This article is part of our FantasyDraft NBA series.
We're down to a minuscule three-game slate Sunday evening, and there's playoff incentive for only one of the six teams in action, the Jazz. That certainly brings several of their key pieces into play, but there's some other options, albeit limited, on the remaining squads as well. With some relatively slim pickings to pore over, let's dive in and find some viable options at each price tier:
GUARDS:
Donovan Mitchell, UTA at LAL ($14,700): The Jazz would appear to be in solid position while sitting in the fourth seed in the Western Conference, but realistically, that slotting still leaves them just two games from tumbling out of the playoff picture altogether. Therefore, Utah simply has to keep winning, which should equate to another aggressive game from Mitchell. The rookie hasn't scored under 30 fantasy points since Feb. 26, and he's averaging a robust 21.2 shot attempts over his last 10 games. Mitchell is also averaging 24.0 points (on 51.4 percent shooting), 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals across 31.5 minutes in two games against the Lakers this season, and Los Angeles comes in allowing 47.5 fantasy points to two-guards over the last five games. Furthermore, their second-highest pace of play (104.6 possessions per game) should benefit Mitchell considerably in what is another must-win contest.
Quinn Cook, GS at PHO ($12,200): Cook continues to fill in admirably for Stephen Curry (knee), churning out another solid stat line in Saturday's high-scoring loss to the Pelicans. The second-year guard has scored 25.50 to 44.50 fantasy points in 10 of his last 11 games, and he'll be set up for a similar caliber of production Sunday. Cook tallied the high end of that range against the Suns on March 17, and he posted 39.50 fantasy points in an encore against them three games ago. Moreover, Phoenix has been among the most vulnerable teams to point guards on the season, and they come into Sunday having allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to the position over the last 10 (54.1). They're also allowing the second-highest offensive efficiency rating to ones on the season (27.1), putting Cook squarely in play at a price he's consistently outperformed during his starting tenure.
Josh Hart, LAL vs. UTA ($10,200):Dante Exum ($9,900) is also very worthy of consideration on the other side of this matchup, especially if Ricky Rubio (hamstring) is unable to suit up. Meanwhile, Hart has been seeing significant run off the bench as part of the backcourt rotation since returning to action on March 30, scoring 24.50 to 35.25 fantasy points in four of five contests. He's logged over 30 minutes in all four of those games and should be in for a similar workload Sunday against a Jazz squad that's allowed 50.9 fantasy points to point guards over the last 10 and 54.1 to two-guards over the last five, both notable upticks over their respective season figures in those categories. Additionally, Hart could conceivably even log some time at small forward if Kyle Kuzma (ankle) is unable to shake his questionable designation, making him an even stronger play at his very reasonable price.
FORWARDS/CENTERS:
Rudy Gobert, UTA at LAL ($15,400): Gobert is averaging 12.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks across two games against the Lakers this season, and he comes into Sunday's contest having scored 30.25 to 49.25 fantasy points in five of the previous six games. The Stifle Tower has multiple blocks in all of those contests and double-doubles in four of them, helping him round out his lines quite nicely. Los Angeles could well facilitate more of the same considering their aforementioned second-highest pace of play and the fact they've allowed the second-most points in the paint (48.9) on the season, as the latter figure dovetails nicely with Gobert logging 71.3 percent of his scoring in that area of the floor. Finally, if Rubio is indeed forced to miss the contest, Gobert's average of 1.10 fantasy points per minute without his teammate on the floor enhances his appeal even further.
Serge Ibaka, TOR vs. ORL ($11,600): The one main concern with Ibaka is a potential cap on his minutes, as the Raptors have sewn up the top seed in the Eastern Conference. He's otherwise in a favorable spot and at a reasonable price relative to recent production, considering he's scored over 30 fantasy points in five straight games. His former Magic teammates have also been particularly vulnerable in the frontcourt of late, allowing 50.3 fantasy points to power forwards over the last 10 games, along with the second-highest shooting percentage (50.0) to the position on the season. It's also worth noting that Orlando is second only to the Lakers in points in the paint allowed on the campaign (48.5 per contest) and actually gives up the most (50.1) on the road, which could also make the path to fantasy success a bit easier for Ibaka on Sunday.
Khem Birch, ORL at TOR ($8,200):Aaron Gordon has been deemed probable for Sunday's contest with his calf injury, but Birch remains a solid play regardless of the latter's status. The young big man has logged 22.00 to 34.00 fantasy points in his last three games while seeing over 20 minutes in each, and he should be in for a similar workload off the bench Sunday. The Raptors have been susceptible to power forwards lately, allowing 51.5 fantasy points to the position over the last five, a sharp increase over their 38.5 season figure. Given his bargain price and projected playing time, Birch could be poised for another strong return and offer you considerable flexibility elsewhere in your lineup.
UTILITY:
Julius Randle, LAL vs. UTA ($13,700): Randle is sporting a 28.2 percent usage rate and averaging 1.29 fantasy points per minute with Brandon Ingram (concussion), Kuzma (ankle) and Lonzo Ball (knee) off the floor this season, and there's a strong chance those are the conditions he plays under Sunday. Ball and Kuzma both have a 50-50 chance to play in the contest, but each is considered very much questionable. Randle has admittedly had a tough time against the Jazz frontcourt in prior meetings this season, but there aren't exactly an abundance of options Sunday and he could certainly be tasked with more offensive responsibility than usual if all three aforementioned players sit out. He's scored over 30 fantasy points with almost unfailing regularity through the latter portion of the season, and the Jazz also come in allowing 51.3 fantasy points to power forwards over the last five, a sharp uptick over their 36.2 season figure.
Tyler Ulis, PHO vs. GS ($12,500): Ulis tallied 32.50 fantasy points over 41 minutes against the Warriors three games ago, and he's eclipsed 30 fantasy points in six straight games overall. The second-year guard is taking an impressive 13.7 shot attempts over that span while sporting a solid 22.5 percent usage rate, and he'll be set up well for another strong performance in what should be the fastest-paced game of the three-game slate. The Warriors have been especially susceptible to point guards during Stephen Curry's frequent absences in the latter portion of the season, allowing the second-most fantasy points to the position over the last 10 (56.6), including 64.3 over the last five.
