Sunday features a five-game main slate starting at 6:00 p.m. ET.
Let’s dive into some of the top plays on the slate using the FantasyLabs tools and metrics.
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.
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.
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NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
After missing the first game back from the All-Star break, Damian Lillard will play Sunday and is by far the best point guard on the slate. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Stephen Curry are out, and there are no other guards who come close to the ceiling that Lillard has on both sites. Not only is Lillard in a pricing tier of his own at this position, but over the last 12 games, he is averaging a ridiculous 38.2 points per game while shooting 52.3% from the field with a 36.1% usage rate.
The Trail Blazers are double-digit favorites against the Rockets, making this the best matchup on the slate for Lillard. The Rockets have the second-worst Defensive Rating (117.9), entering Sunday’s games allowing 118.1 points per game. Lillard has also shown peripheral upside recently with a triple-double and a double-double in two of his last four games. There’s a lot to like about Lillard in this spot given how well he has been playing and this elite matchup.
If your state doesn’t have legal betting, Monkey Knife Fight has Lillard’s over/unders set at 36.5 points and 8.5 assists.
Value
With Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green out for the Rockets, point guard TyTy Washington Jr. has emerged as a great value option on this five-game slate. His minutes have been very inconsistent, but Washington Jr. did play 34 last game in his first start of the season and finished with 28.5 DraftKings points. At the point guard position, Washington Jr. has the highest projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings and the second-highest behind Lillard on FanDuel.
In his first year in the league, Washington Jr. has been effective when given the minutes. The Rockets have the worst record in the league, so tanking is definitely on the table coming down the stretch. Alperen Sengun, arguably their best player, only played 24 minutes last game and was not in foul trouble. The Trail Blazers rank 27th in defensive rating, making this an exploitable matchup for Washington Jr. as long as he draws the start again Sunday.
Fast Break
De’Aaron Fox is another point guard in a great matchup playing against the Thunder without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Fox has scored over 30 points in six consecutive games while shooting 56.5% from the field. The Kings are coming off a 176-175 victory over the Clippers, which was the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. Points will be scored in bunches again Sunday, as this game features the highest on the slate at 240.5 points.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
There has been no sophomore slump for Anthony Edwards, who is averaging a career-high in points, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage this season. He has come on as of late with the Timberwolves trying to make one last playoff push and Karl-Anthony Towns continuing to sit with a calf injury. Edwards has put up over 50 DraftKings points in three of his last five games. With a career-high 29.7% usage rate, expect Edwards to put up 25+ field goal attempts again Sunday.
Stephen Curry remains out for the Warriors, and they also may be without Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, who are great wing defenders. The Warriors defense has taken a major hit this season overall, as they rank 20th in defensive rating while allowing 118.3 points per game. The Timberwolves need Edwards to stay aggressive to be competitive. He is currently drawing around 20-25% in ownership on both sites, proving he is a strong option to pay up for.
Value
Thunder guard Isaiah Joe poured in a career-high 28 points against the Suns last game while shooting 11-for-17 from the field and 6 of 12 from behind the arc. The reason Joe has been drawing starts is that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is out with an injury, so that is a lot of usage and production to go around. Joe does most of his damage from downtown, as 80% of his field-goal attempts come from behind the arc. Luckily he is shooting 45.1% from distance.
Joe is shooting guard-only eligible on DraftKings, priced at $3,900 with a 98% Bargain Rating. He has the highest projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings and is very easy to fit into lineups. On FanDuel at $5,300 with only point-guard eligibility, it is a little tougher. The Kings also are allowing 37.3% shooting from behind the arc, which is the third-highest in the league. Joe is a great play without Gilgeous-Alexander and is playing in the best game environment of the night.
Fast Break
Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson are two strong shooting guard options against the Timberwolves, who allow opponents to shoot 36.8% from behind the arc. Thompson made 12 3-pointers in their last game, which was the second-most in his career. Poole gets the biggest boost with Stephen Curry off the floor this season. He has a team-high 4.5% usage rate increase and a +1.9 DraftKings Plus/Minus. Both are worth getting exposure to on this small five-game slate with Curry out and potentially Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Playing 46 minutes last game, Kawhi Leonard may need an injury management day off, so keep an eye on his status the closer we get to lock. In his third season with the Clippers, Leonard is shooting over 50% from the field while averaging 22.7 points per game. He has always been a very efficient scorer, but he has also been a menace on the defensive end. In his last eight games, Leonard is averaging 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
It seems unlikely that anyone will catch the Nuggets in the Western Conference standings, but the Clippers are fighting for home-court advantage in the first round. They are 2.5-point road underdogs in this spot, as they have lost both games to the Nuggets so far this season. On DraftKings, Leonard has 10 Pro Trends, which is the highest on the slate. He is only $9,300, which is resulting in a 94% Bargain Rating and a player worth paying up for.
Value
Another Thunder player worth getting exposure to is small forward Luguentz Dort, who has the highest projected Plus/Minus at this position on both sites. With Gilgeous-Alexander off the floor this season, Dort has a team-high +5.6% usage rate and a +7.6 DraftKings Plus/Minus. He has recorded back-to-back double-doubles while averaging 14 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He has scored over 35 DraftKings points in each game despite shooting 29% from the field.
