This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defense to avoid: UTA vs SAC - The Jazz have the best defense in the NBA, though they have had a couple of poor games lately. Even so, the Kings don't seem to have the horses to challenge them. On the season, the Jazz have allowed the fewest fantasy points to both guards and forwards, and the third fewest fantasy points to centers.
Offense to Use: New Orleans Pelicans, vs LAL - The Pelicans have great matchups across the board. The Lakers have allowed the third most fantasy points to guards, the second most to forwards, and the second most to centers. The Pelicans have been top-heavy, and each of Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Jrue Holiday have good matchups, and even their role players, like E'Twuan Moore, will be in a favorable situation Sunday as well.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Hawks, Celtics, Warriors, Pacers, Pelicans, Knicks, Magic, Kings, Jazz
Second game: none
Russell Westbrook, OKC at DAL ($13,000): Westbrook's price is too high to easily build around, but his production is so ridiculously unheard of that he's actually worth the price. In his last game against Phoenix, he scored 48 points with 17 rebounds, nine assists and three steals. That — plus a punt play — would outscore almost any other combination of equal price.
Bradley Beal, WAS vs ORL ($7200): Beal has scored at least 22 points in five straight games, a stretch over which he is averaging 27.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals. The Magic defense has allowed the 11th most fantasy points to shooting guards over the last 10 games.
Yogi Ferrell, DAL vs OKC ($4900): Ferrell has slid a bit under the radar, but In his last two games, he has averaged 14 points, seven rebounds and two rebounds, and on Sunday he faces a Thunder defense that has allowed the fourth most fantasy points to point guards over the last 10 games.
Anthony Davis, NO at LAL ($10,200): Davis briefly left Friday's name to get a jammed finger X-rayed, but he returned and finished with 29 points, nine rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block in 42 minutes of action. Since the trade bringing DeMarcus Cousins to town, Davis has averaged 33.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals. Also, the Lakers' defense is second worst in the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to both power forwards and centers.
Gordon Hayward, UTA at SAC ($7500): Hayward has had two straight down games, averaging only 12.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 boards and 2.0 steals. In the four games before that, he averaged 25 points, 5.0 boards and 4.5 assists. This makes him a good bounce-back candidate against a Kings defense that has allowed the second most fantasy points to small forwards in the five games since the DeMarcus Cousins trade.
Jaylen Brown, BOS at PHO ($4100): Brown has averaged 13 points, five rebounds and 1.2 combined blocks/steals in 25 minutes over his last five games. He is getting reasonable minutes, and producing solidly for the Celtics right now.
DeMarcus Cousins, NO at LAL ($10,200): Cousins isn't getting as many shots as teammate Anthony Davis, but he's doing more in other categories. In his four games in New Orleans, he's averaged 22.3 points, 15.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks.
Rudy Gobert, UTA at SAC ($7000): Gobert has two straight non-double-doubles, though he did average 10 points and 7.5 boards in that stretch. But, he had double-doubles in eight straight games before that, averaging 13.1 points with 14.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. This makes him a good bounce-back candidate Sunday against a Kings defense that has allowed the 15th most fantasy points to centers since the Cousins trade.
Alan Williams, PHO vs BOS ($5400): Williams notched his second consecutive double-double, and third in his last four games, with 14 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks Friday against the Thunder. On Sunday he faces a Celtics defense that has allowed the 16th most fantasy points to centers this season.
