This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The NBA often features modestly sized slates on Sundays, but this week's three-game ledger is especially compact. The injury report is also very light, yet two very notable names are already ruled out to thin out what is already a limited player pool. We do have a trio of interesting matchups on tap, with a Rockets-Kings rematch from Friday potentially the best environment for DFS production.
Slate Overview
Houston Rockets at Sacramento Kings (-6) (O/U: 238.0 points)
Golden State Warriors at Minnesota Timberwolves (-4.5) (O/U: )
Utah Jazz (-4) at Denver Nuggets (O/U: )
The Rockets and Kings combined for 240 points two nights ago, and there's not much reason to expect anything different in the rematch considering the defensive deficiencies of both clubs. However, the Warriors-Timberwolves clash has lost some of its luster due to the fact Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are both out of action.
The Jazz-Nuggets showdown could be the marquee battle as a result, especially with Rudy Gobert returning from COVID-19 protocols. Denver will come in with no shortage of momentum after walloping the Lakers by 37 points last night for their fourth victory in the last five games.
Injury Situations to Monitor
NOTE: Injury reporting is especially fluid in the NBA, where the status of multiple players can change during the course of a day. Therefore, although the following is a foundation for the latest injury report as of the time the article is written, check back throughout the course of the day with RotoWire for the latest news regarding the status of all players on that night's slate, including those carrying injury designations that aren't listed in this section.
Stephen Curry, GSW (hand): OUT
In Curry's absence, Gary Payton (back) could draw a start at point guard if he's able to play through his questionable tag, but the likes of Jordan Poole, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins should all see significant bumps in usage under any circumstance.
Draymond Green, GSW (calf): OUT
In Green's expected absence, Otto Porter is in line to earn another start at power forward.
Other notable injuries:
Hassan Whiteside, UTA (COVID-19 protocols): GTD
Richaun Holmes, SAC (conditioning): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
We have one player with a five-figure salary that will play on Sunday's slate – Nikola Jokic ($10,900).
Jokic went for 50.9 FD points in the win over the Lakers last night and is averaging 55.5 per contest for the season. He also produced a 26-point, 21-rebound, 11-assist triple-double in his one prior meeting with the Jazz on Jan. 5.
One player with a salary in the high four figures who also offers the potential for elite production is Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,800), who's scored 43.7 to 62.3 FD points in five contests since returning from COVID-19 protocols. The one concern may be Towns' playing time, as it's possible the T-Wolves are able to build a big lead on what will be an undermanned Warriors squad.
Expected Chalk
In addition to the players just mentioned, other likely chalk plays include:
Donovan Mitchell, UTA ($8,400)
Mitchell should be very popular on the small slate and comes in having scored over 40 FD points in five of the last seven appearances.
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($8,200)
Edwards has demonstrated a very appealing floor all season and has produced between 38.4 to 47.7 FD points in six outings.
De'Aaron Fox, SAC ($8,000)
Fox is coming off posting 48.2 FD points against the same Rockets team on Friday while also recording over 40 from four of the last eight contests.
Christian Wood, HOU ($7,300)
Wood scored 42.6 FD points against the Kings on Friday and has eclipsed 40 in four of the last six games.
Key Values
Andrew Wiggins, GSW at MIN ($5,800)
Wiggins carries a 27.9 percent usage rate with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green off the floor this season, and he'll be in an appealing matchup against his old squad. The Timberwolves have been better defensively at home, but they've still allowed an NBA-high 24.7 percent offensive efficiency to small forwards along with 41.3 FD points per game to the position. Wiggins also dropped 41.8 FD points across 32 minutes in his prior meeting with Minnesota this season and bounced back after a trio of subpar efforts to post 34.8 over 28 minutes against the Bulls Friday.
Jae'Sean Tate, HOU at SAC ($5,800)
Tate exploded for 49 FD points in 31 minutes Friday against the Kings, his second straight performance over 40. The talented big is averaging 30.7 FD points over his last nine, a stretch during which he's struggled from three-point range but still shot an impressive 53.2 percent overall. Sacramento is now allowing 47.2 FD points per power forwards after Tate's big performance, and with this rematch once again sporting a projected total of well north of 230 points and Tate's salary holding steady, he once again makes for a viable value play.
Jonathan Kuminga, GSW at MIN ($4,400)
Kuminga enters with a 27.2 percent usage rate and averages 38.9 FD points per 36 minutes with Curry and Green off the floor this year, putting him firmly in play at his very reasonable salary. The rookie just posted 45.1 FD points across 26 minutes in the blowout win over the Bulls and had registered 22.7 and 26.4 FD points in the two prior outings. The rookie could see a solid allotment of playing time again due to the short-handed nature of the Warriors' roster. And with the T-Wolves yielding the fourth-highest offensive efficiency to power forwards (44.2 percent), Kuminga could be set to deliver another strong return on investment.
ALSO CONSIDER: Klay Thompson, GSW at MIN ($5,800); Marvin Bagley, SAC at HOU ($5,600)
