Sunday features a seven-game 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.
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Note: Projections and Leverages Scores/Ratings may change throughout the day after this article is posted. The NBA DFS landscape changes quickly.
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NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
Despite the sticker-shock pricing on Luka Doncic, he has delivered in a big way. Through five games this season, Doncic is averaging nearly a triple-double with 35.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 9.4 assists. He has scored nearly 70 DraftKings points per game and still leads the league with a 40.7% usage rate.
The Mavericks are almost double-digit favorites at home against the Magic, who just got their first win on Friday night. With Jalen Brunson gone, the Mavericks don’t have a second creator on their team, so Doncic has to do everything. He has a triple-double in back-to-back games, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he went for three straight Sunday.
Value
He’s not a household name quite yet, but Jaylen Nowell has been playing superb basketball for the Timberwolves to start the season. On a star-studded team, Nowell ranks second behind Anthony Edwards in usage rate at a career-high 27.9%. It’s only a matter of time until Nowell gets more than 21.5 minutes per game.
This is the third time the Timberwolves have played the Spurs already this season, as they have split their two first games. The Timberwolves are 5.5-point road favorites, and they have the highest total on the slate at 120.5 points. Nowell’s price has come up, but not enough given the usage rate he has leading the Timberwolves second unit.
Fast Break
The Warriors are on a back-to-back, but Stephen Curry is expected to play as of right now. Keep a close eye on our news dashboard, but Curry leads the league with five 3-pointers made per game and is shooting 41.7% from downtown. He is priced under $10,000 on both DraftKings and FanDuel and is a strong contrarian option.
Veteran Chris Paul leads the slate on both DraftKings and FanDuel with the highest projected Plus/Minus. He is tied for the league-lead in assists with 10 per game, but he has scored a career-low 9.2 points per game. With such high assist numbers and hosting the Rockets, Paul is a major threat for a double-double Sunday.
NBA DFS Shooting Guard Picks
Stud
Sticking with the Suns backcourt, Devin Booker is the go-to stud shooting guard. With Paul forgoing scoring the ball, even more usage is going to Booker, who is averaging a career-high 29.2 points per game. He is shooting 51.5% from the field and 41.4% from behind the arc, which are both also career-highs.
This matchup against the Rockets is one of the best fantasy environments an opponent can have. Last season, the Rockets ranked second in pace and had the worst defensive rating in the league. They are trending in a similar direction this year, making Booker a very strong play with the Suns implied for 120 points.
Value
Celtics Marcus Smart has increased his DraftKings scoring in each of his four games this season, and he could be in for a little bit more of a workload if Malcolm Brogdon, who is questionable, does not play. Smart leads the Celtics with a career-high 6.2 assists per game while scoring double-digit points for the fourth-straight season.
The Celtics are 8.5-point favorites at home against the Wizards, who have been decent defensively now that they are fully healthy. This will likely be a slugfest, as this game has the second-lowest total on the slate at 221.5 points. Smart will likely play over 35 minutes and is priced too cheap on both sites for this matchup.
Fast Break
In his first season with the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell has a career-high 33.4% usage rate as he continues to play without Darius Garland. Mitchell has scored over 30 points in four of his five games, going for a season-high 41 points in his last game. He is a very strong contrarian play with his rising salary on both sites.
Anthony Edwards is one of the best tournament plays whenever the Timberwolves are on a slate. He leads the team in usage rate and has been a boom-or-bust type of player since entering the league. With the highest total on the slate, Edwards feels like a necessity to get some exposure to on this slate.
NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
LeBron James leads the Lakers in points and assists this season, and Los Angeles is still searching for its first win of the season. It may not come Sunday, as they are 3.5-point road underdogs against the Nuggets. James is a great play, but he’ll look even better if Anthony Davis is out for the second-straight game.
Using our On/Off Tool, James has the highest DraftKings Plus/Minus increase on the team with Davis off the floor. He averaged 32.9 points per game in 34 games without Davis last season. The Lakers have their backs against the wall, which is when targeting James can pay off, as he can score the most points on the slate when he goes into desperation mode.
Value
With Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan and Josh Richardson all out Sunday, more minutes will be given to veteran Doug McDermott. In his last two games, McDermott is averaging 14 points on 11.5 field-goal attempts per game. He can also get it going from the perimeter, which makes him an enticing value play.
