This article is part of our Daily Games Cheat Sheet series.
TEAM ANALYSIS
Defenses to Avoid
Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks: I am not yet a believer that the Cavaliers are a good defensive team, but I am a believer that the Bucks have taken a step back offensively since dealing Brandon Knight. The way Cleveland has been steamrolling through the East, combined with the way the Bucks have been sinking, is enough for me to avoid the Bucks due to concern of this game being uncompetitive early.
Offenses to Use
Philadelphia 76ers at Los Angeles Lakers: On Friday, the 76ers and Knicks hooked up in a tank-off, and Philadelphia will take on the Lakers fresh off a victory over New York. Both teams have lower priced players that have an easy matchup and can be used as nice fillers on any roster Sunday.
First game of a back-to-back: Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves
Second game of a back-to-back: Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns
DraftKings.com DAILY PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
Point Guard
Ty Lawson, PG, DEN ($6,800): Lawson, along with most of the Denver Nuggets, has had a strange season, which has seen his salary fall to under $7,000. Even though the Magic have improved, they are not a matchup to fear, and grabbing Lawson at this price is a bargain on Sunday. He's averaging about 34 DraftKings points in his last four games and had 35 DraftKings points in his last game against Orlando.
Other suggestions: John Wall (at SAC), Goran Dragic (at OKC)
Shooting Guard
Eric Bledsoe, SG, PHX ($8,000): The Suns finally exploded offensively against the Rockets on Saturday, and Phoenix will get another fast-paced contest against Dallas on Sunday. Bledsoe has averaged 45 DraftKings points in two games against the Mavericks this season and is averaging around 37 DraftKings points in his last four.
Other suggestions: J.R. Smith (at MIL), Jason Richardson (at LAL)
Small Forward
Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, SF, PHI ($4,400): The small forward position gets ugly fairly quickly after the top-tier, and if you're looking to punt the position Mbah A Moute is one of my favorites to use. His price is getting higher, but with the right matchup, he provides a variety of stats and value on DraftKings. He's averaging almost 21 DraftKings points over his last five and should get more than that against a soft Lakers defense.
Other suggestions: LeBron James (at MIL), Wilson Chandler (at ORL)
Power Forward
Tim Duncan, PF, SA ($6,500): There's no doubt Duncan has slowed a bit as the season has rolled on, but he can still put up massive fantasy numbers when his team needs him. The Spurs are fighting for playoff position, and the Hawks will certainly require that San Antonio is on their game. Duncan is averaging nearly 38 DraftKings points over his last six, and had 58 DraftKings points against the Hawks in their last matchup.
Other suggestions: Carlos Boozer (vs. PHI), Amir Johnson (vs. NY)
Center
Tyson Chandler, C, DAL ($5,600): This is a good price for Chandler, even though he's struggled recently with a 27 DraftKings points average over his last five games. The matchup with the Suns is good, and he's played well against them this season (42 DraftKings points per game). At this price point, he doesn't have to be spectacular but has the ability to do so.
Other suggestions: Nikola Vucevic (vs. DEN)
INJURY REPORT
Out
Jrue Holiday (leg)
Darren Collison (hip)
Jamal Crawford (calf)
Manu Ginobili (ankle)
Nick Young (knee)
Evan Fournier (hip)
Kevin Durant (foot)
Greg Monroe (knee)
Serge Ibaka (knee)
Ryan Anderson (knee)
Anthony Bennett (ankle)
Game-Time Decision
Ricky Rubio (ankle)
Kyle Lowry (back)
Isaiah Thomas (back)
Brandon Knight (ankle)
Jameer Nelson (hip)
Kyle Korver (nose)
Tim Hardaway Jr. (wrist)
Gary Neal (illness) is probable.
Ben McLemore (forearm) is probable.
O.J. Mayo (hamstring)
Rudy Gay (knee) is probable.
Tobias Harris (ankle)
Anthony Davis (ankle)
Thomas Robinson (ribs)
Kevin Garnett (knee)
Cody Zeller (shoulder)
DeMarcus Cousins (calf) is probable.
Enes Kanter (ankle)
Omer Asik (calf)
Nikola Pekovic (ankle)
Justin Hamilton (illness)
