This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
Team Analysis
Defense to avoid: San Antonio Spurs, at NYK - The Spurs are the only dominant defense going, and the team that they are playing against isn't a dominant offense. The Spurs allow the second fewest fantasy points to centers, the second fewest to forwards, and the tenth fewest to guards in the DraftKings scoring format.
Offense to Use: Sacramento Kings, vs NOP - The Kings are playing at home, and have some solid producers at different positions. Meanwhile, the Pelicans have allowed the fourth most fantasy points to guards, the eighth most to forwards, and the fourth most to centers this season. DeMarcus Cousins, Darren Collison, Ben Mclemore and (if he starts) Matt Barnes all have the opportunity to have above average games on Sunday.
Teams on Back-to-Backs:
First game: Pistons, Pelicans, Spurs
Second game: None
Kyle Lowry, TOR vs DET ($8000): Lowry has a good match-up on Sunday against a Pistons defense that has allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to point guards in the DraftKings scoring system. He comes into the game averaging 25.3 points, 6.4 assists, 4.0 boards and 1.3 combined blocks/steals in his last 13 games.
Dwyane Wade, CHI at MIN ($7000): Wade is listed as probable to play on Sunday despite having injured his wrists in a fall on Friday. Running mate Jimmy Butler, on the other hand, is questionable with his heel injury. Over his last nine games, Wade has averaged 22.1 points, 6.3 boards, 4.1 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
Brandon Jennings, NY vs SA ($4400): This recommendation is dependent on Jennings continuing to start, as he did on Friday in a smaller-ball line-up with Kristaps Porzingis shifted to center and Carmelo Anthony shifted to power forward. With that line-up on Friday, Jennings led the Knicks with 13 assists while Derrick Rose played more of a scoring role. Even if he does start, though, he does have a challenging matchup against a solid but more beatable Spurs perimeter defense.
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs CHI ($10,400): Towns is forward-eligible in the DraftKings system, which makes him likely one of the highest scorers at the position on Sunday. Over his last 13 games, Towns has averaged 29.5 points, 11.8 boards, 2.7 assists and 2.3 combined steals/blocks. The Bulls frontline is solid, but too short/not athletic enough to prevent Towns from getting what he wants if his game is on.
Marcus Morris, DET at TOR ($5100): Morris is averaging 19.6 points, 6.2 boards, 3.0 assists and 1.2 combined steals/blocks over his last five games. He is also less expensively priced in DraftKings, which helps overcome that he does have a difficult match-up on Sunday against a Raptors defense that has allowed the seventh fewest fantasy points to small forwards this season.
DeMarre Carroll, TOR vs DET ($4200): Carroll has averaged 14.3 points, 6.3 boards, 1.7 assists and 1.3 combined steals/blocks over his last three games as he seems to finally be getting his legs back under him. He has a surprisingly good matchup on Sunday against a Pistons team that has been strong defensively on the wing all season, but that has slid over the past five games to allow the sixth most fantasy points to small forwards.
DeMarcus Cousins, SAC vs NO ($11,100): Cousins against Anthony Davis is the marquee match-up of the day, but Cousins has the better match-up. The Kings have allowed the fewest fantasy points to centers over the past 10 games, while the Pelicans have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to centers over that stretch. Thus, Cousins gets the call here despite the fact that either could very easily get the other in foul trouble and thus dominate the matchup.
Andre Drummond, DET at TOR ($7900): Drummond has grabbed at least 15 rebounds in six of his last eight games, averaging 17.4 points, 15.5 boards and 4.3 combined steals/blocks over that stretch. He even went for 12 and 15 with three steals on Friday against the Spurs, one of the toughest defenses on centers in the NBA. On Sunday he faces the Raptors, who are solid with the tenth fewest fantasy points allowed to centers, but the Spurs were better (second fewest fantasy points allowed to centers) and he was still able to be effective against them this weekend.
Dewayne Dedmon, SA at NY ($4600): Dedmon is coming off of a dominant 17 points, 17 rebounds on Friday against Andre Drummond and a strong Pistons defensive interior. He is averaging almost a double-double, 9.8 points and 10.6 boards over his last five games. On Sunday he has a better match-up on paper against a Knicks defense that has allowed the fifth most fantasy points to centers this season.
