Sunday features a five-game slate starting at 7 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.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his impressive scoring streak with a 40-point game Friday night against the Nuggets. He shot 14-for-20 from the field and made all 10 of his free-throw attempts. It marked the sixth-straight game that Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30-plus points and finished with 55-plus DraftKings points. Over that stretch, he is averaging an impressive 34.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.8 steals per game. He will look to continue his hot streak against the Nets on Sunday.
The Thunder are eight-point home favorites, implied for 122.25 points. Meanwhile, the Nets are coming off their worst loss of the season against the Wizards, 110-104. Their 23rd-ranked defense will have its hands full with the electric Thunder point guard. Find a way to fit in the most expensive player across the industry. Gilgeous-Alexander has proven to be consistent.
Value
Staying in the Thunder backcourt, Josh Giddey is currently projected for the highest ownership on DraftKings for Sunday’s five-game slate. Giddey is second to Gilgeous-Alexander in both assists and usage rate with 24.1%. His playing time can fluctuate, but Giddey has displayed a 40-fantasy point ceiling three times in the middle of December. Priced in the mid-range on both sites, he is a cheap way to get exposure to the Thunder offense without breaking the bank for Gilgeous-Alexander.
Giddey has point-guard and shooting-guard eligibility, which makes him easy to fit into all lineup builds. He has taken an even bigger backseat to Gilgeous-Alexander this season, but his price tag reflects that already. The matchup against the Nets will create plenty of opportunities for success. Playing Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey together is totally reasonable.
Fast Break
The best point guard matchup on the slate is De’Aaron Fox and Ja Morant. Both are strong options in their own right. Fox is averaging a career-high 30.2 points per game while shooting 40.4% from behind the arc. He is tied for the third-highest usage rate in the league at 33.2%. Morant has looked great in his five games played. He is averaging 26.8 points and 8.8 assists per game with two double-doubles. The Grizzlies offensive rating jumps from 106.7 to 114.3 with him in the lineup.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Despite Morant being back in the fold, Desmond Bane has the highest projected ceiling at the shooting guard position on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Playing alongside Morant this season has actually boosted Bane’s production. In the five games with Morant on the floor, Bane is averaging 26.9 points, 5.8 assists, and five rebounds per game while attempting double-digit 3-point field goals. Priced under $9,000 on both sites, Bane is projected for between 15-20% ownership Sunday.
The Kings have been an exploitable matchup for opposing guards. They rank 21st in defensive rating and are allowing opponents to shoot 37.7% from behind the arc, which is ninth-best in the league. Bane has attempted the most 3-pointers in his career this season while still maintaining a great percentage at 38.4%. It’s a great matchup for the sharpshooter.
Value
Malik Monk is the best value play by far on FanDuel at his $5,600 price tag. He has a 90% Bargain Rating and is currently drawing well over 50% projected ownership. Monk also has the highest projected Plus/Minus at the guard position on FanDuel. Leading the second unit for the Kings, Monk has the second-highest usage rate on the team behind Fox. Despite playing only 25 minutes per game, Monk is averaging a career-high in both points with 14.1 and assists with 5.2 per game.
Monk is a fantastic tournament option given his upside. If he is playing well, his minutes will spike to 30-plus like they did last game, where he finished with a near double-double on 15 points and eight assists. Prioritize Monk on FanDuel, where he has posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his last seven games while averaging 12.1 points and an impressive 6.4 assists per game.
Fast Break
Jaylen Brown took full advantage of the Celtics resting both Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis last game. He finished with a 31-point, 10-rebound double-double while shooting 11-for-16 from the field and 5-for-6 from behind the arc. Jrue Holiday is questionable to play Sunday, while Tatum and Porzingis are expected back. Regardless of who plays for the Celtics, they will have no trouble dominating the Spurs on Sunday. They are implied for a slate-high 127.25 points in this spot.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
After sitting out the second leg of the Celtics’ back-to-back last game, Jayson Tatum is expected back for this matchup against the Spurs. Tatum was part of the Celtics’ near-loss against the Pistons, but they rallied back to win in overtime, 128-122. Tatum finished that game with 31 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and five steals. If the Spurs can somehow keep this game competitive Sunday, Tatum will have a chance to display his ceiling. The Celtics are slate-high 13.5-point favorites.
The Spurs are basically just as bad as the Pistons, but they normally play in a much more friendly game environment. They rank third in the league in pace and 25th in defensive rating. The Spurs are also tied for the worst net rating. This is a cupcake matchup for Tatum, who is priced at $9,800 on both sites. He looks exceptional on FanDuel with a 75% Bargain Rating.
