This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defense to avoid: Oklahoma City Thunder, vs POR. There are only three games on Sunday, and none of the defenses are particularly intimidating nor are there any games that seem predictably likely to end in blowout. The Raptors against the Nets look the most solid on paper, but the two best players on the Raptors are both questionable for Sunday, and if they sit the entire team dynamic changes. The Thunder thus fill this spot almost by default, as their defense is solid but not spectacular. They have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to centers, the 18th-most to forwards, and the 15th-fewest to guards.
Offense to Use: Toronto Raptors, at BKN. The Raptors, as mentioned above, have some personnel question marks for Sunday. But no matter who plays, they will be facing a Nets defense that allows the second-most fantasy points to guards, the most fantasy points to forwards, and the fourth-most fantasy points to centers.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Clippers, Thunder, Raptors
Second game: None
Isaiah Thomas, BOS vs LAC ($9900): Thomas has averaged 54 fantasy points over the last six games, while DFS king Russell Westbrook has averaged 62.7 fantasy points over his last six. But, Westbrook costs $12,800, almost three grand more than Thomas. Thomas also has a better match-up, against a Clippers defense that has been absolutely torched by Stephen Curry and other point guards over the last five games to the tune of the most fantasy points allowed to the position in that stretch.
C.J. McCollum, POR at OKC ($7200): McCollum stands out among shooting guard prospects on Sunday, especially with DeMar DeRozan (ankle) and Avery Bradley (Achilles) questionable to play. He has averaged 24.7 points, 5.3 boards, 4.3 assists, 3.0 treys and 1.3 steals over his last three games, and faces a Thunder team that has given up the second-most fantasy points to shooting guards over the past 10 games.
Cory Joseph, TOR at BKN ($3200): This is a speculation pick, because at air-time starter Kyle Lowry is listed as questionable for Sunday's game with an illness that kept him from practicing on Saturday. Lowry also sat the last time that the Raptors played the Nets, and Joseph started and exploded with 33 points, four boards, four assists and a 3-pointer on January 17.
Blake Griffin, LAC at BOS ($8600): Griffin has stepped back in as the primary producer for the Clippers, averaging 30 points, eight boards, 3.5 assists, two steals and a block in his last two games. On Sunday he faces a Celtics defense that has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to power forwards this season.
Jae Crowder, BOS vs LAC ($6200): Crowder has a potentially great match-up on Sunday, against a Clippers defense that has been experimenting with a three-guard line-up over the past few games which could lead to him facing off with undersized Raymond Felton. He has been playing well in general, averaging 18.5 points, 6.8 boards, 2.0 assists and 1.2 combined steals/blocks over his last 12 games.
Bojan Bogdanovic, BKN vs TOR ($4100): Bogdanovic is coming off of a schedule rest day on Friday against the Pacers, which means that he should be fresh for Sunday's match-up against the Raptors. He has scored double-digits in five straight games, averaging 15 points, 4.2 boards, 1.6 assists, 0.8 treys and 0.6 steals in that stretch.
Al Horford, BOS vs LAC ($6900): Horford has averaged a solid all-around 15.1 points, 6.5 assists, 5.5 boards, 1.5 combined steals/blocks and 1.4 treys over his last eight games. On Sunday, he faces a Clippers defense that has been solid against centers on the season but has struggled in giving up the fourth-most fantasy points to centers in the last 10 games.
Brook Lopez, BKN vs TOR ($6700): Lopez is consistently solid when he plays, averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 boards, 2.0 assists, 1.6 treys and 1.6 blocks in his last nine games. On Sunday he faces a Raptors defense that has been a solid seventh in fantasy points allowed to centers on the season, but that Lopez matches up well against. In his last outing against them, Lopez notched 28 points with nine boards and two blocks on January 17.
Steven Adams, OKC vs POR ($5600): Adams has been crashing the boards harder of late since frontcourt mate Enes Kanter went down with a hand injury. Over his last four games, Adams is averaging 11.8 points, 10.3 boards, 1.5 combined blocks/steals and 1.3 assists per game. His opponents Sunday, the Trail Blazers, have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to centers over the last 10 games.
