Sunday features a five-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
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The Suns are not in an ideal spot Sunday. They’re coming off a grueling double-overtime win Saturday, and they suffered a couple of additional injuries in that outing. They were already without Devin Booker for at least the next week, while Dillon Brooks and Jordan Goodwin went down vs. the Magic. We’re still waiting on the team’s official injury report, but they could be very shorthanded Sunday vs. the Blazers.
Collin Gillespie should be one of their primary offensive facilitators. Gillespie has already had a great season for Phoneix, coming seemingly out of nowhere to average 13.3 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. For fantasy purposes, he’s averaged 0.96 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Gillespie is currently projected for 33 minutes in our NBA Models, and he should see a nice uptick in production with the team missing a few of its top contributors. He’s seen a +5.76% usage bump with Booker and Brooks off the floor this season, and he’s averaged 1.14 DraftKings points per minute in that split.
As long as he’s not too fatigued after logging nearly 45 minutes Saturday, he should be able to provide excellent value at his current salary. He leads the position in projected Plus/Minus.
Value
Tanking was a huge talking point across All-Star weekend, and the Wizards are clearly one of the teams that is tanking hardest at the moment. They traded for two former All-Stars who have yet to suit up this season, while Kyshawn George, Justin Champagnie, and Tristan Vukcevic are all questionable for Sunday.
Alondes Williams has gotten the opportunity to play solid minutes for the team in the past two games, and he’s turned in two excellent performances. He had 21.75 DraftKings points across 27.7 minutes on Thursday, and he followed that up with 51.5 DraftKings points across 29.5 minutes on Friday. Overall, he’s averaged 1.28 DraftKings points per minute in his limited playing time, and he’s projected for another 28 minutes Sunday vs. the Hornets.
Williams has gotten a bit more expensive following his massive outing on Friday, but he’s still massively underpriced on DraftKings. His $4,000 salary comes with a 99% Bargain Rating, and he has the top Sim Labs optimal lineup rate at the position.
Fast Break
The 76ers are another team on a back-to-back Sunday, so we’re still waiting to see who will be in the lineup. That said, expect Tyrese Maxey to continue to carry a massive workload, just as he has all season. He leads the position with 37 projected minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s coming off 49.75 DraftKings points in the first leg of the back-to-back. The 76ers are moderate underdogs vs. the Timberwolves, but this game has the top total on the slate by a wide margin.
Jose Alvarado was instrumental in the Knicks’ comeback win over the Rockets on Saturday, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of five games with New York. He’s averaged better than a fantasy point per minute in New York, so he doesn’t need a ton of playing time to potentially return value. The Knicks also draw a fantastic matchup Sunday vs. the Bulls, ranking second on the slate with a 121.5 implied team total.
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
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The Timberwolves are currently in sixth place in the Western Conference standings, but there’s just one game separating them and the third-place Nuggets. There’s still plenty of time for them to move up before the start of the playoffs and look to make their third straight Western Conference Finals.
Anthony Edwards is coming off a 40-point performance in his last outing, and he has plenty of scoring potential again Sunday. He’s taking on the 76ers, who are 26th in defensive efficiency over their past 15 games. The Timberwolves are implied for 124.0 points in this matchup, which is the top mark on the slate.
Rudy Gobert will also miss this game due to a suspension. While Edwards might not be the biggest beneficiary of his absence, he has averaged 1.33 DraftKings points per minute in that split this season. That represents a nice increase from his average of 1.26 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
Value
Quentin Grimes hasn’t been nearly as good for the 76ers this year as he was down the stretch last season, but his path to playing time is a bit clearer at the moment. The team traded away Jared McCain, while Paul George is currently serving a 25-game suspension.
Grimes is currently projected for 27.5 minutes in our NBA Models, while his salary has dipped to just $4,400. That’s a reasonable combination. Players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +1.97 (per the Trends tool).
Grimes ultimately ranks second at shooting guard in projected Plus/Minus, trailing only Williams.
Fast Break
Kon Knueppel has exceeded even the loftiest expectations during his rookie season. He’s coming off another outstanding performance Friday, finishing with 49.0 DraftKings points in a loss to the Cavaliers. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past five outings, and he’s averaged 1.13 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. With Coby White out with an injury and Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate still serving suspensions, expect another strong performance vs. the 76ers.
Josh Hart stands out as one of the most undervalued options at the position in Sim Labs. His projected ownership is roughly 5% lower than his optimal lineup rate, and he’s always a threat for a huge game. He’s put together three straight subpar outings, but he erupted for more than 55 DraftKings points four games ago.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
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Small forward stands out as one of the weaker positions from a value standpoint. That makes the idea of paying up for Jaylen Brown more appealing than usual. Brown has been tremendous for the Celtics all season, averaging career highs in virtually every category across the board. For fantasy purposes, Brown has averaged 1.42 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s coming off 64.75 DraftKings points in his last outing.
