This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
After another successful Saturday slate, we're back to the grind for this Sunday card. We have eight games spread throughout the day, with seven making up the main slate. It's rare to have seven on a Sunday, but we're grateful to see so many teams in action. Many big-name players have brilliant matchups, so we'll do our best to offer up a stud and value play at each position. With that in mind, let's start with my favorite play on the slate.
Guards
Devin Booker, PHX vs. HOU ($35)
People were panicking about Phoenix in the offseason, but this is still one of the best teams in the NBA. Booker is the main reason why, leading the team with 29.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. He's also scored at least 44 Yahoo points in all but one game while topping the Suns in shot attempts and usage. If Booker logs his usual 35 minutes and takes his typical 20 shots, he should go rack up the stats against Houston. The Rockets ranked last in defensive efficiency last year and are surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing SGs this season. In four meetings last season, Book produced at least 47 fantasy points in all of them.
Josh Richardson, SAS vs. MIN ($16)
It looked like Richardson's career was winding to an end, but he's found a resurgence in San Antonio. This rebuilding team has been riding him as a starter in the absence of Devin Vassell with over 30 minutes in both outings since DV went down. Richardson's also recorded a combined 65 Y! points in those starts while dishing out 16 assists as one of the primary ball-handers. This is one of the league's worst rosters, and he appears to be their veteran presence. Minnesota isn't a bad matchup either having ranked 25th in total defense last year.
Guard to Avoid
Klay Thompson, GS at DET ($22)
Klay is a future Hall-of-Famer, but he's been slow to get going. The sharpshooter hasn't exceeded 26 Yahoo points in any of his five outings while only averaging 19 Y! points. That's a nightmarish total from a player in this salary range, especially since he's also seeing his minutes capped. Klay has collected just 12 rebounds, 12 assists, one steal and one block for the year, and that lack of stat-stuffing makes him a tough sell in DFS. Not to mention, this is a back-to-back for the Warriors and we could see Thompson sit.
Forwards
Mikal Bridges, PHX vs. HOU ($24)
Bridges doesn't offer the most expansive offensive bag, but he's elite at everything else. Mikal has made his money through defense and reliability, missing only 19 games since being drafted in 2018. He's done that while logging 36 minutes a night since the start of last season while registering at least 28 Yahoo points in four of five games this year. That sort of floor is incredible from a sub-$25 player, especially since Bridges should be asked to do more in the absences of Jae Crowder and Deandre Ayton. Facing the Rockets is the best part of this as they're allowing the most fantasy points to opposing small forwards. In their most recent meeting last season, Mikal dropped 44 Yahoo points in his second-best game of the campaign.
Bol Bol, ORL at DAL ($12)
It's wild that this Bol Bol experience is actually a thing, but all of the injuries in Orlando have opened up the rotation. They're missing Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz, Moritz Wagner, and Jonathan Isaac, leaving Bol with the most expansive role of his career. That's led to him receiving a minute increase in five straight outings while averaging 30 Y! points across 23 minutes a night in his last three. That's all you can hope for from such an affordable player, and it's tough for Orlando to keep Bol off the floor with so many players filling the training room.
Forward to Avoid
Julius Randle, NYK at CLE ($30)
Randle was the man in New York last season, but he's now sharing the spotlight with Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett. Those two stepping up have sunk Randle's numbers with 32 or fewer fantasy points in three of five games. He's seen the decrease because of his diminishing role with his usage rate cut by nearly 10 percent. Randle's also playing fewer minutes and taking fewer shots, making him a tough sell against a Top-5 Cleveland defense.
Centers
Nikola Jokic, DEN at LAL ($56)
We have plenty of value on this slate, so using Jokic should be mandatory. This is the safest bet in DFS as he's posted at least 39 fantasy points in all but two games since the start of last season. He's also averaging 60 Yahoo points since 2020 where he's earned back-to-back MVPs. A 40-point floor and 60-point average have made Jokic the most dangerous player in DFS, and he's a beautiful pairing with all of the cheaper options. LA's lackluster defense makes him even more enticing, with the Lakers surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing centers last year. The Joker has also offered a floor of 51 Y! points in each of his last five head-to-heads with the Lakers, falling just shy of a triple-double average.
Bismack Biyombo, PHX vs. HOU ($12)
This play is predicated on the status of Deandre Ayton, but Biyombo is one of the best plays on the board with Ayton expected to miss out. That would likely earn him the starting center job, and he collected 34 Y! points in the game where DA got hurt. We've seen Biyombo blow up in this role in the past averaging 33 Yahoo points per game in the 11 games he logged at least 20 minutes last year. He did that damage splitting minutes with JaVale McGee, but that's not going to be an issue anymore since McGee is in Dallas. We obviously don't mind that Houston is the best matchup in fantasy.
Center to Avoid
Kristaps Porzingis, WAS at BOS ($32)
I love KP as a player, but he's becoming tough to trust in DFS. He's letting Bradley Beal take over the offense while failing to crack 40 Yahoo points in all five games. Porzingis used to flirt with a 40-point average, and it's really discouraging since he hasn't taken more than 16 shots in any outing. The limited role and disappointing output become even scarier against the Celtics, who posted the best defensive rating in the NBA last season. That was on full display when KP only recorded 26 fantasy points in their most recent matchup.
