Sunday features a seven-game main slate starting at 6:00 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.
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NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
With the Trail Blazers likely sitting both Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons for the rest of the season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets the slight nod as Sunday’s top point guard option. Over the last 10 games, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 33.7 points per game, and the All-Star is shooting a career-best 51% from the field this season. After back-to-back seasons of 22 and 24 wins, the Thunder have a chance to earn their first playoff berth in three years.
The Trail Blazers are quickly becoming one of the best spots for an opposing team. Not only are Lillard and Simons out, but they also rank 27th in defensive rating (117.3), as opponents are shooting 48.8% from the field against them. Gilgeous-Alexander has had his way against the Trail Blazers this season, averaging 35.3 points per game while shooting 52.5% from the field in three games. He is arguably the best pay-up option on the entire slate.
Value
There are several Trail Blazers players worth getting exposure to on this slate with Lillard, Simons, Jerami Grant, and Jusuf Nurkic all out. Rookie guard Shaedon Sharpe is averaging a +10.7 DraftKings Plus/Minus and a team-high in minutes played with all four of those players off the floor this season. In his last two games, Sharpe is averaging 39 minutes per game, and he has scored 24 points in back-to-back games.
Sharpe’s salary on both DraftKings and FanDuel has come up, but it is deserving as he will likely be their main fantasy producer moving forward. The Trail Blazers may be nine-point home underdogs, but this should be an up-tempo game, as the Thunder rank third in pace and are allowing 116.3 points per game. Don’t be intimidated by the rising price tag; Sharpe is one of the better value plays on both sites with Lillard and Simons out.
Fast Break
Winners of three consecutive games, the Warriors find themselves in the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. Getting fully healthy, especially Stephen Curry, has provided a big boost to their production. Curry continues to lead the league with 4.9 3-pointers made per game while averaging a team-high 29.6 points per game. The Warriors are 6.5-point home favorites against the Timberwolves, and both teams rank in the top five of pace this season. Playing in a potential barn burner, Curry looks like another strong pay-up guard option on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
There is optimism that Anthony Edwards will be back in the lineup Sunday after missing the last three games due to an ankle injury. The Timberwolves have actually been off since Wednesday, so they should all be well-rested going into this matchup against the Warriors. Edwards was playing at an elite level before his injury, with five-straight games making double-digit field goals and three-straight games with 53-plus DraftKings points.
Karl-Anthony Towns is back, but Edwards is deserving to be the top option on the Timberwolves, as he is averaging a career-high 24.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. Both players are questionable, so make sure to keep on eye on their status‘ the closer we get to lock. Not only do the Warriors’ play at the fastest pace in the league, they are allowing 118 points per game. It’s a great spot to back Edwards if he is able to suit up.
Value
Second-year pro Keon Johnson is expected to get extended playing time with all of the Trail Blazers out for the foreseeable future. Despite only being projected to play 21 minutes, Johnson still rates out extremely well in our model. He played 26 minutes last game in his first action in a week. During that game, Johnson finished with 12 points, six assists, two rebounds, and four steals. He had a +18.17 DraftKings Plus/Minus, which is very encouraging.
Johnson is another player who needs to be prioritized on DraftKings, where he is only $3,500 with a 98% Bargain Rating. He was getting valuable minutes in early November and put up a couple of double-digit scoring games. However, with the Trail Blazers basically out of the playoff picture, they will likely play Johnson as many minutes he can handle to see what they’ve got in him. That bodes well for Johnson to rack up fantasy points.
Fast Break
Donovan Mitchell remains incredibly cheap on DraftKings at $8,500, which is resulting in a 93% Bargain Rating. On FanDuel he is $1,000 more expensive, as the Cavaliers are 14-point favorites against the Rockets. It is difficult to envision this game staying competitive, but that doesn’t mean Mitchell can’t have a ceiling game. He has scored 31 points in back-to-back games and will feast on the Rockets, who rank 29th in defensive rating this season. Prioritize Mitchell on DraftKings, where he can easily reach value even if this game gets out of hand.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Arguably the biggest news on the slate is what are the Celtics going to do with Jayson Tatum. He is questionable to play with a hip injury, and the Celtics are still 16-point home favorites against the Spurs. They are implied to score a slate-high 124 points, as the Spurs rank last in defensive rating while allowing a league-high 122.3 points per game. If Tatum plays, he is the best pay-up option among all positions in this cupcake matchup.
Tatum has been a little inconsistent recently, but a Spurs matchup will make sure he gets right. He is still averaging a career-high 30.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, and he has scored 30-plus in six of his last nine games. In his only matchup against the Spurs this season, Tatum scored 34 points while shooting 50% from the field and beyond the arc. The 16-point spread would imply that Tatum is playing, but make sure to keep an eye on his status.
Value
Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. are both questionable, but both look like really strong values plays on DraftKings and FanDuel. Barnes has sat out back-to-back games, while Will Barton has started in his place. Between the three of these players, one of them is going to have a big game. It all depends on who will be available to play. The best option of the three is definitely Barnes, who is averaging 15.5 points per game in his second year in the league.
