This article is part of our Daily Games Cheat Sheet series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defenses to Avoid
Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards: There are only two games on tap for Sunday, so this choice is made easy after the Pacers' impressive defensive performance in Game 3 on Friday when they held the Wizards to just 63 points. Their resurgent defense is lead by Paul George and has gotten progressively better as the series continues. In three contests against the Pacers in the second round, the Wizards have scored 102, 82 and 63 respectively. While it's highly unlikely for the Wizards to keep the digression going by scoring less than 63 in Game 4, a strong case can be made that they'll struggle yet again against the resurfaced Pacers defense.
Offenses to Use
Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers: The past two contests have featured Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook competing against each other for the night's top performance. It's true that the Clippers jumped out to a hot start offensively to begin the series, but the Thunder were still able to score 105 points in Game 1 and since followed up that effort with performances of 112 and 118 points in Games 2 and 3. The Thunder haven't necessarily played the best defense either, but their offense is firing on all cylinders and is outlasting the formidable attack of the Clippers.
Teams on a Back-to-Back Set
First game of a back-to-back: None
Second game of a back-to-back: None
DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
If you've never played on DraftKings.com before, we recommend reading our Daily Fantasy Basketball 101: How to Win on DraftKings strategy article.
Point Guard
John Wall, PG, WAS ($7,000): I'm aware that it seems pretty hypocritical of me to bolster the Pacers' defense and then suggest Wall as the first player to be considered for your Sunday lineup. That being said, Wall is a major steal right now at his current price. Keep in mind that towards the end of the regular season he was going for upwards of $8,600. This means that he has the potential for a much better game than his current price suggests. Even his poorest performance against the Pacers manifested 22.75 DraftKings points. The point is that while he has big-game potential, his low-end still tends not to be a total waste like other candidates around the same price point.
Other suggestions: Chris Paul, PG, LAC ($9,400)
Shooting Guard
Bradley Beal, SG, WAS ($6,700): Yes, another Wizard. Despite Washington's regression in terms of offensive production against the Pacers, Beal has continued to be a bright spot, averaging 42 minutes on the court to go along with 19.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.0 block in the series. From these numbers, it seems clear that Beal has been flourishing while his teammates are the source of their recent poor play. His current averages and his affordable listing price makes him a hard option to pass on, even in the face of a potent Pacers defense.
Other suggestions: Lance Stephenson, SG/SF, IND ($6,100)
Small Forward
Paul George, SG/SF, IND ($8,700): George's price tag dropped $600 from Friday, even though he was able to put up 23 points, two three-pointers, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block, which was good for 46.0 points on DraftKings in Game 3. He's one of the few players that truly has big-game potential in Sunday's slate of games as he's Indiana's first option on offense, and he possess the defensive awareness for an above-average number of steals and rebounds.
Other suggestions: Trevor Ariza, SG/SF, WAS ($6,600)
Power Forward
Serge Ibaka, PF/C, OKC ($6,300): Ibaka may play third fiddle in OKC and live under the large shadows cast by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but he's a solid player in his own right. The Congo native has underperformed thus far in the playoffs but has still averaged 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.3 steals and 1.3 blocks over the past three games. Combine this with possibly his lowest asking price of the entire season and you've got a viable option for your Sunday lineup.
Other suggestions: David West, PF, IND ($6,200)
Center
Roy Hibbert, C, IND ($5,700): Oh boy. In order to ride this rollercoaster of production you must be at least 7-2 tall. The fact that Hibbert is listed just above Kendrick Perkins for available options really says a lot about Hibbert's fall from grace. However, he seems to be righting the ship and has averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 2.5 blocks during his last two contests. His name has been drug through the mud of late, but he surely possesses the athletic ability and skill to rectify his tarnished image. He'll continue his campaign of redemption on Sunday while coming in at very affordable price as a result.
Other suggestions: DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC ($7,000)
INJURY REPORT
Out
Andrew Bynum (knee) will miss the rest of the Pacers' playoff run and will not be with the team.
Game-Time Decision
Hedo Turkoglu (back) did not play in Game 3 on Friday.
