Sunday features a small 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.
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Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
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NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Ja Morant has the highest salary on this small slate, but he has struggled recently now that the Grizzlies are fully healthy. After an absurd start to the season, Morant has slowed down and hasn’t scored more than 50 DraftKings points in any of his last four games. Through eight games however, Morant is averaging a career-high 29 points per game while shooting 51% from the field and 50% from behind the arc.
This game between the Grizzlies and Wizards has the highest-total on the slate at 225.5 points, with the Grizzlies being double-digit home favorites. They are implied for a slate-high 118 points, so getting heavily exposed to the Grizzlies when raw points matter so much is the right path to take.
Value
Reggie Jackson has seen a rapid increase in his playing time with all of the injuries for the Clippers. In typical Reggie Jackson ways, he is utilizing that extra playing time to get up as many shots as possible, even though Paul George is still the main focal point of the offense. Jackson has double-digit field goal attempts in each of his last six games despite shooting just 36.2% from the field and 25.6% from behind the arc.
Prioritize Jackson on FanDuel, where he has a positive Plus/Minus in four of his last five games. He is only $4,700 and has a 91% Bargain Rating. The Jazz have allowed the ninth-most field goal attempts per game, and it is only a matter of time until their defense comes down to Earth. Minutes equal money, and Jackson is playing a ton lately.
Fast Break
Speaking of the Jazz, veteran Mike Conley has played extremely well in his 16th year in the league. The scoring is down, but Conley is averaging a career-high 7.4 assists per game and remains a lethal shooter from the perimeter. Conley has made two or more 3-pointers per game for the seventh-straight season. With his double-double last game, Conley has already matched his total of double-doubles from last season with two. He looks rejuvenated and remains at a great price across the industry in this spot against the Clippers.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
The Clippers may finally be back on the right track, as they have won three-straight games and come into Sunday as four-point favorites against a surprising Utah Jazz team. With Kawhi Leonard still out, it will remain the Paul George show. He has been fully unleashed over these last three games, averaging 31.7 points per game while shooting 58.1% from the field. During that time, he has played 37 or more minutes in each game with a 32.7% usage rate.
George has the highest ceiling in our player model on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel. His upside was shown three games ago, went he went for an absurd 75.25 DraftKings points. He is a streaky player who is cooking right now. George is the best pay-up option on this small slate.
Value
Even though Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson are playing well, Collin Sexton has seen an increase in both his minutes and production recently. He ranks second on the Jazz in usage rate and third in points per game. Sexton has played 29 minutes a night in each of his last four games, while averaging 17.5 points per game and shooting 50% from the field and 47.4% from behind the arc. The increase in playing time has helped Sexton get in a groove.
Sexton is a cheaper way on both DraftKings and FanDuel to get exposure to this Jazz offense. They are only implied for 109 points against the Clippers, but they have been cruising lately. The Jazz are looking for their third-straight win on their road trip. It’s a great time to play Sexton with his minutes increasing, and his ownership remains low.
Fast Break
Bradley Beal has been extremely efficient shooting the ball this season at 52.1% from the field. However, Beal is only attempting 15.8 field goals per game and has a 25.6% usage rate. Those are the lowest numbers he has had since the 2015-16 season. Expect that number to climb back up to his previous seasons, but his lack of peripherals is also a reason to be concerned. Regardless of the slow start, Beal remains very affordable on both sites, and this is the best fantasy environment on the slate.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
DeMar DeRozan will benefit from the absence of Zach LaVine, who is questionable due to injury management. This is a back-to-back, so LaVine will either play Sunday and sit Monday or vice versa. Using our On/Off tool, DeRozan had a team-high +5.7% usage rate and a +4.4 DraftKings Plus/Minus with LaVine off the court last season. He already has two 60-plus-point DraftKings games in the books and it wouldn’t shock me if he added another.
DeRozan may look bad in our model right now, and that is mainly due to LaVine still being in there. However, even if LaVine plays, that doesn’t mean DeRozan is unplayable. Playing alongside LaVine last game, DeRozan had a season-high 46 points. He can heat up in a hurry and looks incredible if LaVine gets ruled out.
Value
Wizards forward Will Barton has the highest projected Plus/Minus on the slate for both sites Sunday. We have Barton projected for over 32 minutes, and he is rating out as the best value play. There isn’t much to pay down for, but Barton looks the best despite averaging just 8.8 points 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game this season. This game environment features the highest total on the slate, and Barton is a cheap way to get exposure to it.
