back-to-back games, scoring at least 26.0 DraftKings points in both outings with limited playing time. He’s an excellent per-minute producer (1.08 DKFP per minute over the past month), so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to potentially pay off his $4,300 price tag.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Paying up for a stud center is very doable with the amount of value on this slate, and Alperen Sengun stands out as the best option. Sengun has been inconsistent this season, but he’s still one of the most skilled offensive big men in the sport. He put that on display three games ago, finishing with more than 76 DraftKings points vs. the Bulls.
Sengun has posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past six outings, and he could certainly do it again vs. the Pelicans. Like most of his teammates, he stands out as underpriced at $9,000 on DraftKings, resulting in a 97% Bargain Rating.
Value
Robert Williams continues to impress in limited minutes for the Blazers. He’s averaged 1.21 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for 17 minutes vs. the Wizards. That’s not a ton of playing time, but it should be enough for him to return value. He ranks fourth at the position in projected Plus/Minus, and he has some additional upside if the game turns into a blowout.
Fast Break
Jakob Poeltl had seen an uptick in value with Collin Murray-Boyles out of the lineup until recently, as Murray-Boyles returned to the court three games ago. Murray-Boyles is questionable vs. the Magic, however, and if he’s unable to go, expect Poeltl to get a few more of the center minutes once again. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past six outings, and he’s had more than 40 DraftKings points in three of those contests. That gives him excellent upside for his $5,700 price tag.
Donovan Clingan is another player with an elite ceiling. He’s the best per-minute producer at center on the slate, averaging an elite 1.57 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. His playing time can be volatile, but he has huge upside on nights where he plays 30-plus minutes. He’s gone for more than 50 DraftKings points in three of his past six games, and he leads the position with a +3.15 Opponent Plus/Minus.
Pictured: Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson
Photo Credit: Paul Rutherford, Imagn
