Sunday features a five-game main slate starting at 7 p.m. ET.
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
Is it possible that the Suns are… actually not that bad? They were expected to be one of the worst teams in the Western Conference after trading away Kevin Durant this offseason, but they’ve more than held their own to start the year. They’ve won eight of their first 13 games, and they’re currently ninth in the league in Net Rating.
Devin Booker is a significant contributor to their success. He’s averaging 28.5 points and 7.0 assists per game, and he’s shooting a career best 50% from the field. If he can continue to combine that level of volume and efficiency, the Suns could be relevant all year.
For fantasy purposes, Booker has averaged an excellent 1.28 DraftKings points per minute. That’s the second-best mark among Sunday’s point guards, trailing only Steph Curry. Booker is also projected for a position-best 36 minutes in our NBA Models.
Ultimately, Booker owns not just the top ceiling projection at point guard, but the top ceiling projection on the entire slate. It’s a night without a ton of the best players in fantasy, so Booker carries more appeal than usual.
Value
The Pelicans fired head coach Willie Green on Saturday after a disastrous 2-10 start to the year. The fact that this team traded away an unprotected first-round pick in 2026 during last year’s draft remains one of the most mind-boggling decisions in recent memory.
The Pelicans could get a bit healthier Sunday, with Zion Williamson upgraded to questionable after missing the past six games. However, Jeremiah Fears should provide value regardless of Williamson’s status. He’s coming off 42.0 DraftKings points in his last outing, and he’s averaged 0.98 DraftKings points per minute during his rookie season. He should see around 30 minutes Sunday vs. the Warriors, and his $5,100 salary comes with a 93% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
The Magic are going to be without two key players Sunday. Paolo Banchero will miss his second straight contest, and Jalen Suggs will join him on the sidelines. That opens the door for Anthony Black to take over as the team’s starting PG. He’s currently projected for 32 minutes in our NBA models, and he’s averaged a solid 0.81 DraftKings points per minute for the year. That makes him one of the stronger values of the day at just $4,600.
Jrue Holiday continues to prove that he still has some gas left in the tank. Not much was thought about the Blazers’ decision to acquire him this offseason, but he’s averaged 16.7 points, 8.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game. The result is an average of 1.18 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s projected for 35 minutes Sunday vs. the Mavericks. He’s still too cheap at $7,300.
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
Shaedon Sharpe got off to a pretty dreadful start this season from a shooting standpoint. He shot just 32.6% from the field and 23.7% from 3-point range across his first six outings, and his fantasy production suffered as a result.
Thankfully, he’s bounced back since then. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in six straight games, and he’s scored at least 35.0 DraftKings points in five of them. That includes a game with more than 50 DraftKings points earlier this week.
Ultimately, Sharpe is up to 1.20 DraftKings points per minute for the year, which is an elite figure for his price tag. He ranks third at the position in projected ceiling and second in projected Plus/Minus, making him a nice combination of value and upside.
Value
Collin Gillespie isn’t seeing a ton of minutes for the Suns, but he’s making the most of his playing time. He’s averaged 1.1 DraftKings points per minute for the year, and he’s posted an average Plus/Minus of +4.54 through his first 13 games.
Gillespie’s price tag has crept up to $5,100 for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Hawks, but he still stands out as an appealing option. He ranks first at the position in projected Plus/Minus, and the Hawks have struggled against guards this season. He owns an Opponent Plus/Minus of +2.83, which is the second-best mark at shooting guard.
Fast Break
Desmond Bane didn’t show out in his first game without Banchero, finishing with just 28.25 DraftKings points. That said, he did see just under 40 minutes vs. the Nets, so he could be looking at another expanded workload Sunday. Bane has increased his production to 0.96 DraftKings points per minute with Banchero off the floor this season, so there should be bigger performances ahead.
Max Christie isn’t the most exciting option, but he’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in eight of his past nine games. He’s had at least 30.25 DraftKings points in three of his past four, and he’s played at least 34.1 minutes in two straight. Christie is projected for 31 minutes at just $4,900, and players with comparable salaries and minute projections have historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +2.15 (per the Trends tool).
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Franz Wagner was also a slight disappointment in his first game without Banchero. However, he did operate as the team’s clear-cut No. 1 option. He posted a 29.7% usage rate, which was his second-highest of the year. Wagner has seen a team-high +5.84% usage bump with Banchero off the floor, and he’s averaged 1.22 DraftKings points per minute in that split.
That gives him a solid outlook Sunday vs. the Rockets. Houston has a tough defense, but Wagner still owns the top ceiling projection at small forward. He also ranks first at the position in projected minutes (35.5) and Pro Trends (10).
Value
Jerami Grant’s minutes have been all over the place recently. However, he’s coming off just under 29 minutes in his last outing, and he’s projected for a comparable workload Sunday.
If Grant is going to play that much, $5,500 is simply too cheap for him. He’s averaged better than a fantasy point per minute for the year, and the Blazers have one of the top offensive outlooks on this slate: their 119.25 implied team total is the third-best mark.