Brown draws a matchup vs. the Lakers on Sunday in what is expected to be the most competitive game of the day. The Celtics are favored by just 1.5 points, and no one is projected for more minutes at small forward.
Brown has the top ceiling projection at the position by a pretty comfortable margin, and he ranks first in optimal lineup rate as well.
Value
Isaac Okoro is not a particularly exciting option, but he’s been getting the job done for fantasy players of late. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in five of his past six games, including four straight. He’s had at least 28.25 DraftKings points in two of his past three, so he’s displayed just a smidge of upside as well. Okoro is projected for another 31 minutes Sunday vs. the Knicks, and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.59.
Fast Break
Royce O’Neale should see plenty of minutes for the shorthanded Suns. He hasn’t been particularly effective with those minutes of late, averaging just 0.77 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, but that hasn’t always been the case. He’s averaged 0.85 DraftKings points per minute with Booker and Brooks off the floor this season, so he could be a bit more productive Sunday. He leads all small forwards in projected Plus/Minus, and he’s projected for less than 10% ownership.
Ayo Dosunmu is still getting his feet wet with his new team, but he’s averaged better than a fantasy point per minute over the past month. He’s projected for 28.5 minutes in a great matchup vs. the 76ers, so he has plenty of appeal at a reduced $5,200 price tag.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
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With Gobert out of the lineup, the Timberwolves’ remaining big men should get a nice bump in value. That starts with Julius Randle. He’s been the team’s No. 2 option behind Edwards all season, and he’s scored at least 54.75 DraftKings points in two of his past three games. He ranks second at the position in projected ceiling Sunday, making him a solid pay-up option at just $8,500.
Value
Grant Williams has been thrust into a larger role for the Hornets with Bridges and Diabate serving their suspensions, and he’s taken full advantage. He’s scored at least 25.5 DraftKings points in three straight games, including 33.75 DraftKings points in his last outing. He’s averaged 0.92 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for a healthy 27.5 minutes Sunday vs. the Wizards. Williams is still underpriced at $4,300, resulting in an 86% Bargain Rating, making him one of the best value plays of the day.
Fast Break
Matas Buzelis could be a bit undervalued for tournaments. His projected ownership is about 5% lower than his optimal lineup rate, and he should be one of the Bulls’ featured offensive options down the stretch. The team has undergone a massive transformation following the trade deadline, with Nikola Vucevic, White, and Dosunmu all finding new homes. Buzelis has averaged 1.11 DraftKings points per minute with all three players off the floor this season, and he’s projected for 30 minutes in our NBA Models.
Ryan Dunn could be an interesting punt play for the Suns. He’s priced at just $3,300, but he’s projected for 24.5 minutes vs. the Blazers. That’s not a ton of playing time, but players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.77. That’s enough to put Dunn into consideration.
NBA DFS Center Picks
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With all due respect to Randle, Naz Reid stands out as the strongest option in the Timberwolves’ frontcourt. Reid has always been an elite per-minute producer, but his workload isn’t always the strongest. With Gobert now out of the equation, the coast is clear for Reid to see a full complement of minutes. He’s currently projected for 31.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged an outstanding 1.25 DraftKings points per minute over the past month.
That makes Reid an absolute steal at his current price tag. His $5,900 salary comes with a 99% Bargain Rating, and Reid has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +8.99 with a comparable salary and minute projection. He has the top optimal lineup rate of the day, so he should be a staple for most lineups.
Value
Oso Ighodaro is another excellent option to consider at center. He’s very affordable at just $3,900, but he’s projected for a healthy 27 minutes on Sunday’s slate. Ighodaro has averaged 0.93 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games. That includes a double-double in his last outing.
Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between Ighodaro and Reid. Reid can be used at power forward, so you can play both without even using one in the flex spot.
Fast Break
Joel Embiid missed yesterday’s contest for the 76ers, but his status for Sunday is still unknown. However, if he can’t go, Andre Drummond would be another potential value target. Drummond isn’t the same per-minute monster that he was in his prime, but he’s still averaged a very strong 1.11 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four of his past five games, and he’s had more than 31 DraftKings points in three of them. You’ll gladly take that type of production from a $4,600 player.
Karl-Anthony Towns is priced at just $8,000, which feels a bit cheap for him. He’s coming off a subpar showing in his last outing, but he had scored at least 42.5 DraftKings points in five of his prior six outings. He’s averaged 1.40 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he has plenty of upside against a weak Bulls interior Sunday.
Pictured: Naz Reid
Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson, Imagn
