Happy Mother’s Day! Sunday features a two-game main slate starting at 3:30 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 Knicks have a chance to finish off a sweep vs. the 76ers on Sunday. They were without OG Anunoby on the road in Game 3, but that didn’t stop them from picking up a 14-point victory. Anunoby is questionable once again Sunday, but the Knicks are still listed as 1.5-point favorites.
Jalen Brunson turned in his most complete game of the series sans Anunoby on Friday. He racked up 33 points, nine assists, and five rebounds in 38.3 minutes, resulting in 52.75 DraftKings points. Overall, he’s seen a +2.51% usage bump with Anunoby off the floor this season, resulting in an average of 1.22 DraftKings points per minute.
Ultimately, Brunson leads all point guards in median and ceiling projection, and he’s second in projected Plus/Minus. He also stands out as the best pure value at the position on DraftKings, given his 95% Bargain Rating.
Value
De’Aaron Fox has really struggled to get going in this matchup vs. the Timberwolves. He’s posted a negative Plus/Minus in all three games, scoring less than 30 DraftKings points in each contest.
However, Fox did see a nice bump in usage in his last outing. He posted a 28.3% usage rate, which was his top mark of the entire postseason. He simply didn’t shoot the ball well. Fox was just 7-for-19 from the field and 1-for-5 from 3-point range.
With some better shooting luck Sunday, Fox has the potential for a much stronger performance. He ranks first among point guards in projected Plus/Minus, and his price tag has come down significantly to just $6,700.
Fast Break
Tyrese Maxey has been extremely quiet against the Knicks. He posted just a 15% usage rate in Game 3, and he finished with just 31.5 DraftKings points. The Knicks have done an outstanding job against him defensively all series, but he’s going to have to be more aggressive if the 76ers are going to survive. He leads the position with 40.5 projected minutes, and that could end up being a conservative estimate: he’s played at least 43.9 minutes in back-to-back games. Maxey can do a lot of damage with that much playing time, and he leads all point guards with nine Pro Trends.
Ayo Dosunmu was limited to just 10.5 minutes in Game 2, but he saw a much larger workload in Game 3. He’s not listed on the injury report for Game 4, so he should be expected to handle close to his usual allotment of minutes. That makes him a solid buy-low target at $5,900. Dosunmu is projected for 32.5 minutes in our NBA Models, and he’s averaged a Plus/Minus of +6.82 with a comparable salary and minute projection this season (per the Trends tool).
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
Anthony Edwards is officially back. The superstar shooting guard was limited in the first two games vs. the Spurs, but the Timberwolves officially took off the safety harness for Game 3. He moved back into the starting lineup and finished with more than 40.5 minutes, and he responded with 62.5 DraftKings points.
If Edwards is going to continue to play that much, he’s undoubtedly too cheap at $8,000. He’s averaged 1.17 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he has massive upside even against an elite Spurs’ defense. Game 4 is essentially a must-win for Minnesota, so expect them to treat it as such.
Value
Stephon Castle was finally able to log a full workload in Game 3 vs. the Timberwolves. He fouled out with just 28.3 minutes in Game 1, and he saw just 24.3 minutes in the Game 2 blowout. Castle got up to 39.9 minutes Friday, and he responded with his best fantasy performance of the series.
However, Castle has the potential for even more. He averaged less than a fantasy point per minute in Game 3, but he was at 1.25 DraftKings points per minute in the first two games. He’s averaged 1.13 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so hopefully he’ll be able to combine the volume and efficiency in Game 4. He leads all shooting guards in projected Plus/Minus, and he’s second in that metric for the entire slate.
Fast Break
V.J. Edgecombe saw a clear reduction in value with Joel Embiid back Friday. He posted just a 13.9% usage rate, which was easily his lowest mark of the series. He was above 20% in each of the first two matchups, and he has a 19.1% usage rate for the playoffs overall. Expect Edgecombe to be a bit more aggressive Sunday. He’s already seen all the minutes he can handle, topping 40 in Game 3. With some better offensive efficiency, he has the potential to be a solid value.
If Anunoby is out for the Knicks once again, Landry Shamet would become an interesting punt play. Shamet saw more than 26 minutes for the Knicks in Game 3, and he was extremely productive when on the floor. He racked up more than 20 DraftKings points, and the Knicks outscored the 76ers by 20 points in those minutes. He likely won’t shoot 5-for-6 from the field again, but he has the potential to pay off his meager price tag.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with our Sleeper promo code.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Josh Hart was questionable heading into Game 3, but that didn’t stop him from logging more than 40 minutes for the second consecutive game. Hart wasn’t particularly effective in that contest, finishing with just 31.75 DraftKings points, but we know what he’s capable of for fantasy purposes. He’s not a major scoring threat, but he can do serious damage in the peripheral categories. He’s averaged 0.90 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, and he’s averaged more than 40 DraftKings points in 126 games with at least 36 minutes as a member of the Knicks.
Hart is projected for 37 minutes Sunday, and he has the top median and ceiling projections at the position. He’s not the most expensive option at small forward, which is a nice combination.
Value
Devin Vassell is expected to be the chalk at small forward. He’s projected for more than 53% ownership, which makes sense: he leads the position in projected Plus/Minus by a pretty wide margin.