Fast Break
It could be time to buy in on Ace Bailey. He’s moved into Utah’s starting lineup of late, and he’s responded with a positive Plus/Minus in four straight games. He’s posted a usage rate of at least 20.9% in three of them, and he racked up a season-high 36.25 DraftKings points in his last outing. This game between the Jazz and Bulls also figures to be the best of the day by a wide margin. It leads the slate with a massive 243.5-point total, and the Bulls are listed as just 4.5-point road favorites.
The Mavericks are expected to be without Anthony Davis once again, but P.J. Washington has been upgraded to probable. He should step right back into a big role for the Mavericks, and he’s averaged 1.02 DraftKings points per minute for the year. With Davis off the floor, that figure increases to 1.12.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
The Warriors are coming off a thrilling win over the Spurs on Friday, with Steph Curry pouring in a season-high 49 points. Jimmy Butler wasn’t quite as impactful, but he continues to do a little bit of everything for Golden State. He’s averaged 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while shooting better than 50% from the field and 45% from 3-point range. The result is an average of 1.19 DraftKings points per minute, and he’s scored at least 48.25 DraftKings points in two of his past four games.
That gives him plenty of upside for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Pelicans. New Orleans has been a disaster to start the year, ranking just 28th in defensive efficiency. The Warriors are implied for 119.0 points in this matchup, and Butler has the third-highest ceiling projection at power forward. He also ranks second in projected Plus/Minus.
Value
Jabari Smith Jr. is still just 22 years old, and he continues to show signs of improvement at the NBA level. He’s averaging a career-best 14.9 points per game, and he also owns the best field goal and 3-point percentages of his career.
Smith is coming off back-to-back strong performances, finishing with 34.75 DraftKings points vs. the Blazers and 33.0 vs. the Wizards. He didn’t crack 30 minutes in either of those blowout wins, so he could’ve been even better if the games were more competitive.
Smith is projected for 32 minutes Sunday vs. the Magic, and he’s averaged a respectable 0.87 DraftKings points per minute. That gives him a good chance to pay off his $5,400 price tag.
Fast Break
Kyle Filipowski was a per-minute monster as a rookie, and he’s started to show glimpses of that form recently. He’s had at least 28 DraftKings points in three of his past four games, despite playing 21.7 minutes or fewer in each of them. Filipowski should see a similar workload in an elite matchup vs. the Bulls, and he provides plenty of upside at his current price tag.
Jalen Johnson is coming off 92 DraftKings points in his last outing, finishing with 31 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists, and seven steals vs. the Jazz. There aren’t many players who can provide that type of stat line, especially on this slate. Johnson’s price tag has jumped up to $9,100 for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Suns, but that’s justified based on his average of 1.46 DraftKings points per minute. He’s projected for roughly 10% ownership on a small slate, making him an interesting contrarian pay-up option for tournaments.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Jusuf Nurkic has been underpriced for most of the season, and Sunday’s matchup vs. the Bulls is no exception. He’s moved into the starting lineup to replace the injured Walker Kessler, and he’s responded with some huge performances. He’s coming off 45.5 DraftKings points in his last outing, finishing just two assists shy of a triple-double.
Nurkic has always been an elite per-minute producer, and he’s averaged 1.19 DraftKings points per minute so far this season. He can do a lot of damage with around 30 minutes of playing time, and he has way more upside than usual in a juicy matchup vs. the Bulls. Nurkic owns a massive +14.91 Opponent Plus/Minus, with Chicago hemorrhaging fantasy points to opposing centers to start the year.
Value
It’s taken a long time to get to someone for the Bulls on this slate, who lead all teams with a 124.25 implied team total. That said, it’s been worth the wait. Jalen Smith stands out as one of the strongest value plays on the entire slate.
Smith isn’t projected to see a ton of minutes vs. the Jazz, but he makes up for it with elite per-minute efficiency. He’s averaged 1.31 DraftKings points per minute, which is the third-highest mark among Sunday’s centers. The two players above him are priced at $7,100 or higher, so Smith’s $4,000 salary looks like a massive discount.
Smith has posted a positive Plus/Minus in six of his past seven games, and he has some upside too: He’s gone for at least 30.5 DraftKings points in three of those outings. He leads all players on this slate in projected Plus/Minus, and he figures to be one of the most optimal players in Sim Labs.
Fast Break
Daniel Gafford is seeing the majority of the center minutes in Dallas with Davis currently sidelined. He’s played at least 26.6 minutes in back-to-back games, and he’s capable of averaging well over a fantasy point per minute. His $5,000 price tag comes with an 86% Bargain Rating, so he’s underpriced on DraftKings.
Alperen Sengun is another potential contrarian pay-up target. He doesn’t figure to garner a ton of attention in a tough matchup vs. the Magic, but he has one of the highest ceiling projections on the slate. He finished with 66.5 DraftKings points in a near triple-double in his last outing, and he’s only failed to return value once in his past six games. The exception was a blowout win where he saw just 27.8 minutes, so he’s playing extremely well at the moment.
Pictured: Devin Booker
Photo Credit: Jerome Miron, Imagn
