This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
DraftKings excluded the Warriors-Nets game from their featured slate Sunday, so we will leave it out of this article. That leaves us with only three games to work with. When we have a slate this small I am more likely to fire up a few more GPPs than I normally would, along with my normal complement of cash lineups. The tradeoff of less variance usually means that any big cashes will be diminished with the inevitable duplicate lineup, which is why I'll also gravitate to any single entry contests that I can find.
First, a look at last evening. All of my cash games came through, albeit barely. The trio of Kuzma, Aldridge and McGee didn't perform well at all, but thankfully Oladipo, Larry Nance and Jrue Holiday boosted up my roster enough to squeak in a 100 percent cash win. There were plenty of ways to score big on Saturday in GPPs– sticking with Rubio, going back to Kemba Walker and DeRozan, and picking value guys like Rudy Gay and Dewayne Dedmon helped out the top performers.
Speaking of Rubio – we will have that question to ask once again on Sunday as they join the Suns as one of two back-to-back teams on Sunday. In Rubio we trust? The mere fact that he blew up on Sunday will make his ownership spike, so I am inclined to keep fading him until I see two worthy games in a row. The big injury question on Sunday involves Russel Westbrook. I doubt he would be in any of my lineups if he was healthy, but if he sits I'll find ways to stick Dennis Schroder ($5,500) wherever I could. The Devin Booker (hamstring) injury is still in play, and we saw on Saturday that the Suns really have no answer when it comes to filling that void, so exploiting that spot is definitely too high-variance for me to touch. The Wizards are still without Dwight Howard (back), so I think the small-ball approach employed by Washington is once again back in play. Markieff Morris (flu) may not join the fun on Sunday, which narrows that list (more on them below).
I could just run down all three games and identify the spots I like, but I prefer to stick to our usual format. So let's get to it.
I'll be endorsing three players at each position, along with a couple of additional players that hold equal weight in my predictions. When possible, I will endeavor to include a top-shelf target, a mid-range player and a low-cost value play in each spot.
GUARD
John Wall, WAS at LAC ($9,000): I know, incredibly chalky, but he might be the slate's pacemaker and you wouldn't want to fall behind in cash without him. I also feel like this might be the most favorable matchup for fantasy purposes, although all three games have positive aspects to them. Wall's lowest total this season is 45 DKFP against the Kings, and every other score has fallen in that range. I'd definitely endorse a stack here with Bradley Beal ($7,200) and just buy the Wizards backcourt. Beal's also been freakishly steady, although he lives more in the 35-40 DKFP range.
Luka Doncic, DAL vs. UTA ($6,700): A Wall/Beal/Doncic cash stack sure looks pretty to me, although ownership will be astronomical for all three of them. You can't deny Doncic's early production thus far as he's been about as steady as they come, with consistent totals in the 35 DKFP range. I am sort of curious as to when DraftKings will move him to PF as that's where he's playing. Ideally, we would see a designation soon that mirrors Ben Simmons, which would make him even more valuable.
Austin Rivers, WAS at LAC ($3,600): Right? Of course I love this sort of thing. Against his old team? In his old stadium? Against his DAD? You bet I am going to the well here for my tournament lineups. If anyone's motivated to get on the court on Sunday, it's Rivers. I can only hope that they'll give him ample opportunity to stick it to the Clippers. Meeting value should be fairly easy, but exceeding it might be a bit tough.
Other guards to consider: Donovan Mitchell, UTA at DAL, ($8,400)
FORWARD
Tobias Harris, LAC vs. WAS ($7,100): For my tastes, Paul George just looks a little cost-prohibitive on this slate. I think it's entirely likely that he'll put up 40 DKFP and possibly more, and there are certainly some low-cost plays out there, but I think Harris is the wiser play. As previously stated, the Wizards will probably play small, which should benefit Harris and Montrezl Harrell. Take the lower ownership here.
Danilo Gallinari, LAC vs. WAS ($6,300): I like the idea of spreading the Clippers on Sunday. I could just as easily slide to Joe Ingles ($6,600) at this price point, but he's going to be widely owned and his numbers have been trending down since the beginning of the season. Gallinari is a bit streaky but I think he has a better shot of meeting value in this matchup.
Kelly Oubre Jr., WAS at LAC ($4,900): When I correctly predicted Washington's small-ball strategy on Friday, I selected Oubre as the linchpin, and I'm going to go right back there on Sunday. I think it will still be a toss-up as to who will have the better score here, as Jeff Green ($4,000) could just as easily surprise us with a good stat line. The Clippers are tougher than the Kings defensively, so I won't jam them into my cash lineups, but both of them will definitely see some tournament exposure.
Other forwards to consider: Harrison Barnes, DAL vs. UTA ($5,600)
CENTER
Deandre Ayton, PHO at OKC ($7,700): The only time Ayton dipped below 40 DKFP was against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, and I think Steven Adams ($6,900) might be his second-toughest test this season. Both of them should have decent numbers but I think the $800 price difference will be worth the additional production you'll get here. I wouldn't say that every center at this price point is interchangeable, but I don't think you can go wrong with any of the top four on the list (Gobert, Jordan).
Montrezl Harrell, LAC vs. WAS ($5,200): I think Harrell will be highly owned, especially after he blew up against the Rockets earlier in the week. I don't think we will see that kind of night from him, but something in the realm of 30-35 DKFP is certainly possible. That total isn't likely to win you any tournaments, but it's a very attractive price point.
Although I will try to keep my cash lineups balanced, there are enough low-cost gems that can allow you spend up with guys like Paul George. I should mention a few of them to conclude the article. Players that could easily exceed value are Shae Gilgeous-Alexander ($3,900), Jerami Grant ($4,100) and Dwight Powell ($4,200). Finally, if you're not glued to the World Series or NFL all day, keep an eye on Westbrook's status and go with Schroder if he ends up sitting.