Value
Brandon Ingram has the second-highest projected Plus/Minus at the small forward position, behind Tatum on both sites. In back-to-back games, Ingram has stuffed the stat sheet, averaging 25 points, 6.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals per game. Playing against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, Ingram has a great chance to keep his hot streak alive. The Pelicans are 6.5-point home favorites, implied for 118.5 points, which is the third-highest total on the slate Sunday.
Before this year’s weak showing against the Lakers, Ingram had scored 22-plus points in five consecutive games in this matchup. The Pelicans are fully healthy, minus Trey Murphy being questionable. However, it is still Ingram who runs the show for the Pelicans. He leads the team in scoring and assists while ranking second in usage rate at 28.3% this season.
Fast Break
LeBron James came up a centimeter short of tying the game and likely sending it into overtime Saturday night against the Timberwolves. He had a mediocre game in a very difficult matchup and draws another tough matchup against the Pelicans. This is the second leg of a back-to-back, so make sure James is able to suit up. If so, he always possesses a ceiling and is a great way to get contrarian on this slate. James is projected for less than 5% ownership on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Anthony Davis went bananas on the best defensive team in the league Saturday night. He finished with 33 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and two blocks while shooting 12-for-17 from the field. Similar to LeBron, keep an eye on Davis’ status with this Lakers’ road back-to-back. However, in his last three back ends of a back-to-back, Davis is averaging 33 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. He has played in 30 of 32 games this season and has displayed a massive ceiling.
Leading the league in rebounds with 12.4 per game, Davis will have a positive rebounding matchup against the Pelicans frontcourt. They rank 19th in rebounding percentage and have allowed 33.2 defensive rebounds per game. Davis is rightfully the second-most expensive player on the slate on DraftKings and FanDuel, but his ceiling is worth getting exposure to.
Value
The last two games have been a struggle for Keegan Murray, who has shot 6-for-23 from the field and 2-for-13 from behind the arc. However, he is still averaging a career-high 15.5 points per game and attempting 3.1 more field goals this year than last. Murray is the Kings’ designated sharpshooter; he made a career-high 12 3-pointers against the Jazz just 15 days ago.
The matchup against the Grizzlies sets up perfectly for Murray. They are allowing opponents to shoot 38.5% from behind the arc and make 14.2 3-pointers per game, which is the second-highest mark in the league. Murray has made three or more 3-pointers in five of his last seven games and will look to get back on track in this matchup. Priced in the mid-range, Murray is projected for just over 20% ownership on DraftKings and FanDuel. This is a great spot to get cheap exposure to this offense.
Fast Break
Even in a difficult matchup against the Celtics, Victor Wembanyama deserves consideration. In only 24 minutes of action last game, Wembanyama stuffed the stat sheet with 30 points, six rebounds, six assists, and seven blocks. The downside for Wembanyama is the Gregg Popovich effect. He is already being rested on back-to-backs and hasn’t played more than 24 minutes in his last three games. The Celtics don’t allow many blocks and steals, but Wembanyama usually finds a way.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Still priced under $10,000 on DraftKings and FanDuel, Domantas Sabonis has recorded a double-double in 13-straight games. Over that time, he has four triple-doubles while shooting 60.7% from the field. The Grizzlies have been a strong interior defensive team, but at the same time they get pummeled on the glass. They rank 24th in rebounding percentage while allowing 45.9 rebounds per game, which is the fourth-highest in the league. Lock up another double-double for Sabonis.
The game environment with Morant back for the Grizzlies will be much more fantasy-friendly. There will be plenty of opportunity for Sabonis to rack up rebounds and threat for another triple-double. Sabonis ranks second on the Kings in scoring and leads the team in both rebounds and assists. He will be a popular option at the top of the pricing tier Sunday.
Value
Nic Claxton has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in four-straight games while averaging 10.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. He is projected for the highest ownership at the center position on FanDuel, given the matchup and the cheap $7,100 salary. Claxton’s blocks are also much more valuable on FanDuel than DraftKings. He has recorded three or more blocks in six of his last seven games. His defensive stats provide Claxton with a massive ceiling.
The Thunder have a strong defense, but they are abysmal on the glass. They rank 29th in rebounding percentage at 47.4% and allow opponents to scoop up 45.4 rebounds per game. Their small backcourt will have a tough time keeping Claxton off the glass. Claxton has also scored double-digit points in eight of his last nine games, so this is a great spot for a double-double.
Fast Break
Similar to Claxton, Chet Holmgren looks great on FanDuel with his defensive prowess. He ranks third in the league with 2.7 blocks per game. In his last seven games, Holmgren is averaging 20.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game while posting a positive Plus/Minus in six of those seven games. Holmgren’s usage rate has also skyrocketed with him getting more comfortable playing alongside Gilgeous-Alexander. He looks like a great option on DraftKings and FanDuel on Sunday.
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