Vassell is occasionally overlooked in San Antonio, but he has been a key part of their rotation all season. In both games where he’s played a full workload vs. the Timberwolves, he’s racked up a positive Plus/Minus. Overall, he’s averaged 0.83 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, which is more than good enough to pay off his $5,300 salary.
Fast Break
Paul George appeared headed to a monster game Friday. He finished with 15 points in the first quarter alone, but he racked up exactly zero points over the final three. His final stat line was a disappointing 29.75 DraftKings points in just under 38 minutes. However, George did have 42.0 DraftKings points in the game prior, and no small forward is projected to play more minutes Sunday. He also leads the position with an average of 0.92 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he’s another viable stud target.
Jaden McDaniels is coming off his best game of the series in Game 3. He saw more than 40 minutes, and he responded with 33.75 DraftKings points. McDaniels did that despite shooting just 5-for-22 from the field, so he has the potential for even more moving forward.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Karl-Anthony Towns has yet to see a full workload vs. the 76ers. He’s been limited to less than 27.5 minutes in all three contests, struggling with foul trouble in Games 1 and 3 while resting in the Game 2 blowout. That’s made it tough for Towns to put up big fantasy numbers.
Still, he has been very impressive when he has been on the floor. He’s racked up at least 35.0 DraftKings points in all three games, and he’s averaged better than 1.60 DraftKings points per minute in this series. He’s at 1.57 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he has been producing at an elite level for quite some time.
Towns probably won’t push 40 minutes in Game 4, but he’s projected for 31 minutes in our NBA Models. If he can eclipse the 30-minute threshold, he has the potential to do big damage. He leads all power forwards in ceiling projection, and he’s second in that metric for the entire slate.
Value
Julian Champagnie continues to deliver excellent production for San Antonio. He was not expected to be a huge contributor this season, but he appeared in all 82 games during the regular season. He earned a regular spot in the starting lineup, and he responded with career-highs in basically every category across the board.
Champagnie has kept the production rolling into the playoffs. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games, including 30.5 DraftKings points in his most recent outing. His salary continues to sit at less than $5,000, and Champagne has averaged a Plus/Minus of +4.05 with a comparable salary and minutes projection since the start of last season.
Fast Break
With Edwards taking on a more prominent role in Game 3, Julius Randle was relegated to the back seat. His 21.3% usage rate was his lowest mark of the series, well below his 29.3% mark in Game 1. He finished with just 20.5 DraftKings points, and most concerningly, he played just 31.2 minutes, although that may have also been due to picking up his fourth foul early in the third quarter. That said, we shouldn’t read too heavily into just one outing. Randle has a long track record of production, and his price tag is down to a palatable $7,300 on DraftKings.
Part of the reason for Randle’s reduced workload was the excellent play from Naz Reid. He had it all working Friday, and the Timberwolves gave him a few extra minutes as a result. He racked up 42.75 DraftKings points in just under 32 minutes, good for his best game of the postseason. If he sees another expanded workload Sunday, he could be a strong value once again. I like the idea of using one of Reid or Randle while avoiding the other.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
This is now officially Victor Wembanyama’s league. The Spurs’ uber-talented big man is still just 22 years old, but he’s looked unflappable in his first real taste of playoff action. He was magnificent in Game 3 vs. the Timberwolves, outdueling Edwards with 39 points on a ridiculous 13-18 shooting. Of course, he added his usual dominance in the peripheral categories, racking up 15 rebounds and five blocks.
Overall, Wembanyama finished with 73.75 DraftKings points, and there’s no reason he can’t do it again. He’s playing close to 40 minutes per game in competitive contests, and no one on the slate can match him from an efficiency standpoint. He’s averaged 1.74 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, giving him the top ceiling on the slate by a massive margin. His $11,000 price tag is also far cheaper than it was during the regular season, making him tough to avoid Sunday.
Value
Rudy Gobert is doing his best to combat Wembanyama. While it’s not really working, he has at least chipped in some solid production for DFS players. He was instrumental in the team’s first-round upset over the Nuggets, and he’s had a positive Plus/Minus in two of three games vs. the Spurs. The only exception was Game 2, where he played just 28.1 minutes in the blowout loss.
Gobert is projected for 33 minutes Sunday, and he ranks first on the entire slate in projected Plus/Minus. Center is easily the strongest position on this slate, but Gobert stands out as one of the day’s best values.
Fast Break
Embiid is officially listed as probable for Game 4, and he’s certainly worth considering at $8,600. His price tag comes with a 93% Bargain Rating, while he leads all players with 13 Pro Trends. Embiid didn’t look quite like himself in Game 3, but he’s been a monster for most of the postseason. He had at least 47.0 DraftKings points in each of his first four playoff outings, and while the Knicks have seemingly had his number, it should surprise no one if he gets back to that level Sunday.
Mitchell Robinson saw 19 minutes for the Knicks on Friday, which was his high-water mark in this series. That’s still not a ton of playing time, but Robinson is capable of being a high-impact player when on the floor, especially with Towns’ propensity for foul trouble. He’s averaged 1.06 DraftKings points per minute over the past month, so he can pay off his $4,000 salary with a comparable workload Sunday.
Pictured: Victor Wembanyama
Photo Credit: Jeese Johnson, Imagn
