This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
There are some fascinating matchups and intriguing fantasy options for Sunday's four-game slate that starts at 7:00 p.m. EST, as all four are expected to be close, with every spread projected to be within five points. That makes it relatively straight forward, and since it will be key to get studs like Russell Westbrook and DeMarcus Cousins into fantasy lineups, finding the right value plays will be big.
GUARDS
Kyle Lowry, TOR at SAC ($36): All the talk around Toronto is DeMar DeRozan's ridiculous scoring run, but Lowry is in the midst of a great stretch himself, scoring at least 41 fantasy points in six of his last seven games. What's most impressive about that run is his lack of points, as he's doing that damage averaging fewer than 20 points per game. That means he's providing peripheral stats at the best rate of his career, and he should have no problem adding to those numbers Sunday, as not only do the Kings play at a fast pace, they rank as one of the worst defenses in the league.
Jameer Nelson, DEN vs. UTA ($10): Nelson has been starting next to Emmanuel Mudiay recently and averaging over 33 minutes per game. While he hasn't put up great fantasy numbers in that span, getting those sort of minutes should lead to some inevitable production at some point. The reason Nelson is a solid play is because of the price, as it's nearly impossible to find a minimum priced player who will play at least 30 minutes.
Guard to Avoid
Rodney Hood, UTA at DEN ($26): Ever since Gordon Hayward came back from injury, Hood has seen his production drop. In fact, Hood has only surpassed 26 fantasy points twice in his last six games, which is the value you need out of a $26 player. All he really provides is scoring and that will ultimately limit his upside. To further that point, he is averaging just 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks per game this season. That's about 10 fantasy points per game from peripheral stats and that makes his upside too low for $26.
FORWARDS
Jimmy Butler, CHI at LAL ($41): Butler is averaging over 40 fantasy points per game for the season and is approaching 50 fantasy points per game over his last six. The minutes make him a near guarantee to reach value as well, considering he plays nearly 40 minutes almost every time he takes the floor. If that's not enough incentive, the matchup should be, as he faces a Lakers defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to small forwards this season.
Trey Lyles, UTA at DEN ($12): Lyles got the start Saturday and finished with 21 points and five rebounds, and he is now averaging over 25 fantasy points per game in his last three, which is solid value on his extremely affordable price. What's made him more valuable recently is the injury to Derrick Favors, as he is the lone big man who can actually score. Their matchup is great too, with Denver's defense ranking as one of the worst in the league.
Forward to Avoid
Nikola Jokic, DEN vs. UTA ($21): Jokic simply doesn't have the role in Denver that everyone expected and his price still hasn't dropped enough. Since the beginning of November, Jokic is only averaging 21 minutes per game and providing very little fantasy production. In fact, he has failed to reach 15 fantasy points in seven of 11 games this season. The matchup is tough as well, with Utah having one of the three-best defenses in the NBA.
CENTER
Robin Lopez, CHI at LAL ($17): Lopez is playing some great ball and his price hasn't kept up the pace. Not only has he played 38 minutes in three of his last four games, he surpassed 27 fantasy points in all four. The Lakers are a great matchup too, as they rank 22nd in fantasy points allowed to centers across their last five games.
Center to Avoid
Jonas Valanciunas, TOR at SAC ($28): Valanciunas is a solid option, but his upside is too low to be the top-priced center on the slate. In his last nine games, Valanciunas has scored between 20 and 29 fantasy points; that makes him a solid option in a cash game, but that's simply not enough to win a tournament. A bigger concern is his playing time, as he's seen 22 minutes or fewer in three of his last five games. While the matchup against Sacramento is a good one, it's just too tough to use Valanciunas with a ceiling of 29 fantasy points, which should be his average with a matching price.
