This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defense to avoid: Miami Heat, at IND - The Heat have allowed the second fewest fantasy points to guards, the fifth fewest to forwards and the fifth fewest to centers over the past 10 games. They are solid defensively across the board, plus they play at a slow pace, which makes it less likely that the players on the Pacers will live up to their fantasy scoring averages today.
Offense to Use: Portland Trail Blazers, at PHO - There are multiple candidates for this one, as four of the five "Main" schedule games feature at least one if not two terrible defenses. I would actually rate most of the skill players on the Knicks, 76ers, Lakers, Cavaliers, Rockets, Knicks and Trail Blazers as good plays today based upon matchup. The Trail Blazers made the cut here because they have a team full of DFS-startable players that could have great games against the Suns. The Suns' defense has allowed the sixth most fantasy points to guards, the 10th most to forwards and the 11th most to centers this season. The Nets are actually the worst defense on the board Sunday, but the Trail Blazers seem better equipped than the Knicks to take advantage of the opportunity.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Bulls, Lakers
Second game: Cavaliers, Heat, Knicks, 76ers, Suns, Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard, POR at PHO ($9000): Lillard has scored at least 22 points and/or produced a double-double in eight straight games. Over that stretch, he has averaged 28.3 points, 6.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 2.8 treys and 1.0 combined blocks/steals per game. He is coming off a 33-point/seven-assist performance against John Wall and the Wizards in a controversial overtime loss Saturday, which should have him primed and motivated to produce Sunday against a Suns defense that has allowed the most fantasy points to point guards in the last 10 games.
Dion Waiters, MIA at IND ($6500): Waiters had a week of down games, but seems to have regained his groove this week with three straight 20-point efforts. In that stretch he has averaged 24.3 points, 5.0 assists, 4.7 treys, 2.0 rebounds and 1.4 combined steals/blocks.
Jeremy Lin, BKN vs NY ($5200): Linsanity is slowly ramping its way back up as Lin gets healthier. He has played incrementally more minutes in four straight games, over which he has averaged 17.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 combined blocks/steals in 24.5 minutes. On Sunday, he faces a Knicks defense that has allowed the seventh most fantasy points to point guards over its last five contests.
LeBron James, CLE at HOU ($11,300): James, if he plays Sunday, has a good chance to put the biggest score on the board. In his last five games he has averaged 29.8 points, 13.6 rebounds, 9.4 assists and 1.4 combined blocks/steals including five straight double-doubles and three triple-doubles. Health or rest are pretty much the only things that could slow LeBron down right now, as the Rockets have allowed the second most fantasy points to small forwards over the last 10 games.
Kristaps Porzingis, NY at BKN ($6900): Porzingis has started to look a bit more like himself since his last injury absence, averaging 17.8 points with 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocks in 34.5 minutes per game. On Saturday he hung six blocks on the Pistons as part of a strong overall game. On Sunday, he faces a Nets defense that has allowed the second most fantasy points to power forwards this season.
Brandon Ingram, LAL vs PHI ($4900): Ingram has had one terrible game since the All-Star break, when he scored no points with four boards and two assists against the Celtics nine days ago. He has been strong in the other six games, though, and in the three since the bad outing, he has averaged 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 combined blocks/steals in 38.3 minutes. On Sunday, he faces a 76ers defense that has allowed the 12th-most fantasy points to small forwards in its last 10 games.
Hassan Whiteside, MIA at IND ($7800): Whiteside has averaged 14.2 points, 13.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots in his last six games. Myles Turner and the Pacers aren't big threats to slow him, as they have allowed the sixth most fantasy points to centers over the last 10 games.
Jusuf Nurkic, POR at PHO ($6800): Nurkic has averaged 17.4 points, 10.6 rebounds. 5.0 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.4 steals — which is good for 45.3 fantasy points in his last five games. His production has been solid-floor (minimum of 24.3 fantasy points in that stretch) but very high variance (max of 81 fantasy points), which could bode well for him Sunday against a Suns defense that has allowed the 11th most fantasy points to centers this season.
Jahlil Okafor, PHI at LAL ($5000): Okafor has shown signs of life in the two games since returning from his latest knee ailment, averaging 15 points, six rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals. There is some caution, on the second half of a back-to-back, that he could be limited or even rested on the second half of a back-to-back, so keep an eye out for that. However, if he does play, he has an excellent matchup against a Lakers defense that has allowed the second most fantasy points to centers this season.
