FanDuel excludes the early Miami-Philadelphia matchup and provides seven games for your perusal. I'll combine the latest NBA news, RotoWire's world-class NBA projections and our customizable NBA DFS optimizer to provide the best possible outcome for your contests.
SLATE OVERVIEW
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Vegas is telling us that LAL/UTA is a spot to focus our attention. And while I did give provide some Utah recommendations, the Lakers are expensive across-the-board. Doncic is obviously costly, but the new addition of LeBron James skews the value of everyone around him. He's also too expensive and Austin Reaves hasn't gotten the kind of discount I'd prefer to see with the adjusted first unit. Boston-Orlando should carry the lowest pace, and I only made one endorsement from that game.
I want to propose an exercise for those getting to know our NBA DFS optimizer. This is a task I often do myself when seeking values for my readers.
As you run down our projections, single out three or four options you like by selecting the LOCK button next to the player. Crunch several lineups from there. You'll be able to see the salary levels you'll need to afford to get your favorite options in. As you fiddle with this, you'll see how different the lineups become when you attempt to add multiple elites.
INJURIES
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report. Below are some of the most recent and relevant injuries for Sunday. Keep in mind this is not a complete list. Use your best judgment when evaluating ongoing injury scenarios elsewhere on the slate.
WAS Ryan Kalkbrenner (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Kalkbrenner exited Saturday with the injury, and his return is currently unclear. Moussa Diabate ($5,500) will be the leading candidate to take over.
ORL Jalen Suggs (injury management) - QUESTIONABLE
ORL Paolo Banchero (groin) - OUT
Tristan da Silva ($5,000) will continue to fill in admirably for Paolo Banchero. I'd consult our NBA starting lineups page near game time to see if there's a switch for Suggs at point guard.
CLE Jarrett Allen (finger) - OUT
CLE Sam Merrill (hand) - OUT
We should see more time for Jaylon Tyson ($5,100) in this spot. Evan Mobley ($8,000) will slide over to center while De'Andre Hunter ($6,200) fills in the empty spot.
TOR Jakob Poeltl (rest) - OUT
Poeltl is scheduled to get the night off, and Sandro Mamukelashvili ($4,600) will assume the starting role.
POR Shaedon Sharpe (calf) - OUT
POR Jrue Holiday (calf) - OUT
POR Donovan Clingan (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Sidy Cissoko ($3,700) has started in this scenario, though I don't consider him to be a viable pivot with 13 other teams available.
SAS Victor Wembanyama (calf) - OUT
SAS Stephon Castle (hip) - OUT
Julian Champagnie ($4,300) should be the first pivot for Castle. Filling in for Wembanyama will require help from multiple sources, but it may take a couple of games to pick a pivot with confidence.
ELITE PLAYERS
We have four healthy options with five-figure salaries on Sunday. The lineup and salary value line up best for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,900). The other three options should all excel, but back-to-back issues and high expense require me to single someone out.
At the $9k level, I'll roll with Devin Booker ($9,000) against the shorthanded Spurs. We have 11 options available in the $8k tier, and I like Scottie Barnes' ($8,700) potential against Brooklyn with Poeltl taking a seat. The aforementioned Evan Mobley ($8,500) will also carry a big load with Allen absent.
Also consider: De'Aaron Fox, SAS ($8,900) @ PHX
Visit RotoWire's NBA Daily Starting Lineups and NBA News for up-to-the-minute information!
EXPECTED CHALK AND MID-RANGE TARGETS
Keyonte George, UTA ($7,400) vs. LAL
Though the Jazz face a rejuvenated Lakers squad, I have faith in George to direct the offense and create some production opportunities for himself. Other Utah options are right on the cusp of DFS consideration, so the rest of the first unit is worth considering.
Ivica Zubac, LAC ($7,100) @ CLE
While Mobley should have an excellent night at center, Allen's absence should allow Zubac additional opportunity. Opponents are used to more size up front when they play Cleveland and Zubac has an innate ability to lure defenders out of the paint to defend against his midrange shot, which is still as accurate as ever.
RJ Barrett, TOR ($6,800) vs. BKN
I like most of Toronto's Sunday starters, but Barrett's salary is more reasonable than Brandon Ingram's $7,700 tag especially when you consider a potential production match between the two. We already mentioned Barnes, and I have no problem with a Raptors stack.
Payton Pritchard, BOS ($6,200) vs. ORL
I'll take Pritchard over the more expensive Derrick White ($7,400), who may find it harder to beat 5x value against Orlando. If Jalen Suggs sits as expected, the Magic backcourt could be Boston's for the taking and Pritchard could seize the opportunity and post an elevated number.
Devin Vassell, SAS ($6,100) @ PHX
The Spurs have several holes to plug, and Vassell should carry a significant role with Stephon Castle on the sidelines. He offers a steady floor that almost exactly hits 5x value relative to this salary while the injury issues signal some upside potential.
VALUE PLAYS
Most of our quality values are in the injury section, though here is a list of bargains under $6,000 to help you balance your lineups for salary cap maintenance.
- PG/SG Caleb Love, POR ($4,500)
- PF Jeremy Sochan, SAS ($4,100)
- PF/C Kyle Filipowski, UTA ($4,900)
- PG/SG Collin Sexton, CHA ($5,100)
Try our FanDuel NBA Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
