A dozen NBA teams are taking the floor this Sunday night, setting up what should be a fun night of DFS fantasy basketball action to start the new month. It looks like it’s going to be a wild night with some exciting games on the board, and a few options stand out as great places to start your roster with multiple players from the same team in NBA DFS stacks, due to matchups and opportunities. The three teams listed in this post are in strong positions to form the core of your DFS fantasy basketball lineups this Sunday.
Several teams are missing key pieces, so keep a close eye on the daily injury report, where you can keep track of who is in and who is out for this slate. Many big names are already out or questionable, which opens up value from the rest of their rosters while filling in. Be sure to check the latest injury news before tip-off and adjust your lineup if needed.
The NBA DFS main slate includes various contests and payout structures on DraftKings, headlined by the NBA $200K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st].
Toronto Raptors vs. Utah Jazz
The Jazz have been a top team to stack against all season, allowing more points per game than any team in the NBA this season. They have also given up more points per game in their last 10 than any other team in the NBA, surrendering 129.2 points per contest and allowing opponents to shoot over 50% from the field and 39.6% from long range. Positionally, shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards have all averaged more fantasy points per game against the Jazz than any other team in the NBA, while point guards average the second-most fantasy points per game against Utah.
The Raptors are mostly healthy coming into this matchup, with Jakob Poeltl the only major absence.
Core Plays: Scottie Barnes ($9,200) has produced over 42 fantasy points in five of his last six games and has a great matchup to produce in multiple categories. He has at least three blocked shots in three of his last four games as well and is stuffing the box score in multiple categories. Brandon Ingram ($8,000) had 35 points in 35 minutes on his way to 47.75 fantasy points on Friday and has at least 38 fantasy points in three of his last four. Immanuel Quickley ($7,100) and RJ Barrett ($6,100) have also been playing well, although Barrett is still ramping up after missing a couple weeks of action. He did play 31 minutes on Friday, though, so he’s mostly back up to speed.
Value Options: Collin Murray-Boyles ($5,900) has been helping to fill in for Poeltl, and the rookie has scored double-digit points in six of his last seven games with at least 30 fantasy points in six of those contests, highlighted by a masterclass against the 76ers that earned him 52.75 fantasy points. Ja’Kobe Walter ($3,600) returned from injury and has had a few good games, offering some spike potential if he gets more time due to the game flow, while Sandro Mamukelashvili ($5,400) always has a high ceiling since he is a “microwave” scorer who can make the most of the minutes he gets against the very beatable Jazz frontcourt.
Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat
The Heat and Bulls played Thursday in Chicago and Saturday in Miami, and the two teams will face off again on Sunday. While the Heat won in Chicago, the shorthanded Bulls won despite several absences on Saturday. They’ll get some reinforcements for the second game of the road set, but they’ll also still have plenty of work for several of Saturday’s stars to continue their momentum.
Nikola Vucevic ($7,900) and Coby White ($7,300) are back in the mix after resting Saturday, but Jalen Smith, Josh Giddey and Tre Jones are all still sidelined, with Kevin Huerter ($4,600) potentially joining them after getting a questionable tag. The Bulls scored 125 points in their Saturday win, and they will be ready to keep the party going in South Beach on Sunday night.
Core Plays: Without Giddey and possibly Huerter, White will step into a big role with the potential to go off. The Heat allow the third-most fantasy points per game to point guards, and White has been able to regularly produce 40 fantasy points with Giddey off the floor. Ayo Dosunmu ($5,600) was the highlight of the Bulls’ stack I broke down Saturday, and he delivered with 29 points, nine assists and 56.5 fantasy points in his 36 minutes. With White to help him out, he won’t have to carry all the workload, but he still brings lots of upside after producing 29+ fantasy points in seven of his last 10, regardless of the rotation around him. Matas Buzelis ($6,200) chipped in 21 points and 36.5 fantasy points in 33 minutes in Saturday’s win as well.
Value Options: In an expanded role, Isaac Okoro ($3,700) had 20 points and 28.2 fantasy points on Saturday and should continue to get work with Smith out of the mix. Patrick Williams ($3,200) could also get plenty of minutes after playing 34 minutes on Saturday and posting 25.5 fantasy points.
Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns
The Clippers listed James Harden (personal) as out on Sunday afternoon, which opens up a lot of usage across the entire Clippers rotation. Harden has been very versatile this season, playing in 44 of his team’s 47 games. He missed one game in mid-December against the Thunder and one in early January against the Warriors. The January one especially gives us an idea of what to expect for this matchup. Other than Harden, the Clippers should have most of their regular recent rotation.
Core Plays: Without Harden, Kawhi Leonard ($9,100) will be the clear focus of the offense and can be the centerpiece of the Clippers’ stack. He had over 50 fantasy points in the last game Harden missed and has over 37 fantasy points in every one of his 12 games this January. John Collins ($5,500) has scored double-digit points in six straight games and is coming off 37.5 fantasy points against the Nuggets on Friday, and he can be a solid secondary option to partner with Leonard.
Value Options: Without Harden, Kris Dunn ($4,800) and Kobe Sanders ($3,700) will likely pick up most of the extra work in the backcourt. Sanders started and played 36 minutes against the Warriors the last time Harden was sidelined, scoring 20 points to go with seven rebounds on his way to 32.75 fantasy points. Sanders has played plenty of minutes lately, but he has had lower usage in his recent role. Getting him under $4,000 makes him a key bargain with good upside as you build your lineups and DFS NBA stacks for Sunday.
