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There are four games on Sunday’s NBA main slate with the 76ers vs. Thunder tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Jazz vs. Nuggets starts at 8:00 p.m. ET while the Pelicans vs. Kings tip-off at 9:00 p.m. ET. The late-night hammer is the Pacers vs. Clippers at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Let’s break down some of the top studs and values at each position to help you build your lineups.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Tonight’s 76ers-Thunder game has been postponed.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $400K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Point Guard
Stud
Malcolm Brogdon, Pacers @ Clippers, $8,700 – After opening up the season with fewer than 40 DKFP in four of five games, Brogdon has flipped the script and gone for over 40 DKFP in six of the past seven games with three over 50 DKFP. It’s a pace-down spot against the Clippers, but interestingly, Los Angeles is 25th in defensive efficiency while boosting the fantasy points per minute to the point guard position by 5.91% over league average.
Other Options – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($8,300), Mike Conley ($7,100)
Value
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Pelicans @ Kings, $4,900 – Lonzo Ball is out again so Alexander-Walker will get his third start in a row. In his first start, he exploded for 52.5 DKFP but he followed that up with a 17.25 DKFP stinker. As mentioned in the Brogdon blurb, the Clippers are generous to point guards while the Lakers are the best defensive team in the league and negate fantasy points per minute to point guards by 11.72% below league average.
Now Alexander-Walker gets a matchup with the Kings, who are 30th in defensive efficiency and have given up 131.7 points on average over the past seven games. Against point guards in particular? They boost fantasy points per production by a whopping 24.92% over the league average.
Other Options – Shake Milton ($5,900), Eric Bledsoe ($5,500)
Shooting Guard
Stud
Paul George, Clippers vs. Pacers, $9,500 – Looking at the numbers, the matchup isn’t great for George as the Pacers are eighth in defensive efficiency and negate the fantasy points per minute to shooting guards by 4.68% below league average. That was with Victor Oladipo, though, who is now in Houston. Edmond Sumner ($3,200) is expected to start, which should make this a much easier matchup for George.
There aren’t many high-priced options on this slate and George has one of the highest floor/ceiling combos at the position. On the season, he is averaging 1.28 DKFP per minute and 40.05 DKFP per game.
Other Option – Donovan Mitchell ($8,500)
Value
Edmond Sumner, Pacers @ Clippers, $3,200 – Sumner has started the past two games and played 31 and 20 minutes, with the latter being a blowout. With the Caris LeVert health news, Sumner should continue to start and play big minutes. He has attempted eight and 11 shots in his two starts and grabbed some rebounds while chipping in some steals. The usage rate has been 17 and 20—not great but not PJ Tucker-esque bad. On the season, Sumner is averaging 0.81 DKFP per minute.
Other Option – Gary Harris ($4,500)
Small Forward
Stud
Brandon Ingram, Pelicans @ Kings, $8,800 – This game has the highest total on the slate at 226.5 with the Pelicans favored by 2.5 points. The positional matchup is neutral in terms of fantasy points per minute compared to the league average. Ingram scored 36.25 and 36 DKFP in the past two games, but those were against the Lakers and Clippers. Things should be a little easier in this one. On the season, Ingram is averaging 1.22 DKFP per minute and 39.96 DKFP per game, tops on the team. He has also scored more than 50 DKFP in three games with a 61.25 DKFP outburst on opening night.
Other Option – Kawhi Leonard ($9,700)
Value
Josh Hart, Pelicans @ Kings, $5,100 – Did I mention that this game environment could be the juiciest on the slate? Did I stutter? Hart has started the past two games and played 29 and 38 minutes. He’s a low-usage player but will grab a ton of rebounds for his position and chip in some assists and steals. On the season, he’s averaging 0.78 DKFP per minute.
Other Options – Doug McDermott ($4,300), Kenrich Williams ($3,400)
Power Forward
Stud
Domantas Sabonis, Pacers @ Clippers, $9,800 – This will be a season-high price tag for Sabonis, which was reached one time last year. He produced 37.75 DKFP in that outing. That was last year, though, and this is a new season. Sabonis has been a model of consistency, notching a double-double in every game and scoring at least 40 DKFP in each contest. He’s gone over 50 DKFP in five games with one over 60. The matchup isn’t great, as the Clippers negate fantasy points per production by 8.03% below league average and nuke rebounding by 16.95%, but Sabonis may just be matchup proof.
Other Option – Zion Williamson ($8,100)
Value
JaMychal Green, Nuggets vs. Jazz, $4,400 – Green has not started a game this season and, more often than not, will play around 22 minutes per game. With that said, he’s scored double-digit points in six of the eight games and grabbed at least five rebounds in seven of eight. On the season, he’s averaging 1.08 DKFP per minute and has scored at least 19 DKFP in seven of eight games. He has a high of 28.25 DKFP in a game and played 28 minutes last outing, so there is access to a solid ceiling.
Other Option – Nemanja Bjelica ($3,200), as Marvin Bagley is questionable to play.
Center
Stud
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets vs Jazz, $11,200 – What’s there to say about Jokic at this point? He’s amazing, awesome, splendiferous and stupendous. He’s averaging a ridiculous 1.63 DKFP per minute and 53.94 DKFP per game. He has four triple-doubles on the season and the game is so easy for him that he’s decided to work on notching a quadruple-double (he fell three steals short against the Nets).
The matchup against Rudy Gobert isn’t a good one, as he neutralizes fantasy points per minute production to centers by 10% below league average. Jokic scoffs at matchups, though. Jokic’s totals in the past three games head-to-head: 28/4/10/3 steals, 30/21/10/2 steals and 30/11/7/3 steals. Those last two games were in the Orlando Bubble in which he played at least 40 minutes in each, so that skews the picture a bit. With that said, the bottom line is that he’s able to produce against Gobert.
Other Option – Steven Adams ($6,200)
Value
Dwight Howard, 76ers @ Thunder, $4,800 – Joel Embiid is out so Howard will likely make a second start in a row. Last night against the Grizzlies, he scored eight points while grabbing 18 rebounds and contributing three assists and three blocks, good for 39.5 DKFP. The important number is the 34 minutes he played.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Tonight’s 76ers-Thunder game has been postponed.
Other Options – Isaiah Roby ($4,200)
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $400K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
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