This article is part of our FantasyDraft NBA series.
We're down to just a three-game slate Sunday, but there's still a number of high-priced options to choose from. There's multiple teams playing their third game in four days as well, which should at least be considered in the lineup-building process. Additionally, all three contests have the potential to be high-scoring affairs, especially with two of the faster-paced teams in the NBA in the Pelicans and Clippers in action. Without further ado, let's sort through the abbreviated but nevertheless intriguing selections at each price level:
GUARDS:
Damian Lillard, POR at LAC ($17,900): For those that can't afford James Harden ($20,900), Lillard makes for a nice pivot at $3K less. Despite a continuation of his shooting struggles Saturday, Lillard still found his way to a second straight 24-point effort with the help of yet another perfect showing from the charity stripe. He'll now take a crack at a Clippers squad that he's already averaged 26.5 points, 6.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals against across 37.0 minutes in two games, and that's allowing 51.1 fantasy points to point guards over the last five. Lillard has scored at least 40 fantasy points in 11 of the last 13 games, a stretch that includes a trio of contests where he's eclipsed the 60-mark.
Jeff Teague, MIN vs. HOU ($11,500): Teague is priced right for a player that's scored 30.75 to 50.75 fantasy points in 10 of his last 11, and a solid 28.50 in the other contest during that sample. The veteran point guard has done well against the Rockets in three prior contests as well, averaging 16.3 points (on 56.8 percent shooting), 5.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds across 35.3 minutes. Houston has been increasingly vulnerable to point guards recently despite the formidable defensive presence of Chris Paul, as they're allowing 52.5 fantasy points over the last 10, a notable spike over their 40.5 season figure. Teague is averaging 1.06 fantasy points per minute with Jimmy Butler (knee) off the floor this season, rendering him a solid value play in a game with a current projected point total of 219.5.
Milos Teodosic, LAC vs. POR ($8,500): Teodosic has scored 20.00 to 28.25 fantasy points in seven of his last 10, a stretch during which he's shooting 50.0 percent, including 42.5 percent from distance. That level of production represents a solid return on his current price, making him a viable cost-savings play in a game with the highest projected point total on the night (220.5). It's also worth noting that the Blazers have been more vulnerable to three-pointers recently, as they're allowing the 10th-highest shooting percentage of scoring from threes (32.0), a notable bump over their 28.1 percent seasonal figure.
FORWARDS/CENTERS:
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs. HOU ($17,300): Towns has generated some explosive tallies during Jimmy Butler's extended absence, most recently scoring over 60 fantasy points in three of the last six, and 58.00 in another contest during that stretch. He's double-doubled in nine of the last 10 as well, and he's averaged an impressive 25.0 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.0 blocks and 1.0 steal across 34.7 minutes in three games versus the Rockets this season. Houston has been effective overall against centers this season but more vulnerable of late, as the 44.4 fantasy points they've allowed to the position over the last 10 is a sharp spike over the 31.4 they've yielded on the season. They've also yielded the third-most points in the paint (48.0) on the season, while Towns logs nearly half his scoring (48.9 percent) in that area of the floor.
Clint Capela, HOU at MIN ($12,400): Capela is a viable play on the other side of the T-Wolves-Rockets matchup, and he's already averaged 19.7 points (on 81.5 percent shooting), 9.3 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.0 block across 28.0 minutes in three games versus Minnesota this season. The T-Wolves come in allowing the sixth-most fantasy points (49.2) to centers over the last five, a sharp uptick from their 34.8 season figure. They're also yielding the fourth-highest offensive efficiency rating (32.4) to the position on the season, and Capela comes in having scored 49.50 and 32.50 fantasy points in his last two contests, respectively, solid-to-excellent returns on his current price.
Greg Monroe, BOS at NO ($10,000): Monroe's role has steadied over the last few games, which has led to a pair of 30-fantasy-point efforts in the last two contests. He'd scored 20.75 to 31.00 fantasy points in three of the prior five games as well, and he's averaging a solid 13.7 points (on 75.0 percent shooting), 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.3 steals across 21.0 minutes in the last three. His Sunday matchup has a few appealing aspects to it, including the fact the Pelicans allow the fifth-highest offensive efficiency rating (26.9) to power forwards. New Orleans has also allowed the fourth-most points in the paint (47.9) on the season – including 50.0 over the last three – while Monroe has scored 80.4 percent of his points in that area of the floor this season.
UTILITY:
C.J. McCollum, POR at LAC ($13,300): McCollum's recent body of work and sharpshooting skills mesh well for fantasy purposes with the Clippers' vulnerabilities to two-guards. McCollum has at least 30 fantasy points in eight straight, and he touched up Los Angeles for 31.75 fantasy points in his last meeting with them on Jan. 30. He's been shooting well for an extended stretch, and he comes into Sunday's contest having posted at least a 50.0 percent success rate in three of the last four contests. The Clippers also come in allowing the second-most fantasy points (43.6) to two-guards on the season -- including the most (64.6) over the last 10 – another factor heavily in McCollum's favor at his reasonable price.
Tobias Harris, LAC vs. POR ($13,300): Harris has taken his game to another level since arriving on the West Coast, and most recently, he's posted over 40 fantasy points three times and over 50 in two other instances over the last seven. Harris is shooting 50.4 percent on a robust 19.0 shot attempts over that span, including 43.1 percent on his 7.3 three-point tries from distance. The Trail Blazers have been exceedingly vulnerable to power forwards of late as well, allowing 55.3 fantasy points over the last five, a stretch during which they're also surrendering the third-most rebounds (16.8) to the position. Harris continues to be one of the focal points of the Clippers' offense and the contest projects as the highest scoring of the night, making Harris a particularly appealing play at a price he's made a habit of outproducing on many nights.
