This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
There are seven games Sunday, but two of them are early (Pacers at Hawks at 1:00 PM ET, Warriors at Knicks at 3:30 PM) and FanDuel's "main" contests are for the later five games. The article below will focus on those five, but for those playing the early games, the big recent change is the injury to Kevin Durant. This suggests that several of the players on the Warriors could be relatively undervalued, since they are still learning to make up for his lost production. With that said, here's a closer look at some value plays on the main schedule…
Russell Westbrook, OKC at DAL ($13,400): Westbrook entered his last game against the Suns averaging an absurd 65.3 fantasy points in his previous five. Then, in his last outing, he upped his game by scoring 48 points with 17 rebounds, nine assists and three steals…good for 83.9 fantasy points. His price is too high, but if he's going to produce at this level, it just doesn't matter. It should be noted that his Sunday opponent, the Mavs, have allowed the fewest fantasy points to point guards this season.
Bradley Beal, WAS vs ORL ($7500): Beal is on a 10-game run in which he has averaged 27 points, 3.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals. He is a premier scorer, and on Sunday he faces a Magic defense that has allowed the ninth most points scored this season.
Jordan Clarkson, LAL vs NO ($5200): Clarkson scored 20 points with four rebounds, three assists and three steals in his last outing, and is averaging 17.3 points, 3.5 boards, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals in 30 minutes in the four games since Lou Williams was traded. On Sunday, Clarkson faces a Pelicans defense that has allowed the third most fantasy points to point guards this season.
Anthony Davis, NO at LAL ($10,200): Davis will get a crack at a Lakers defense that has allowed the second most fantasy points to both power forwards and centers this season. Davis has done anything but slow down since DeMarcus Cousins came to town, averaging 33.6 points, 10.6 boards, 2.2 dimes, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals in the five games since the trade.
Gordon Hayward, UTA at SAC ($8000): Hayward has averaged 22 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals in his last 20 games. But in his last two, he's averaged only 12 points. This makes him a good bounce-back candidate Sunday against a Kings team that has been torched since the DeMarcus Cousins trade, allowing the most fantasy points to small forwards in that stretch.
Terrence Ross, ORL at WAS ($4500): Ross has had three strong games in his four outings as a starter for the Magic. Overall, he is averaging 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in that role. On Sunday, he faces a Wizards defense that has allowed the 13th fewest fantasy points to small forwards this season.
DeMarcus Cousins, NO at LAL ($10,300): Cousins and Anthony Davis have yet to win a game together, but both are putting up tremendous numbers. In his four games with New Orleans, Cousins is averaging 22.3 points, 15.3 boards, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. Also, the Lakers' defense is second worst in the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to both power forwards and centers.
Nerlens Noel, DAL vs OKC ($6300): Noel had been coming off the bench for the Mavericks, then they decided to start him against a Grizzlies defense that has allowed the fewest fantasy points to centers this season. And he absolutely exploded, scoring 15 points with 17 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in 35 minutes.
Alan Williams, PHO vs BOS ($6000): Williams has three double-doubles in his last four games, and has settled in as the clear top big man for the Suns. Even including a down game, he is still averaging 14.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.5 assists in 27.5 minutes over his last four. He'll face a Celtics defense Sunday that has allowed the 11th most fantasy points to centers this season.
