Sunday features a five-game main slate starting at 7 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 Pelicans are stuck in a weird spot at the moment. They have no real shot at making the playoffs, but they also have no incentive to tank. They traded away their first-round pick during last year’s draft, which could look extremely foolish following the lottery.
However, the fact that they’re still trying to win games is a positive for DFS players. Dejounte Murray has returned to the lineup after missing more than a calendar year with an injury, and he has been extremely productive. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in each of his past four games, and he’s averaged an elite 1.31 DraftKings points per minute. His playing time has been monitored in his return to the lineup, but he did get to 29.8 minutes in his last outing.
Murray is projected for a similar workload Sunday, and he draws an elite matchup vs. the Wizards. They rank sixth in pace and 29th in defensive efficiency, and the Pelicans have the top implied team total of the day. Murray ranks first at the position in projected Plus/Minus, and he also has the second-highest ceiling projection.
Value
The Bulls have the potential to be pretty shorthanded Sunday. They’ve already ruled out five players, and four others are listed as questionable.
That should allow Tre Jones to handle a decent workload. Jones has averaged 0.86 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s been even better than that recently. He’s logged at least 26.75 DraftKings points in three of his past four games, with 21.0 vs. the Thunder’s elite defense the lone exception.
Jones remains underpriced at $5,100, resulting in an 86% Bargain Rating. He’s projected for 26.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and Jones has averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.56 with a comparable salary and minute projection so far this season (per the Trends tool).
Fast Break
The Magic are another team with a few key injuries. Franz Wagner remains out of the lineup with a high-ankle sprain, while Anthony Black exited Saturday’s contest after just two minutes and is listed as questionable Sunday. That leaves Jalen Suggs as one of the team’s top offensive options. He’s averaged 1.18 DraftKings points per minute with Wagner and Black off the floor this season, and he could see a slight uptick in minutes as well. He has the third-highest optimal lineup rate at the position in Sim Labs, and it exceeds his projected ownership by roughly 5%.
Russell Westbrook is clearly not the same player he was in his prime, but he’s still capable of putting up solid fantasy performances. He’s scored at least 39.0 DraftKings points in back-to-back games, and the Kings simply don’t have a ton of available bodies in the backcourt at the moment. If he can get back to 30+ minutes, there’s no reason why he can’t excel in a strong matchup vs. the Bulls.
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
Trey Murphy is another potential stud option for the Pelicans. He got off to a slow start this season, but he’s up to 21.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, all three of which represent new career-highs. He’s also provided his usual scoring efficiency, knocking down better than 47% of his field-goal attempts and 38% of his 3-pointers.
Murphy has delivered three straight quality outings for fantasy purposes, finishing with 38.5, 43.25, and 41.0 DraftKings points. He leads all shooting guards with nine Pro Trends on Sunday’s slate, and he has the top optimal lineup rate at the position by a wide margin.
Value
Toumani Camara has been carrying a heavy workload for the Blazers recently. He’s logged at least 39.5 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s coming off 40.5 DraftKings points in his most recent outing.
Camara isn’t projected for quite that much playing time Sunday, but his 34.5 projected minutes still rank second at the position. He’s averaged a respectable 0.84 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he has a solid chance to deliver value with that much playing time. He trails only Murphy in terms of optimal lineup rate, while he’s fifth at the position in projected Plus/Minus.
Fast Break
If you’re looking for a punt play in the backcourt, Jevon Carter could be your guy. He’s averaged 0.80 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he could see an uptick in minutes if Black is unable to suit up.
Nique Clifford is coming off just 21.3 minutes in his last outing, but that stands out as a clear outlier. He played at least 39 minutes in each of his three previous contests, and he responded with a positive Plus/Minus in each. Clifford is expected to return to 30-plus minutes Sunday, making him an interesting bounce-back target against a weak Bulls defense.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Desmond Bane hasn’t fit as seamlessly into Orlando’s offense as most were hoping before the start of the season. He’s still scoring the ball efficiently, shooting 48.5% from the field and 39.3% from 3-point range, but his scoring numbers are down compared to his final few seasons in Memphis. He also hasn’t had the team-wide impact that many expected, with Orlando jumping to merely 18th in offensive efficiency this season.
However, Bane is coming off a big performance Saturday, finishing with 30 points in a big win over the Timberwolves. He could be looking at another expanded workload if Black is sidelined Sunday. He’s seen a team-high +4.68% usage bump with Black and Wagner off the floor this season, and he’s averaged 1.16 DraftKings points per minute in that split.
Bane ultimately has one of the top ceiling projections at the position, and he provides a slight discount compared to guys like Kevin Durant and Deni Avdija. That makes him the best pure value among the high-priced options.