This game between the Spurs and Timberwolves is the most intriguing game to attack Sunday with a slate-high 235.5 points. It is tough to avoid, and with most of the Spurs players seeing increased prices, McDermott remains relatively cheap on both sites. He is a cheap way to get exposure to the best game of the night.
Fast Break
Suns forward Cameron Johnson leads the forward position on DraftKings with the highest projected Plus/Minus in a great spot against the Rockets. Prioritize Johnson on DraftKings, as most of his production comes from his shooting from behind the arc. 57.1% of his field-goal attempts have come from downtown this season.
Franz Wagner had a disappointing last game, but did start at point guard for the Magic, which provides plenty of upside. With Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony still out, Wagner will likely draw another start at point guard Sunday. Expect a bounceback game for Wagner despite a tougher matchup against the Mavericks.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
Jayson Tatum has proven to be matchup proof, as he has big games against any opponent. However, Tatum gets a juicy matchup Sunday against the Wizards, who ranked 25th in defensive rating last season. Tatum is off to an incredible start, averaging a career-high 32.4 points per game while shooting 56% from the field.
There are plenty of stud options on this seven-game slate, but Tatum has the third-highest ceiling in our model for DraftKings and FanDuel while being priced significantly lower than Doncic and Nikola Jokic. Coming in at sub-20% on both sites, Tatum is a great way to get different in this game against the Wizards.
Value
Dean Wade is the lowest-priced player on DraftKings and FanDuel in this article, which automatically makes him intriguing in a stars-and-scrubs lineup build. Wade played a season-high 39 minutes last game. Even with a low usage rate and at-times minimal production, playing that many minutes will make Wade pop in our model.
Through five games, Wade only has one game where he scored over 20 DraftKings points, and that was against the Wizards earlier this week. Most of the usage has been given to Donovan Mitchell, but 76.2% of Wade’s shots have come from behind the arc, which makes him more enticing on DraftKings with the 3-point bonus.
Fast Break
Karl-Anthony Towns has seen a major decrease in his rebounding production with the addition of Rudy Gobert, but Towns still has upside and is worth taking a chance on with a falling salary. Towns has three-straight games with a positive Plus/Minus on FanDuel and is a great way to get exposure to the highest implied total on the slate.
Another expensive power forward option, Anthony Davis will be a strong option if he plays, as the Lakers need a win in the worst way. Davis is a monster when he plays, averaging nearly a double-double with 24 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Watch the news, but you could get Davis at very low ownership if he is good to go.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
Nikola Jokic is the clear-cut top center option on the slate in a road matchup against the Lakers. Anthony Davis is questionable, and if he is out, Jokic should feast on this extremely undersized frontcourt. It is a surprising the back-to-back MVP winner has a 22.8% usage rate this season. Expect that to rise, but playing alongside a healthy Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. hasn’t been great for Jokic’s numbers thus far.
Despite being 0-5, the one saving grace for the Lakers has been a defense that ranks second in Defensive Rating (103.8), coming into Sunday’s games. It is only a matter of time until Jokic starts playing up to his caliber again. Don’t be discouraged by the slow start; Jokic is still a great play Sunday.
Value
Jakob Poeltl continues to produce for the Spurs at the center position. He has a double-double in four-straight games, averaging 15 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. This is the third time that Poeltl has played the Timberwolves frontcourt, and obviously he feels comfortable in this spot as he has a double-double in both meetings.
With so many Spurs out, Poeltl is projected to play over 30 minutes and has four assists in each of his last three games. He has the highest projected Plus/Minus at the center position on DraftKings on Sunday. The center position is wide open outside of Jokic, and Poeltl is a great player to target in this projected high-scoring game.
Fast Break
Rudy Gobert leads the league with 15.2 rebounds per game in his first season with the Timberwolves. Averaging 15 points as well, Gobert should continue to dominate the paint. The Spurs have allowed the sixth-most points in the paint this season which is where Gobert lives. Locked in for a double-double, Gobert can have another big game.
With Deandre Ayton out for the Suns, Phoenix will start Bismack Biyombo at a very cheap salary. In only 23 minutes last game when Ayton was injured, Biyombo exploded for a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Playing against the Rockets, Biyombo has a chance for another dominant performance despite limited playing time.
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