FanDuel NBA: Sunday Value Plays

FanDuel NBA: Sunday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.

Sunday's all-day slate features seven games and a host of modestly priced players with some upside; exactly what we're looking for in tournaments. There are also plenty of expensive pieces to pay up for such as Damian Lillard, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry and James Harden, so the value is especially important. Let's dive into where to get the best bang for the buck Sunday:

POINT GUARD

T.J. McConnell, PHI at NY ($5,000): McConnell averaged 22.5 fantasy points in two meetings against the Knicks this season, and he's coming off 33.6 fantasy points against the Hawks on Friday night. He'd also scored 20.1 to 29.9 fantasy points in nine of the prior 10 games, solid upside for his price. New York also makes for a viable target, as it allows 40.3 fantasy points per game to point guards, with the sixth-most assists (8.0) and the third-highest shooting percentage (47.0) to the position.

Trey Burke, NY vs. PHI ($3,900): Burke, McConnell's reserve point guard counterpart on the other side of the Knicks-Sixers matchup Sunday, is also priced attractively. The young guard's numbers have seen an uptick in recent games, having scored 17.2 to 21.7 fantasy points in three of his last four games. He's also scored in double digits in all four of those contests and logged 24 and 25 minutes in the last two, respectively. The playing time should be there again Sunday with Frank Ntilikina (ankle) questionable and already having missed three games, making Burke a nice sub-$4K consideration.

SHOOTING GUARD

Kevin Huerter, ATL vs. MIL ($5,200): Huerter is fresh off hitting a clutch game-tying shot in an upset win over the Sixers on Friday, a game in which he racked up 41.1 fantasy points. He'd also tallied 28.5 in Wednesday's game and 33.1 versus the Heat last Sunday. Those are excellent returns on his current price, and he draws another matchup potentially conducive to strong production Sunday. The Bucks allow 46.1 fantasy points per game to two-guards, including 54.1 over the last five. They've also yielded the fifth-most made threes (4.8) over the latter span, while Huerter is draining 38.0 percent of his 4.2 three-point attempts per game.

Delon Wright, TOR at WAS ($4,000): Fred VanVleet (thigh) is questionable at best for Sunday's game after suffering a thigh bruise versus the Nets last Friday, which could lead to expanded minutes for Wright on Sunday. The fourth-year guard scored 18.7 to 30.0 fantasy points in four of the last five games, including games with 27.3 and 29.8 fantasy points. That type return is certainly conceivable again Sunday, as the Wizards allow the seventh-most fantasy points (46.0) per game to ones, along with the fourth-most points (23.2) and fourth-most assists (8.3) per contest to the position. Moreover, Washington surrenders the most made threes (2.8) per game to point guards, giving the aggressive Wright another avenue to production.

SMALL FORWARD

Danuel House, Jr., HOU at ORL ($4,600): House has kept a hold of the starting small forward job despite the return to health of James Ennis due to his strong play. The third-year wing just tallied 30 fantasy points versus the Cavaliers on Friday night, and he'd scored 20.8 to 28.3 fantasy points in a late-December/early January six-game stretch. House has the ability to check off every box on the stat sheet, and he's sporting career highs in shooting percentage (46.2) and three-point shooting (37.2 percent). The Magic have been a tough matchup for small forwards this season, but they've allowed 44.0 percent shooting to the position.

Michael Beasley, LAL vs. CLE ($4,000): Beasley is enjoying a steady role in the frontcourt rotation with LeBron James (groin) still sidelined, and he's been making good use of his opportunity. The veteran has scored more than 30 fantasy points in each of his last two games, and he's notched double-digit tallies in four straight overall. The Cavaliers come into Sunday allowing the highest shooting percentage (52.0) to the position, which could spell trouble versus a strong offensive force like Beasley, who's draining a career-high 56.1 percent of his attempts this season. Moreover, Cleveland gave up the third-most fantasy points (61.3) per game to fours in the last five games, along with the seventh-most points (28.2), second-most steals (2.6) and fourth-highest shooting percentage (57.0) to the position over that span.

POWER FORWARD

Paul Millsap, DEN vs. POR ($6,700): Millsap appears to be hitting his stride after getting a few games under his belt following a long layoff due to toe surgery. Millsap has scored more than 30 fantasy points in three of his last five games, and on a fourth occasion over the last seven. He's been especially strong on the boards in the last three games, with nine to 11 rebounds in each. The matchup sets up well Sunday, as Portland has allowed 41.8 fantasy points per game over the last five to power forwards, along with 11.0 boards per contest during that span. The Blazers also check in with a bottom-10 road shooting percentage (44.3), which should give Millsap some extra opportunity on the defensive glass.

Ersan Ilyasova, MIL at ATL ($3,700)
: Giannis Antetokounmpo is considered probable for Sunday's game, but Ilyasova's price is such that he still presents as an appealing play. The veteran parlayed Friday's spot start versus the Wizards into 27 fantasy points over 26 minutes, and he'd also tallied 17.4 and 25.2 fantasy points in two other games over the last five. The latter figure notably came against the same Hawks squad he'll face Sunday. Atlanta also comes in allowing the second-most fantasy points (47.3) per game to power forwards, along with the third-most points (21.3) and third-most rebounds (11.5) per contest to the position.

CENTER

Brook Lopez, MIL at ATL ($5,800): Lopez also makes for an intriguing play versus a weak Hawks frontcourt defense, which has allowed 40.5 fantasy points per game to centers, along with the third-highest shooting percentage (57.0) to the position. Lopez has scored 28.1 to 35.1 fantasy points in the last three, and he'd tallied 24.1 to 33.6 in five other contests over the last 10 as well. He's priced affordably relative to those numbers, and it's also worth noting that the Hawks have allowed the fifth-highest three-point percentage (36.6) overall. In turn, Lopez is draining a career-high 37.6 percent of his career-high 6.8 three-point attempts per game, giving him another viable avenue to a strong return.

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. Juan Carlos Blanco plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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