This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
While we do have seven games on Sunday, we're going to go ahead and focus on the final four matchups. Those happen to start at 6ET and make-up the main slate on FanDuel. We do have a ton of injuries to monitor though and it'll be critical to keep an eye on those prior to submitting lineups.
Slate Overview
DEN vs. TOR: This is a battle between two elite defenses, with both clubs sitting top-eight in points allowed. That's why we have the Nuggets entering this matchup as a 4.5-point favorite in a projected 216-point game total.
SAC vs. DET: The Kings enter this matchup as a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 218. That's one of the largest spreads for Sacramento all season and it's no surprise when you see Detroit has produced just one win since Feb. 7.
NOP vs. LAL: The Pelicans' record is not indicative of how good this team is right now. The spread is though, with Los Angeles entering this matchup as just a 1.5-point favorite. I also project this to have a total right around 225.
GS vs. WSH: The Wizards might not have been a road favorite all season up until today, entering this matchup as a 4.5-point favorite. It's also projected to be the highest-scoring game on the night, with Golden State sitting 25th in defensive efficiency and Washington dead-last in that statistic. That's why we anticipate seeing a total north of 230.
Positional Breakdown
PG: Kyle Lowry and De'Aaron Fox are the cream of the cream of the crop in the $7,000s. Lonzo Ball and Jamal Murray follow them up just below $7,000. Derrick Rose represents a great value at $6,000 and there's really no one else using below that unless some injury news breaks.
SG: Bradley Beal is one of the best plays out there at $9,900. Jrue Holiday is next at $8,600, while Damion Lee and Buddy Hield sit just below $6,000. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Norman Powell and Gary Harris are all cheap pivots.
SF: LeBron James comes in as the second-highest priced player on the slate at $10,400. Pascal Siakam, Brandon Ingram and Andrew Wiggins make up the next tier between $7.000 and $9,000. Cheaper guys include Will Barton, Harrison Barnes and Juan Toscano-Anderson.
PF: Anthony Davis is the highest-priced player at $10,700. Zion Williamson and Christian Wood hover right around $8,000. Harry Giles, Rui Hachimura, Davis Bertans and Nemanja Bjelica all make for nice values around $5,000. Depending on injuries, Eric Paschall and Kyle Kuzma could be huge values in the low $4,000s.
C: Nikola Jokic is easily the best play here at $9,500. Marquese Chriss is next at $6,000 while Derrick Favors is third at $5,100. Dwight Howard and Thomas Bryant are the only cheap guys even worth considering. Everyone and their mother will be using Jokic.
Injuries to Monitor
Fred VanVleet/Marc Gasol/Serge Ibaka (TOR): Gasol will definitely miss this game, while VanVleet and Ibaka are questionable. If they're all out, just ride Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also gains value in a 25-minute role.
Marvin Bagley/Richaun Holmes (SAC): These two big men remain out. That has forced Nemanja Bjelica and Harry Giles into the starting lineup, making both nice options.
Blake Griffin/Luke Kennard (DET): Both remain out with long-term injuries. Derrick Rose and Christian Wood have taken over this offense in their absence.
LeBron James/Anthony Davis (LAL): The Big Two were questionable on Saturday but suited up, so one has to believe they'll be on the injury report again here. Don't be surprised to see one or both rested in the second half of a back-to-back set. If they're out, look for Kyle Kuzma and Rajon Rondo to pick up the most value. Danny Green will also sit, but that only adds value to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Golden State: Literally, more than half of this roster is listed on the injury report. The good news is that Ky Bowman, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the only ones ruled out. Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and Marquese Chriss all have designations, but all are game-time decisions. That leaves big roles for Eric Paschall and Damion Lee.
Elite Players
LeBron James vs. Anthony Davis
These are the two highest-priced players on the slate and the only guys above $10,000. That means we have to pick one and we're going to go with Davis. The main reason for that is because of the matchup against his former team. In his three games against the Pelicans this season, AD is averaging 36 points, 12 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.7 blocks per game. That's over 65 FanDuel points per outing and it's clear that he's got some extra motivation against the team that treated him so poorly. With all that said, James or Davis could sit. And if that's the case, just use the one who's suiting up!
Expected Chalk
Nikola Jokic, DEN ($9,500)
The second-highest priced center is Marquese Chriss. That tells you everything you need to know and it'll likely make Jokic the highest-owned player on the slate considering you roster just one center on FanDuel. His recent form is going to garner him huge ownership too, averaging 51.9 FD points per game across his last 24 fixtures. All of that makes Jokic a good bet to be at least 50 percent owned and it's going to make it tough to fade him altogether.
Kyle Kuzma, LAL ($4,200)
Considering we think that James, Davis or both will sit, Kuzma would become major chalk. If you look at the nine games that either Davis or James has been out, Kuzma has scored at least 19 FanDuel points in all of them while averaging 32 fantasy points per game during that span. That's obviously huge for a player priced so cheaply - and that doesn't even take into consideration he faces the league's fourth-worst defense. Not to mention, the public loves Kuzma and he's always more owned than he should be.
Key Values
Derrick Rose, DET ($6,000)
With Blake Griffin, Luke Kennard and Bruce Brown injured, Rose is the man for the Pistons. That doesn't even include the departures of Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Markieff Morris, leaving Rose to feast. If you look at this current roster, Rose leads the way with 34 percent usage rate while averaging 1.25 FD points per minute. That's huge for a guy who's having a bounce-back season by averaging 32 FanDuel points per game since the beginning of December.
Eric Paschall, GS ($4,300)
With seemingly no healthy players on this roster, Paschall could be in for a huge night. What we really love is his recent form, averaging 23 FD points per game across 29 minutes of action over his last 11 fixtures. That doesn't sound like anything special, but imagine how big that could be if all of the guys from the injury section sit. Paschall could be playing 35-plus minutes and posting a career-high usage rate, which would be huge news against a Washington team sitting dead-last in both points allowed and defensive efficiency.
Some Other Good Values Include: De'Aaron Fox, Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Damion Lee, Buddy Hield, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Harrison Barnes, Harry Giles, Nemanja Bjelica, Davis Bertans, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Derrick Favors and Thomas Bryant
