Yahoo DFS Basketball: Sunday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Sunday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

This is the NFL's day, but we're going to keep grinding NBA profits. The only issue is that we only have two games on this Sunday card. It's an exciting slate, but it's going to be early. The games start at 2 p.m. ET and will be over before you miss any of the NFL festivities. There's plenty to discuss, so let's go ahead and get into it.

Guards

Trae Young, ATL at BOS ($40)

Trae is one of the most consistent players in DFS producing at least 35 Yahoo points in 46 of 50 games this season. That makes him really tough to fade on a small slate, especially since he's averaging nearly 50 fantasy points. We love that against Boston, with Young scoring at least 35 Y! in seven of his last eight meetings with the Celtics en route to a 46-point average. 

Buddy Hield, IND vs. MIN ($16)

Hield never seemed comfortable in his time with Sacramento, but he looked spectacular in his first game with Indiana falling just shy of a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. More importantly, he played 39 minutes and took 16 shots. That's the significant difference for Hield because the Kings continuously messed with his role. It's not like any other wings on this roster will take away his usage, and that's a fantastic sign for upcoming games. We love all of that against Minnesota, who are ranked fourth in pace and 22nd in total defense. 

Guard to Avoid

Derrick White, BOS vs. ATL ($25)

White was one of the Spurs' offensive focal points, but that's not going to be the case with the Celtics. He came off the bench in his debut while posting a 20 percent usage rate across 28 minutes. Both those numbers are concerning, and it's going to be tough for him to produce with Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown swallowing up so many touches.  

Forwards

Jayson Tatum, BOS vs. ATL ($40)

Tatum has been outstanding of late posting at least 34 Yahoo points in 15 of his last 16 games. He's also generating a 44-point average during that stretch while leading the Celtics in minutes, shot attempts and usage. All of that makes him a must-use on a two-game slate, with JT averaging 27 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks in his first two meetings with the Hawks. That's easy to understand when you see Atlanta ranks 24th in points allowed and 27th in defensive efficiency. 

Oshae Brissett, IND vs. MIN ($13)

Brissett was a darkhorse fantasy beast for a month last season, and it looks like we're going to get that again. Indiana shipped off Domantas Sabonis at the deadline, leaving Brissett with the starting PF gig. In that role on Friday, he collected 18 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks across 38 minutes. Anybody this reasonable getting that much court time is impossible to avoid, especially since he averaged 29.4 Yahoo points per game across 31 minutes to close out last season. And Brissett did that damage with Sabonis and Myles Turner, but neither is here to take away any of his minutes or touches. Not to mention, Minnesota surrenders the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing forwards. 

Forward to Avoid

John Collins, ATL at BOS ($26)

Collins was well on his way to another dud on Friday before departing with a heel issue. He had registered just 7.1 Yahoo points across 21 minutes in that stinker, marking the second game he's logged that amount of court time. It remains to be seen if that's an injury issue or ineffectiveness, but it's concerning nonetheless. Collins also scored 26 or fewer fantasy points 15 times this season. That's a terrifying floor at this salary, mainly since he's dealing with some sort of problem.  

Centers

Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN at IND ($40)

It's going to be tough to get Young, Tatum and Towns into your lineup, but it's imperative to get at least two of them. Big KAT is probably the most reliable of the bunch with at least 38 fantasy points in 21 of his last 22 games. He's also providing a 48-point average over that stretch with two of his three highest assist totals from the previous three games. If we see Towns continue to distribute like that, he'll always be a triple-double threat. The matchup with the Pacers is the icing on the cake as they're ranked 21st in points allowed and 25th in defensive efficiency ratings. 

Robert Williams, BOS vs. ATL ($28)

The Time Lord has been effortlessly stuffing the stat sheet averaging 10.6 points, 11 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.8 blocks over his last 23 games. None of those numbers might jump off the page, but it equates to a 39-point average. You can't ask for any more from a player in this salary range, especially against one of the NBA's worst defenses. 

Center to Avoid

Clint Capela, ATL at BOS ($21)

Capela can be a monster in a 30-minute role, but he's not even close to that workload right now. He's actually played 26 or fewer minutes in 13 straight, capping at 21over his last four appearances. That's an alarming trend, and it's becoming clear Onyeka Okongwu, Danilo Gallinari and Collins are stealing from his workload. That's even more concerning against a Celtics team that loves to play small-ball, with Cap collecting just 18.4 Yahoo points in this matchup two weeks ago.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Joel Bartilotta plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: Joelbartilotta Yahoo: Joelbartilotta.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joel Bartilotta
Joel has 20 years of Fantasy experience, and can recall riding a young Daunte Culpepper to a championship in the 2003-04 season in his inaugural fantasy year. He covers NBA, NFL, daily fantasy, EPL, and MLB for RotoWire.
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