The Grizzlies rank just outside the top 10 in Pace and 24th in Defensive Rating (114.8) entering Sunday’s games. Even though the Wizards are implied for only 108 points and are double-digit road underdogs, they are a very intriguing team to get exposure to given how poor the Grizzlies defense has been this season.
Fast Break
This may be one of the best possible spots to take Scottie Barnes, as Pascal Siakam is doubtful and Fred VanVleet remains questionable. Barnes is coming off of a triple-double last game, as he took control after Siakam left with a groin injury. VanVleet has been out for three-straight games, and Barnes is working as the Raptors main ball handler. He has point-guard eligibility on DraftKings, which is a nice addition. Sitting at $7,100 on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Barnes could be a fantastic mid-range option if both Siakam and VanVleet sit Sunday.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
It is safe to say that Lauri Markkanen has found a new home where he can thrive with the Utah Jazz. This team has exceeded expectations thus far, and Markkanen is a huge reason why. He is averaging nearly a double-double with a career-high 22.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 51.5% from the field. Markkanen has scored over 50 DraftKings points in 40% of his games this season and is a great option at a comfortable salary.
With the highest ceiling for power forwards on DraftKings, Markkanen has had a positive Plus/Minus by 20+ in three of his 10 games this season, which shows how much he is exceeding his salary. Even though his salary has climbed to $7,500 on DraftKings, Markkanen needs to be prioritized there, where he has a 94% Bargain Rating.
Value
Patrick Williams hasn’t blossomed quite yet, but he is playing a ton of minutes and remains a great value at a very cheap salary on both sites. He will also benefit if LaVine is out. Using our On/Off tool, Williams had a team-high +7.5 DraftKings Plus/Minus and +5.6% usage rate with LaVine off the court last season. In four of his last six games, Williams has had a positive DraftKings Plus/Minus and is the cheapest player in this article.
After not playing much early in the season, Williams has averaged 31.3 minutes per game over his last four games. He has at least one block in each of those games and has been a strong rebounder while also averaging 11 points per game. Williams looks significantly better Sunday if LaVine is ruled out.
Fast Break
Marcus Morris is another Clippers player who has seen an increase in playing time. Morris is second on the team in scoring behind George, as he is averaging 14.3 points per game while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from behind the arc. He has eight or more rebounds in three of his last four games and also benefits with Leonard out. Morris has scored double-digit points in all but one game this season while averaging a career-high 6.1 rebounds per game. He is one of my favorite plays in the mid-range on Sunday’s slate.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
With Pascal Siakam doubtful to play, the best center option on the slate is Nikola Vucevic. Not only does Vucevic also benefit with LaVine out, but his backup Andre Drummond is also out, so he could see a few more minutes than he normally does. Through 10 games, Vucevic is averaging a double-double for the sixth-straight season. Without Siakam, Vucevic will be able to use his size to his advantage against a smaller Raptors frontcourt.
Vucevic has been lethal from deep, shooting 40% from behind the arc. He has made 11 3-pointers in his last four games, including a season-high five in his last game. You can basically lock in a double-double for Vucevic at this point, and there is upside to a great game especially if LaVine won’t be able to play.
Value
Precious Achiuwa is a fantastic value play if Siakam is indeed ruled out. At $4,300 on DraftKings and $4,500 on FanDuel, Achiuwa is far too cheap on this slate, when we have him projected for 26 minutes. Earlier this season, he set the Raptors single-game record with 22 rebounds. It is tough to expect anything close to that, but a double-double is firmly on the table with this matchup against Vucevic, who is basically the only Bulls big man Sunday.
Another Raptors big man to get exposure to is Chris Boucher if Siakam is out. It would be tough to play Boucher and Achiuwa together, but on a three-game slate anything is possible. Monitor the news dashboard on Siakam, but these two big men could be some of the best values on the slate.
Fast Break
After back-to-back games of scoring over 53 DraftKings points, Kristaps Porzingis and the Wizards got pummeled in their last game, losing by 42 points. In the loss, Porzingis only played 26 minutes, but was still able to post a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. This is a relatively easy matchup for Porzingis as he will be able to pull Steven Adams away from the basket. Porzingis is shooting a career-high 50.8% from the field this season, as he has been much more efficient scoring inside the arc. Great spot and game environment for the Unicorn.
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