Value
The Bucks are running out of time to make one final push for the playoffs. They’re currently 4.0 games behind the red-hot Hornets for the No. 10 seed in the East, but the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo makes anything possible. He suited up for the team Saturday and propelled them to a comfortable win over the lowly Jazz.
Even with Giannis back, Ousmane Dieng still carved out a comfortable role in the rotation in the team’s last outing. He logged 32.1 minutes and responded with 35.0 DraftKings points. Dieng has averaged 0.91 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games.
Dieng is projected for another 29 minutes Sunday, and if he’s going to play that much, he’s a very tough fade at just $3,900. His price tag comes with a 95% Bargain Rating, and players with comparable salaries and minutes projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +3.29.
Fast Break
Isaac Okoro isn’t the same level of per-minute producer as Dieng, but he checks a lot of the same boxes on Sunday’s slate. He’s projected for 29.5 minutes at just $4,300, so he’s another cheap source of volume at small forward. He also draws a superior matchup against the Kings, making him an interesting pivot off the much-chalkier Dieng.
Bilal Coulibaly has had an opportunity to shine for the tanking Wizards in recent games. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven of his past nine outings, and he’s coming off more than 34 minutes in his last contest. Coulibaly has averaged 1.11 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, giving him excellent upside at $5,300 if he sees a comparable workload vs. the Pelicans.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Zion Williamson isn’t dominating in the same fashion he did in his early years, but he’s at least been pretty reliable for the Pelicans this season. He’s in the midst of one of the best streaks of his career in terms of availability, suiting up in 37 of the team’s past 38 games.
Williamson hasn’t provided a ton of fantasy upside during that stretch, but he’s hovered right around 40 DraftKings points per game. That’s perfectly acceptable at $7,900. It’s possible that this matchup vs. the Wizards could be the perfect blowup spot for Williamson.
Value
Tristan da Silva looks like one of the biggest potential beneficiaries of Black’s injury for the Magic. He got up to 31.6 minutes Saturday, and he’s projected for another 31 minutes on Sunday’s slate. That’s an extremely appealing prospect for fantasy purposes. The big man has averaged 0.87 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s priced very affordably at just $4,600. He’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.86 with a comparable salary and minutes projection so far this season, and he leads the position in projected Plus/Minus on Sunday.
Fast Break
Julian Champagne has moved into the Spurs’ starting lineup in recent weeks, and the results have been excellent for the team and him personally. For fantasy purposes, he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games, including 34.75 DraftKings points in his most recent contest. He’s averaged 0.98 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and his $4,800 price tag has yet to reflect his increased role.
Could the Kyle Kuzma move finally start to pay dividends for the Bucks? Probably not, but he is coming off 29.5 DraftKings points in just under 29 minutes Saturday. He’s averaged just under a fantasy point per minute over the past month, and he’s expected to see a comparable workload vs. the Magic. It’s enough to put him on the radar as a value play.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Breaking news: Victor Wembanyama might not be human. It’s hard to look at that guy and think that he and I are part of the same species. Wemby was limited to just 21.6 minutes in the Spurs’ last outing, but that didn’t stop him from posting 54.0 DraftKings points. That’s ridiculous per-minute efficiency, and he’s up to 1.88 DraftKings points per minute over the past month. No one on this slate can come close to matching that figure.
Wembanyama draws a difficult matchup Sunday vs. the Rockets, but he should return to his usual number of minutes. He also stands out as one of the best pure values on DraftKings. His $10,800 salary comes with a 98% Bargain Rating, which is simply too cheap for the type of ceiling he brings to the table. He owns the top optimal lineup rate at center and the top ceiling projection on the entire slate.
Value
It’s hard to look past what Precious Achiuwa has done for the Kings recently. He’s gotten the opportunity to play big minutes with most of the team’s top big men on the shelf, and he’s responded with some massive performances. Overall, he’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +11.98 over his past 10 games, and he ripped off 59.5 DraftKings points in the team’s last outing.
Achuiwa is up to $6,100 on DraftKings, but it’s hard to argue he isn’t worth it. He’s averaged 1.18 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s projected for another 32 minutes vs. the Bulls. As long as he continues to see a big workload, there’s no reason to expect much different moving forward.
Fast Break
Jay Huff is another potentially underpriced big man on Sunday’s slate. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in back-to-back games, and he’s coming off 33.5 DraftKings points in 33.2 minutes in his last outing. Huff has averaged 1.03 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so $5,100 is a very fair price tag vs. the Blazers.
Donovan Clingan has a wide range of outcomes, but there’s no denying his ceiling. His minutes have been a bit volatile of late, but he has an elite ceiling when he gets to 30 or more. He’s averaged 1.49 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which trails only Wembanyama among Sunday’s centers. His optimal lineup rate exceeds his projected ownership, so he could be a bit undervalued on this slate.
Pictured: Victor Wembanyama
Photo Credit: Scott Wachter, Imagn
