This article is part of our Daily Games Cheat Sheet series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defenses to Avoid
New York Knicks at Portland Trail Blazers: Carmelo Anthony's knee is certainly a problem, J.R. Smith has been a shell of himself for the past few years, Tim Hardaway Jr. is struggling with his shot, and Amar'e Stoudemire can only do so much. In addition to all of those concerns, the Knicks have an offense that has been terrible all season. Even if the Trail Blazers were a poor defensive team, I would have trepidation in choosing any Knicks for my roster at this point.
Offenses to Use
Toronto Raptors at Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets play very loose defense, and the Raptors have developed into a run-and-gun type of team. Look for a ton of points, possibly from both sides, as the Raptors look to exploit a defense that has been soft on the interior for the majority of the season.
First game of a back-to-back: Houston Rockets
Second game of a back-to-back: Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks
DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
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Point Guard
Russell Westbrook, PG, OKC ($11,900): While it's a bit gut-wrenching to nominate a player with this high of a price tag, it's hard not to look at Westbrook as a potential bargain for this price. With him, it's almost guaranteed he cracks 50 DraftKings points, and he's been absolutely phenomenal to the tune of DraftKings scores of 68.5 and 66.25 before he scored "only" 42.5 in the blowout versus Charlotte on Friday.
Other suggestions: Isaiah Thomas (at LAL), Kyle Lowry (at DEN)
Shooting Guard
Nick Young, SG, LAL ($5,200):Young is a boom or bust kind of player, but against the guard-heavy Suns, he should be able to lean more toward "boom". At his price range, he's something of a lottery ticket, but he gets enough shots and minutes to get around the 25 DraftKings points mark, which would make him a very good buy in terms of points per $K spent.
Other suggestions: Lou Williams (at DEN), Wesley Matthews (vs. NYK)
Small Forward
Wilson Chandler, SF, DEN ($6,000): In what I assume will be a high-scoring affair Sunday night, it's wise to invest in one of the top scorers from that game, specifically at this mid-tier price. While he's had a few duds, Chandler has shown the ability to go off for some nice outings on volume alone when he's struggling. He's worth a buy here, simply because I am not in love with buying into the top options on the board, and Chandler has high upside as it is.
Other suggestions: James Johnson (at DEN), P.J. Tucker (at LAL)
Power Forward
Ed Davis, PF, LAL ($4,600): Davis has put a nice string of games together as of late, with totals of 29.75, 38, and 29.25 in his last three outings. Although these have come with Kobe Bryant out, his likely return to the court may not have too drastic of an effect on what Davis is able to do. If he can get even close to those three totals, he will be a solid low-end buy on Sunday.
Other suggestions: Patrick Patterson (at DEN), Tim Duncan (vs. HOU)
Center
Alex Len, C, PHX ($4,800): Len has been starting for the Suns, and while he's no longer a basement-level buy, he's still quite cheap relative to mid-tier options. In his last six games, Len has hit at least 20 DraftKings points, and he has the ability to contribute in points, rebounds, and blocks. In the DraftKings world, those are valuable categories, and against the Lakers, he could have a big game.
Other suggestions: Jordan Hill (vs. PHX)
INJURY REPORT
Out
DeMar DeRozan (groin)
Randy Foye (quad)
Iman Shumpert (shoulder)
Danilo Gallinari (knee)
Terrence Jones (leg)
Darrell Arthur (leg)
Robin Lopez (hand)
Game-Time Decision
Tony Parker (hamstring) is questionable.
Kobe Bryant (rest) hopes to play Sunday.
J.R. Smith (heel) is questionable.
Kevin Durant (ankle) is questionable.
Kawhi Leonard (hand) is day-to-day.
LaMarcus Aldridge (illness) is doubtful.
Amar'e Stoudemire (rest) is doubtful.
