DraftKings NBA: Sunday Cheat Sheet

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Updated on January 10, 2016 2:33PM EST

Team Analysis

Defense to Avoid
Cleveland Cavaliers at Philadelphia 76ers
The Cavaliers are elite defensively at three positions and strong at a fourth, ranking third in the NBA against point guards (Ish Smith), fourth against small forwards, fourth against centers (Jahlil Okafor) and 11th against power forwards (Nerlens Noel). They are more forgiving against shooting guards (25th) but the 76ers don't have a team strength on the wing to really take advantage. Plus, there is a solid likelihood that the Cavaliers could blow the 76ers out, and thus the starters might not play their full allotment of minutes.

Offense to Use
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are friendly defensively at four positions, ranking 29th against point guards (Trey Burke), 16th against shooting guards (Rodney Hood, if healthy), 26th against small forwards (Gordon Heyward) and 29th against centers (Rudy Gobert and/or Jeff Withey). They are stingier against opposing power forwards (fifth), but since Derrick Favors is likely out again with his back injury, the Jazz don't have a team strength at power forward anyway.

Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: None
Second game: Hornets, Clippers, 76ers, Jazz

Daily Player Recommendations

Point Guard
Trey Burke, UTA at LAL ($5,300): Burke is one of the last healthy men standing for the Jazz, as Rodney Hood has joined Alec Burks and Derrick Favors on the injury report. He should have extra responsibility on Sunday, and he also has an excellent matchup against a Lakers defense that struggles (29th in the NBA) in minimizing production to opposing point guards.

Other suggestions: Mario Chalmers, MEM vs. BOS ($5,400); Damian Lillard, POR vs. OKC ($8,800)

Shooting Guard
Will Barton, DEN vs. CHA ($6,400): Barton carried the Nuggets' offense for weeks while Danilo Gallinari was out, but over the last few games with Gallinari back he has struggled, averaging six points per game on 7-for-27 shooting in last three. Barton is too talented to stay down for long, and Sunday is his chance to bounce back against a Hornets defense that is 27th in the NBA against shooting guards.

Other suggestions: Lou Williams, LAL vs. UTA ($6,100); James Harden, HOU vs. IND ($9,900)

Small Forward
Gordon Hayward, UTA at LAL ($7,300): Hayward, like Burke, is carrying an extra offensive load due to all of the Jazz injuries. He is coming off a 34-point effort on 14-of-22 shooting Saturday against a strong Heat defense, and he now has a matchup with the much friendlier Lakers defense (26th in production allowed to opposing small forwards).

Other suggestions: Tony Allen, MEM vs. BOS ($4,300); Paul George, IND at HOU ($9,100)

Power forward
Cody Zeller, CHA at DEN ($5,400): Zeller was in this exact space going into Saturday's games, and he rewarded with a 13-rebound effort even against rebound-vacuum DeAndre Jordan and the Clippers. On Sunday he faces a Nuggets squad without an elite presence in the middle, giving him a shot at a fourth consecutive double-digit rebounding effort.

Other suggestions: Clint Capela, HOU vs. IND ($5,500); Kristaps Porzingis, NYK vs. MIL ($6,700)

Center
Ian Mahinmi, IND at HOU ($4,800): Mahinmi is surging again in his breakout season, averaging 12.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in his last three and coming off a dominant 17-point, 10-rebound, four-block effort against the Pelicans. On Sunday he will face a Rockets defense that is likely to be without center Dwight Howard.

Other suggestions: Jared Sullinger, BOS at MEM ($5,500); Jeff Withey, UTA at LAL ($4,700)

Injury Report

Out
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, CHA (shoulder)
Al Jefferson, CHA (knee)
Ty Lawson, HOU (suspension)
Donatas Motiejunas, HOU (back)
Brandan Wright, MEM (knee)
Jerryd Bayless, MIL (ankle)
Greivis Vasquez, MIL (ankle)
Cleanthony Early, NY (knee)
Alec Burks, UTA (ankle)

Game-Time Decision
Avery Bradley, BOS (hip)
Nicolas Batum, CHA (toe)
Emmanuel Mudiay, DEN (ankle)
Jameer Nelson, DEN (hip)
Kenneth Faried, DEN (personal)
D'Angelo Russell, LAL (ankle)
Kobe Bryant, LAL (shoulder)
Brandon Bass, LAL (eye)
Mike Conley, MEM (Achilles)
Courtney Lee, MEM (hip)
Miles Plumlee, MIL (knee)
Derrick Favors, UTA (back)
Rodney Hood, UTA (ankle)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.