Before his injury, Barnes was playing heavy minutes and stuffing the stat sheet with points, rebounds, and assists. Trent Jr. has also missed back-to-back games with his own injury, but we know he can get it cooking from the perimeter, and this is a good matchup to do so as the Wizards are allowing opponents to shoot 36.6% from downtown. Barton is the cheapest of the three and would greatly benefit if both Barnes and Trent Jr. remain out tonight.
Fast Break
The small forward position is flooded with players who are questionable to play or already ruled out. If Jayson Tatum is ruled out, Jaylen Brown will likely be one of the highest-owned players on the slate. In four games without Tatum this season, Brown is averaging a double-double with 29.8 points and 10 rebounds while playing 40 minutes per game. He may not be needed for 40 minutes Sunday, but Brown can dominate in his projected 36 minutes. Brown also leads the slate with 12 Pro Trends on FanDuel and eight on DraftKings.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Pascal Siakam has been on a tear recently, with four double-doubles in his last five games and averages of 25.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game while shooting 52.7% from the field. He has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in each of his last five games and is projected to play a slate-high 37.1 minutes tonight. For the second-straight season, Siakam leads the league in minutes with 37.5 per game, and he is leading the team in scoring and rebounding.
The Raptors and Wizards split their two games in early March, and Siakam struggled to score in both meetings. For what it’s worth, Siakam is playing completely different recently than he was during that time. He also shoots the ball significantly better at home compared to on the road. In such a huge game for the Eastern Conference play-in tournament standings, expect Siakam to continue his brilliant play and stuff the stat sheet once again.
Value
Trendon Watford has power forward-only eligibility on FanDuel, and he is by far the best value play on the slate. He is projected for a whopping 68.3% ownership on FanDuel given his position eligibility and power forward being a weaker spot in general on this slate. Watford has shown a massive ceiling playing without Jusuf Nurkic and Jerami Grant. Playing against a smaller Thunder frontcourt will bode well for the athletic Watford.
In the six games that Watford has started, he is averaging a near double-double with 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while shooting 50.8% from the field and 41.7% from behind the arc. Watford’s versatility makes him a tough cover for any team, let alone the Thunder who rank 26th in rebounding percentage and middle of the pack in points allowed in the paint this season. Prioritize Watford on FanDuel given his power-forward eligibility.
You can also make Watford a priority in Underdog’s pick’em game, where his points over pops in our projections.
Fast Break
Over the last five games, Jaren Jackson Jr. has been dominant scoring the ball, as he is averaging 28.4 points per game while shooting 58.2% from the field. Per usual, Jackson Jr. has also been a stud defensively with 2.6 blocks per game over that time. He leads the league with three blocks per game on the season, while the Hawks are allowing 5.1 per game, which is tied for the seventh-highest in the league. The Hawks rank 27th in points allowed in the paint with 54.1 per game, making this an elite matchup for Jackson Jr. to continue his high-scoring streak.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
It has been a struggle for the Wizards in the month of March. They have lost nine of their last 12 games, with their only three wins coming against the Pistons twice and the Spurs in their last game. Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma remain out, as the Wizards are a few games away from being eliminated from the play-in tournament. From a fantasy perspective, no Beal and Kuzma means an increase in usage rate and production from Kristaps Porzingis.
With Beal and Kuzma off the floor this season, Porzingis has a team-high +6.9% usage rate and a +2.2 DraftKings Plus/Minus. His usage rate climbs to 34.4% in 320 total minutes of action, which is a big enough sample size to say he is worth getting exposure to in the upper pricing tier. This is a must-win game for the Wizards to stay alive in the playoff hunt, so expect Porzingis to give it everything he’s got in this spot against the Raptors.
Value
Drew Eubanks represents our last Trail Blazers value play, as he is center-only eligible on DraftKings and center- and power forward-eligible on FanDuel. Eubanks has the highest projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel. He is way too cheap in this great matchup, especially when he is projected to play 27 minutes. Like the rest of the Trail Blazers value, Eubanks has a sky-high ownership on both sites, making him impossible to avoid.
Eubanks has seen his playing time get pulled in every which way, but with Jusuf Nurkic out, he will likely stay in the starting lineup. In his 21 starts this season, Eubanks is averaging 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 64.5% from the field. His power-forward eligibility on FanDuel makes up for his higher salary. Overall, he is probably best utilized on DraftKings, where he is only $4,000 with a 93% Bargain Rating.
Fast Break
Evan Mobley is coming off of another massive double-double, where he recorded 26 points and 16 rebounds against the Nets. He may have a repeat performance against the Rockets, who are allowing 118.7 points per game, which is the second-highest in the league. Mobley played 40 minutes in his last game, which may not be needed tonight as the Cavaliers are 16-point favorites. However, with his scoring, rebounding, and block potential, Mobley can feast in this matchup in limited playing time. He is another center worth getting exposure to on this seven-game slate.
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