FanDuel NBA: Sunday Value Plays

FanDuel NBA: Sunday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.

As has traditionally been the case on Super Sunday, it's a light and early NBA schedule on tap. However, there are some powerhouses in action, as the Celtics, Thunder, Raptors and Clippers take the floor. Coupled with a Grizzlies-Knicks matchup that will have no shortage of low-cost players, we still have plenty of value options to sift through. Let's see which players might help give you some pre-Super Bowl excitement, NBA DFS style:

POINT GUARD

Fred VanVleet, TOR vs. LAC ($4,500): VanVleet continues to typically log a solid workload behind Kyle Lowry, and he'll check into Sunday's game having scored more than 20 fantasy points three times and more than 40 once in his last seven games. VanVleet is involved when he's out there, too, taking a career-high 9.1 shot attempts per game and generating a respectable 19.1 percent usage rate. He should reap the benefits of Sunday's fast-paced matchup as well, as the Clippers have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points (42.1) per game to point guards, along with the seventh-most points (21.5). Finally, Los Angeles' top-10 pace (105.6 possessions per game, including 108.2 over the last three) should benefit VanVleet in the form of extra opportunities.

Shelvin Mack, MEM at NY ($4,000): Mike Conley (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game, while his backup Mack is cheap. That's a good combination that makes the latter particularly appealing, especially versus a Knicks squad that's been vulnerable to point guards all season. The two players primarily responsible for the team's poor metrics, Emmanuel Mudiay and Frank Ntilikina, will be out with shoulder and groin injuries, respectively. However, New York will either trot out the just-acquired Dennis Smith Jr. or give Kadeem Allen another spot start, neither which presents a prohibitive matchup. Mack just racked up 37.7 fantasy points in 35 minutes against the Hornets on Friday as well, and he's proven highly capable of eclipsing 20 fantasy points on multiple occasions this season when seeing at least 20 minutes.

SHOOTING GUARD

Justin Holiday, MEM at NY ($4,300): Holiday is likely to see plenty of run once again due to the Grizzlies' seemingly mile-long list of injuries, making him an appealing option at his price. The Knicks continue to allow the second-most points of any team on its home floor, while Holiday checks in having eclipsed 20 fantasy points in two of his last four games. New York also allows the second-most fantasy points (48.5) per game to two-guards, along with the fourth-most made threes (3.4) per game to the position. Meanwhile, Holiday is equaling a career high with 6.2 three-point attempts per contest, and he's taken between six and eight shots from behind the arc in four of his last seven games.

Damyean Dotson, NY vs. MEM ($3,800): Dotson could see extended minutes again if the recently acquired Wesley Matthews isn't ready to take the court, and he should log a fairly robust workload even if the veteran does suit up. Dotson totaled 27.2 fantasy points in 37 minutes against the Celtics in a Friday start and racked up 28.2 fantasy points three games prior against the Heat as well, offering a glimpse at the upside he brings despite an extremely modest price. The Grizzlies make for a good matchup as well, considering they allow the 11th-most fantasy points (44.0) to two-guards, while Dotson doesn't need to do much to generate a 5x-6x return on such a minuscule price.

SMALL FORWARD

Gordon Hayward, BOS vs. OKC ($5,200): Hayward has been difficult to gauge this season, and he still doesn't quite look right following last year's devastating ankle injury. However, he's certainly shown flashes of his old self at times, and he'll come into Sunday's game having scored 21.4 to 29.5 fantasy points in four of his last five games. Hayward has shot at least 50.0 percent in three of those games, which is a particularly good sign for a player who's underperformed as much as he has in that category this season. The Thunder have also been just average versus small forwards, allowing 45.5 fantasy points per game to threes, along with the second-most rebounds (10.1) and a bottom-10 shooting percentage (45.0) to the position.

Kevin Knox, NY vs. MEM ($5,100): Knox continues to be one of the bright spots for the Knicks during a forgettable season, as he's averaging a solid 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. His shooting still has plenty of room for improvement, but Knox is getting plenty of reps by putting up just under 12 attempts per contest, including 17.7 over his last three. The Grizzlies allow 44.4 fantasy points per game to small forwards, and 37.2 percent shooting from three-point range overall on the road. In turn, Knox is averaging 4.8 three-point attempts per contest and draining them at a 34.0 percent clip.

POWER FORWARD

Jaren Jackson Jr., MEM at NY ($5,900): Jackson (quadriceps) is listed as probable for Sunday's game, and teammate Ivan Rabb ($3,600) makes for an appealing pivot were Jackson to unexpectedly be downgraded. The Knicks are an enticing matchup if the 2018 first-round pick is able to suit up as expected, considering they allow the most fantasy points (46.3) per game to power forwards, along with the third-most points (21.3), second-most rebounds (11.5) and highest efficiency rating (28.7) to the position. New York is also yielding the second-most points in the paint per game (52.6), while Jackson is logging 62.6 percent of his scoring (equal to 8.4 points per game) in that part of the floor. Jackson had scored 29.4 and 32.2 fantasy points in his last two full games prior to his injury as well, offering a glimpse at his upside.

Marcus Morris, BOS vs. OKC ($5,800): The Thunder have been vulnerable to power forwards all season, and Morris has the diverse skill set to exploit their vulnerabilities. The veteran has scored more than 20 fantasy points in eight straight games, a stretch that includes two tallies over 30. Morris continues to impress with his efficiency as well, as corroborated by his 47.7 percent overall shooting and 41.9 percent success rate from three-point range. He also remains a virtual lock for double-digit shot attempts, particularly in a game like Sunday's that should be a wire-to-wire battle.

CENTER

Nerlens Noel, OKC AT BOS ($4,500): Noel has offered solid production in his backup role behind Steven Adams. Noel totaled 38.9 fantasy points two games ago versus the Magic in a spot start, and he still generated 20.4 fantasy points in 20 minutes against the Heat in his customary bench role on Friday. He'd also fallen just short of the 20-fantasy-point mark in two other games over the last six, and he faces a Celtics squad Sunday that allows a hefty 16.4 rebounds per contest across 18.5 minutes to second units this season. While he's strictly a tournament play due to the fluctuations in his production, he's certainly cheap enough to fit the bill if you're paying down at center on such a short slate.

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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