This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
FanDuel NBA: Sunday Value Plays
This is another split schedule that makes for multiple DFS options. There are two games starting at either noon or 3:30 EST, then another two starting at either 6:00 EST or 7:00 EST. FanDuel broke that down into three game sets: an early set, a main set (the 6:00 and 7:00 games) and an all-day option (all four games). There aren't many games available for all-day, there are a bit more for the early, but most (and the highest value) games are in the main set. This article will focus mainly on those main games, though we'll include at least one recommended play from the early games for every position category.
Kyle Lowry, TOR vs PHO ($8600): Lowry and Eric Bledsoe have a lot of similarities, and will be going heads-up Sunday. The Suns have been a bit worse against opposing point guards for the year (21st in production allowed), while the Raptors have been a bit worse recently (19th in last 10 games). Their prices are similar as well, so it's a toss-up, but the Raptors are playing at home and are rested, while the Suns are on the second half of a B2B on the road, so Lowry gets the call.
Devin Booker, PHO at TOR ($6500): Booker has scored more than 20 points in eight straight games, including efforts against excellent defenses like the Jazz, Spurs, Mavericks and Heat. On Sunday he faces a Raptors defense that is solid against wings, but not as tough as some of those units (Heat and Jazz are 1-2 in limiting production to opposing shooting guards in the last 10 games). Over those eight games, Booker is averaging 28.4 points, 3.0 assists, 2.5 boards and 0.9 combined blocks/steals per game.
Early – Jordan Clarkson, LAL at DAL ($4600) & Main – Jameer Nelson, DEN at MIN ($3800): Clarkson and Nelson are in similar scenarios, where the starting point guards are battling injury. D'Angelo Russell has already been ruled out for the Lakers, and while Jose Calderon may end up starting at point guard, Clarkson is generally a safer bet to produce. For the Nuggets, Emmanuel Mudiay hasn't officially been ruled out, but he had to leave Saturday's game with a back injury and didn't return. Nelson has shown that he can produce with minutes, and makes a good play against a Timberwolves team missing Ricky Rubio.
Nikola Jokic, DEN at MIN ($10,200): Jokic has been a monster of late, averaging 29 points, 12 boards, 4.3 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals in four games going into Saturday then produced 19 points and 10 boards in only 21 minutes of a blowout win over DeAndre Jordan and the Clippers on Saturday. The only question mark for Jokic on Sunday is whether his ankle, which had him on the injury designation list Saturday, might hold him back. If he suits up, though, he should make for another solid play.
Andrew Wiggins, MIN vs DEN ($7000): Wiggins can be up-and-down, but he has scored at least 34.8 fantasy points in three of his last five games with his only truly bad outing of that stretch coming against 2-time Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard in San Antonio. His defensive counterpart shouldn't be nearly so strong Sunday against a Nuggets defense that trots Danilo Gallinari out there and ranks 17th in production allowed to opposing small forwards.
Early – Aaron Gordon, ORL vs GS ($5200): Gordon has been solid in 2017, producing more than 30 fantasy points six times in 11 games including three of his last four. On Sunday he faces a Warriors defense that is 12th against opposing small forwards and 14th against power forwards, fairly average on the whole.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs DEN ($10,200): Towns will remain in this recommendation space as long as he keeps putting up numbers like the 28 points, 13.8 boards, 3.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.0 steals that he has averaged for the past six games. He faces Nikola Jokic and a Nuggets defense Sunday that ranks 25th in production allowed to opposing centers over the past 10 games.
Early – Nikola Vucevic, ORL vs GS ($6700): Vucevic hasn't been explosive this week, but he's by-far the best center on the boards in the early games. Plus, he always has big upside as a player that could go for 45 or more fantasy points in any given game.
Tyson Chandler, PHO at TOR ($5700): This slot came down to production over age, but keep the age in mind. Chandler has grabbed between 15 and 20 rebounds in seven straight games, which ultimately got him the nod here, but he is an older player on the second half of a back-to-back. His counterpart, Jonas Valanciunas, hasn't been as productive of late but is younger and coming off a rest day. Their prices are similar as well, making them a bit of a toss-up.
