Sunday features a seven-game slate starting at 7:00 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.
NBA DFS Point Guard Picks
Stud
The Thunder have come out of the All-Star Break on a mission with a 22-point win over the Clippers and a 41-point victory over the Wizards. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to lead this up-and-coming team with back-to-back 30-point games while shooting 61.1% from the field. He has the highest projected ceiling on FanDuel and the second-highest on DraftKings in our Player Model. Gilgeous-Alexander’s league-leading 2.1 steals per game provide a positive boost to his outlook.
Gilgeous-Alexander leads the slate with the highest usage rate at 32.7% per game. He is averaging over 31 points per game for the second-straight season, and he is shooting a career-high 54.8% from the field. Looking to win their fifth-straight game, the Thunder are 6.5-point road favorites, implied for the third-highest total on the slate at 120.25 points.
Value
With CJ McCollum out, Pelicans point guard Jose Alvarado is popping as one of the best values on the slate. Not only is McCollum out, but Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are both listed questionable for Sunday’s game. Keep an eye on their status, as that would open up even more value for this team. Priced under $5,000 across the industry, Alvarado has the highest projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings and the second-highest on FanDuel. He is projected to play 30 minutes Sunday.
Alvarado is a cheap way to get exposure to the Pelicans, who are 3.5-point home favorites against the Bulls. In his seven games without McCollum this season, Alvarado’s usage rate jumps to 20.8% and he has averaged 17.2 DraftKings points per game. He is the ideal cash-game point guard given his slate-high 35% ownership on DraftKings and 50% on FanDuel.
Editor’s note: Alvarado has been suspended for his actions Friday against the Heat.
Fast Break
Priced a little higher than Alvarado on both sites is Jazz point guard Keyonte George, who is another elite value point guard. The rookie from Baylor has been moved back into the starting lineup and has averaged 20.7 points and six assists per game while shooting 51.1% from the field and 48.3% from behind the arc in his last three games. George is $5,300 on DraftKings and is drawing the fourth-highest ownership on the slate. Pairing him and Alvarado together builds a lineup filled with studs.
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
With shooting guard and point guard eligibility on DraftKings and FanDuel, Dejounte Murray is easy to fit into all lineup builds Sunday. Murray will get the luxury of playing without Trae Young, who is out with a finger injury. With Young off the floor this season, Murray leads the team with 719 minutes and a +6.9 DraftKings Plus/Minus. In his second year with the Hawks, Murray is averaging a career-high 21.5 points per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 36% from deep.
Despite his mid-range price tag, Murray has the highest projected ceiling at the shooting guard position. The Hawks are slight home underdogs to the Magic, but this is a sneaky good matchup for Murray. When the Magic play the second leg of a back-to-back, their defensive rating drops from 112.2 to 121.0. Murray is simply too cheap playing without Young in this spot.
Value
Another value guard on this slate on the Jazz is Collin Sexton. In his second year with the team, Sexton is averaging the second-most points on the team at 17.9 per game. He is shooting 48.5% from the field and 39.2% from distance while also averaging a career-high 4.6 assists per game. Priced under $7,000 on DraftKings and FanDuel, Sexton is going to be very popular with over 20% ownership on DraftKings and 30% on FanDuel. He has boom-or-bust tendencies, but he is too cheap.
What makes Sexton and George such good values is their matchup against the Spurs backcourt. The Spurs rank fourth in pace and 24th in defensive rating this season. With an elite shot blocker in the paint, most of the opponents’ production funnels to the perimeter. They are allowing opponents to shoot 38.5% from distance, which is the fifth-highest in the league.
Fast Break
On the opposite side of the Spurs and Jazz matchup is shooting guard Devin Vassell who is averaging a career-high 18.9 points per game. Vassell has scored 20-plus points in 11 of his last 16 games. The sharpshooter poured in five 3-pointers in his only matchup against the Jazz this season, finishing with 22 points. The Jazz are allowing opponents to shooting 39.1% from behind the arc, which bodes well for Vassell. This game is flooded with strong guard values, so choose wisely.
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NBA DFS Small Forward Picks
Stud
Sticking with the Jazz, Lauri Markkanen is putting together another great season. He is leading the team in scoring and rebounding while averaging a near double-double. Markkanen has been excellent from behind the arc this season, shooting 39.8% and making a career-best 3.2 per game. The Jazz have the highest implied total on the slate at 123.5 points, which makes Markkanen a fantastic option Sunday. Running the optimal lineup may come preloaded with three Jazz players.
In his only matchup against the Spurs this season, Markkanen dominated with a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double. He shot 12-for-17 from the floor and 5-for-9 from downtown. Markkanen finished with 54.5 DraftKings points, which would look great at his price tag Sunday. Prioritize Markkanen on FanDuel where he is only $7,900, resulting in a 91% Bargain Rating.