The Kings rank 24th in defensive rating and a little below averaging in rebounding percentage this season. Another double-double is firmly on the table for Dort, as the Thunder are just one game back of the last play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference. Even without Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder are only four-point home underdogs implied for 118.25 points. Dort is one of the best value plays on both DraftKings and FanDuel on Sunday.
Fast Break
Paul George erupted last game with 34 points and 10 rebounds and played 41 total minutes. His minutes limit obviously went over, but he also didn’t play at all in the second overtime. Similar to Leonard, as long as George is good to go, he looks like a strong option, as he remains affordable on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Adding Russell Westbrook may take some pressure off of George and Leonard, but his pace should provide more opportunity for production as well. The Nuggets are tough defensively, but George can get it cooking from all over the court at any given moment.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
There isn’t much to like in this Raptors and Cavaliers matchup, besides Pascal Siakam who may still be playing without his point guard Fred VanVleet. Last game without VanVleet, Siakam stuffed the stat sheet with 29 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. He has averaged over 30 points and over 50 DraftKings points in his last six games. Siakam has a 2.3% usage rate increase and a +7 DraftKings Plus/Minus with VanVleet off the floor this season.
This game features the lowest total on the slate by far at 216.5 points. The Raptors are seven-point road underdogs implied for only 104.75 points, so keep your exposure light in this matchup. However, Siakam has a ceiling against any team given how well he stuffs the stat sheet. The Cavaliers lead the league in defensive rating and allow a league-best 106.7 points per game. Siakam has done fine in this matchup though, with two double-doubles while averaging 22.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, five assists, and 1.7 steals per game. It’s a tough matchup, but Siakam has upside.
Value
Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. has shown promise as of late and has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in four of his last five games. He is another Rockets player who will benefit from the absence of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green. Smith Jr.’s usage rate increases by 4% with both of those guards off the floor this season. In his last five games, Smith Jr. has increased his production by averaging 13.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and over 30 DraftKings points per game.
The Rockets have been getting dominated recently, but that hasn’t stopped Smith Jr. from playing big minutes. The only game he didn’t play 32-plus minutes lately was when the Rockets lost by 37 to the Thunder. We have Smith Jr. projected for over 34 minutes Sunday, and he is one of the better values on both sites despite his salary rising. The extra usage and solidified minutes make Smith Jr. a very strong option in the mid-range Sunday.
Fast Break
The power forward position is very weak on this five-game slate, which is why recommending two players from the lowest total on the slate is the best option. Evan Mobley will be relatively popular on FanDuel given how consistent he has been. In his second season in the league, Mobley is averaging a career high in points, rebounds, and assists while shooting 53.3% from the field. Mobley has averaged nearly a double-double in his three games against the Raptors, who have a small frontcourt. Priced at $7,400 on both DraftKings and FanDuel, Mobley looks solid despite the low game total.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Damian Lillard has the highest ceiling on this five-game slate, but Nikola Jokic is right behind him. Jokic is averaging a triple-double for the first time in his career with 24.5 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 10 assists per game while shooting a career-high 63.2% from the field. Even more impressive, the Nuggets are 22-0 when Jokic records a triple-double this season. Easy recipe of success for the Nuggets. Get Jokic a triple-double and win the game.
Jokic has been very mediocre in the two games that he has played against the Clippers this season. However, with Clippers center Ivica Zubac out Sunday, Jokic should have his way against their backup frontcourt players. Take this with a grain of salt, as the score was 176-175, but the Clippers did allow 88 points in the paint in their last game without Zubac. Jokic looks like a strong pay-up option in our NBA Model on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
Value
This isn’t the first time that FanDuel has made a pricing error, and it certainly won’t be the last time. They forgot an extra 0 for Kings backup center Chimezie Metu, as he is priced at only $410 after scoring 18.5 and 23.8 FanDuel points in his last two games. Metu is center-only eligible, which is a little bit of a drawback, but he has easily the highest projected Plus/Minus on FanDuel given his pricing mishap and will be tough to avoid on this five-game slate.
Another positive for Metu is this elite game environment, and the Thunder have allowed 51.4 points per game in the paint, which ranks 21st in the league. They also rank 26th in rebounding percentage, so Metu may have an outside shot at a double-double after he recorded eight points and nine rebounds in his last game. He played 21 minutes last game and may play similar Sunday if this game gets out of hand with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out for the Thunder.
Fast Break
Sticking with the Kings frontcourt, Domantas Sabonis is normally priced and still looks like a strong option, especially on FanDuel with power forward and center eligibility. Sabonis should feast on this small Thunder frontcourt. In his last game against the Thunder, Sabonis recorded a huge triple-double with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists. He isn’t quite the triple-double machine Jokic is, but he does have seven this year, which ranks third in the league. Prioritize Sabonis on FanDuel, where it is easy to fit in both him and Metu and pay up for Lillard.
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