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Whether you’re chasing or just not a football fan, there is always a Sunday NBA DFS slate waiting for you. These slates are not very big, so hours of research are not necessary. While everyone else dedicates their day to NFL, we can get ahead by digging into the three-game evening slate that starts at 6 p.m. ET.
Delay the work week a few more hours. Get in on some NBA DFS action, and start by enjoying another colorful weekend edition of the NBA Targets.
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Guard
Studs
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies vs. Washington Wizards ($10,100) — Let’s not get crazy and do something stupid. Just play Ja. Be serious. Don’t fool around. Don’t act crazy and mention an expert’s mistake. Play it safe and don’t stir the pot. Morant is as safe as it gets on a bare three-game slate. A slate with plenty of value bound to open up with key players set to miss. Morant disappointed DFS players on Friday with 33 DKFP, but he pleased Memphis fans with a 31-point win. The short-handed Hornets were down 23 to 4 halfway through the first. Morant and Memphis won’t have it as easy on Sunday.
Although Morant’s fantasy production has not been great of late, the larger sample size is hard to ignore. He carries the highest usage rate (34.6%) and FPPM (1.5) among the guards on this slate and his 31.5 minutes per game is in the top 10. You could get crazy and fade Morant on a three game slate. You could call it game theory. But undoubtedly, grown men would screenshot your DFS article and tweet it out. They’ll say, “Look at this mark.” And they will click, and read. And it will have worked again.
Value
John Wall, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz ($4,900) — “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” NBA fans — and especially NBA media — are certain that an NBA point guard’s career came to an end this week. Those same fans and media members were certain John Wall was done. Guess what — he ain’t dead yet! Wall is alive and well. He scored 28.75 DKFP as the skipper of the Clippers’ second unit on Friday night. Don’t believe it? Wall closed out the final 18 minutes of the game with 12 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds. Wall was a big part of LA’s comeback win in San Antonio and is likely the reason Kawhi Leonard is getting another day of rest.
Forward
Studs
Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz ($9,500) — The John Wall story is great but Paul George is the reason the Clippers won on Friday and pretty much everyday. His minutes are astronomical — 38, 37 and 38 minutes in the last three games. His usage rate in his three games this week is 32%. Like last season, the team is on his back again, and he has demonstrated a willingness the bear the load. Going back to Indianapolis, George hasn’t been the flashiest superstar. He’s been a blue collar grinder, carrying and sometimes dragging his team along. The beat doesn’t stop on Sunday, and it doesn’t slow down on Monday either with every NBA team in action. Most NBA stars would say, “No thank you,” but not George. This is the grueling slog that he eats up. The late night Sunday spotlight will shine on a quintessential Paul George 75-DKFP masterpiece (screenshots and retweets, please).
Value
Chris Boucher, Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls ($4,400) — This is a small slate and many heavy hitters may be missing. Plenty could be absent from this game alone. Fred VanVleet is questionable after missing a week. Pascal Siakam is doubtful on the front end of the back-to-back. Another piece of the front court could be out with Khem Birch questionable. This is a perfect situation for Boucher. He is hot and will be active with the thin roster. In the last three games, Boucher has scored 22.75, 37 and 32.75 DKFP with an average of 1.2 FPPM. It seems likely that he’ll get 30 minutes on Sunday night. Do the math. That’s 36 DKFP at $4,400 for 8x.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Fred VanVleet (back) will be available to play tonight vs. the Bulls. Khem Birch (knee) has been ruled out.
Center
Studs
Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors ($8,100) — Picking a center on a small slate can be tricky. When the player pool is small, the center selections are even smaller. Thankfully today, that is not the case. There are several stud, mid-range and value options available on this slate. The obvious pay-up spot is Vucevic. The Bulls could run a very limited rotation on Sunday. Zach LaVine is questionable, Derrick Jones Jr. is probable, and Andre Drummond and Coby White are out. Vucevic doesn't typically pick up a bunch of work with LaVine off the court, but with a thin lineup and LaVine struggling, Vucevic could again step up for the Bulls (48.5 DKFP on Friday night).
The minutes are consistently there (over 32 minutes in each of the last four games). The rebounds are as well, an average of 15 per game over that span. What’s not there is the shot. Half the time they fall, the other half they do not. He’s scored over 23 in two and under 14 in two. It’s a coin toss, but Sunday’s matchup should be better than a coin toss because the Raptors could be missing several players, notably in their frontcourt (Pascal Siakam and Khem Birch).
EDITOR’S NOTE: Zach LaVine (injury management) is listed as out for tonight’s game vs. the Raptors.
Value
Precious Achiuwa, Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls ($4,300) — When Siakam left the game on Friday night, Achiuwa played nearly the entire fourth quarter. The result was a 7x performance — 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and a block for 29.5 DKFP in 27 minutes. He should garner more minutes and more action on Sunday evening. With both Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam off the floor, Achiuwa’s 23.5% usage rate ranks just two percentage points from being the highest on the team (Scottie Barnes — 25.7%). Everyone will play the Raptors’ front court on Sunday night, and everyone will be right. Don’t overthink it.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.