Value
Outside of Markkanen, the small forward position is rather weak for this seven-game slate. However, Jeremy Sochan is coming off of two great games since returning from the All-Star Break. In back-to-back games, Sochan is averaging a double-double with 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He accumulated four steals and seven assists, totaling an averaging of 37.9 DraftKings points per game. At $5,400 on DraftKings, that is a great value play with a 93% Bargain Rating.
Sochan shot the lights out in his only matchup against the Jazz this season. He scored 19 points while shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 from behind the arc. This matchup is juicy for everyone in this game environment. There are so many cheap options in this game, but don’t forget about Sochan, who is drawing much less ownership than the Jazz value.
Fast Break
Jerami Grant returned from the All-Star Break with a 25-point game against the Nuggets. Grant will draw a matchup against one of the worst defensive teams in the league with the Hornets. Opponents are shooting nearly 50% from the field against them and averaging 118.8 points per game. The total in this matchup between the Trail Blazers and Hornets is a slate-low 213.5 points, but Grant is reasonably priced with a ton of upside, especially if he is going to shoot 20-plus times like last game.
NBA DFS Power Forward Picks
Stud
What a season No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama has put together. Last game, he became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 5×5 game. Over his last four games, Wembanyama is averaging a ridiculous stat line of 24.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 5.8 blocks, 3.3 steals, and 66.8 DraftKings points per game. Among the pay-up options on this slate, Wembanyama is the most intriguing. He is reasonably priced with a massive ceiling in this matchup.
With his $9,600 price tag on DraftKings, Wembanyama has a slate-high 99% Bargain Rating and 12 Pro Trends. He has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in 18 of his last 22 games on DraftKings. Wembanyama had a mediocre game against the Jazz last time out, but given how well he has played recently, that is unexpected Sunday. He is an elite play in all formats.
Value
With Simone Fontecchio leaving the Jazz due to a trade, that has opened the door for more Taylor Hendricks playing time. The rookie from UCF has seen an increase in playing time recently with the Jazz on the outside looking in to the playoff picture. In his first career start last game, Hendricks had a near double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds while shooting 5-for-9 from the field in a career-high 26 minutes. He is projected to play around 27 minutes in this game.
At his dirt-cheap price tag, Hendricks is drawing the second-highest projected ownership on the slate for both DraftKings and FanDuel. The only downside to Hendricks is he is power forward-only eligible. However, he is a staple in cash games and an incredible way to pay down in tournaments. Hendricks has double-double upside at an extremely cheap salary.
Fast Break
Zion Williamson has recorded a positive Plus/Minus in seven of his last nine games. If he is able to play, Williamson is a great option without CJ McCollum and potentially Brandon Ingram. There will be someone who breaks away from this game as an elite play, whether that is Williamson, Ingram, or a value option. The Bulls are an exploitable matchup, especially on the road with their 11-17 record away from home. If Williamson is playing, he is the preferred option with how great he has played recently.
NBA DFS Center Picks
Stud
The center position has plenty of firepower on this seven-game slate, but no one can touch the ceiling of Nikola Jokic, especially if Jamal Murray is unable to play again. Last game without Murray, Jokic recorded yet another triple-double with 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 14 assists. With Murray off the floor this season, Jokic has a team-high +2.78% usage rate and a +2.42 DraftKings Plus/Minus. For a player who already looks great, Jokic could look even better if Murray is unable to play.
In his last game playing on the road against the Warriors, Jokic dominated with 34 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds while shooting 13-for-16 from the field. Jokic has been much more aggressive offensively, but it all comes down to whether his salary is worth it. There is plenty of value on this slate, but Jokic is drawing less than 5% ownership on both sites.
Jokic is an easy way to be contrarian on this slate.
Value
Nick Richards has been a serviceable backup with Mark Williams still out due to injury. Richards recorded another double-double last game with 11 points and 13 rebounds against the Warriors. It was his second-straight game finishing with over 30 DraftKings points since the All-Star Break. Over his last six games, Richards is averaging a near double-double with 12.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. His consistency scoring and rebounding makes him a strong value play once again.
The Trail Blazers are another team like the Hornets with nothing to play for. They currently rank 23rd in both defensive rating and rebounding percentage at 48.8%. This is another great chance for Richards to capture a double-double. Given the poor shooting on both ends of the floor in this matchup, Richards will get plenty of opportunity to capture double-digit rebounds.
Fast Break
Domantas Sabonis has been drawing more ownership on recent slates, but it is not nearly enough. He leads the league with 19 triple-doubles and has recorded one in six of his last eight games. Sabonis also has captured a positive Plus/Minus in 15 of his last 17 games. The Clippers have been an elite defense, but Sabonis can fill up the stat sheet in a variety of ways. Priced barely over $10,000 across the industry, Sabonis is a great play who is only drawing around 15% ownership.
