We have a small four-game slate for Sunday's FanDuel NBA DFS action. Using RotoWire's trusted projections, we'll identify our best selections in the player pool. 50/50 and H2H contests are your friend when player pools are shallow, so I recommend using Sunday as a bankroll-building endeavor over the large-field tournaments given the accuracy required to cash.
Try our FanDuel NBA Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
FanDuel Main Slate NBA Games Today
As you'll see below, there are a couple of questionable spots requiring attention prior to tipoff. Though the Knicks are 20-point favorites, I'm still going with their elites in the hopes of getting three good quarters out of the starters. The basement battle between Sacramento and Brooklyn lists a pitiful projected total, yet I identified some potential value there. My favorite team is Toronto going up against the injury-riddled Suns.
For the latest spreads and over-unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks, articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
NBA Injuries Today
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report. Below are some of the most recent and relevant injuries for Sunday. Keep in mind that this is not a complete list. Use your best judgment when evaluating ongoing injury scenarios elsewhere on the slate.
BKN Nic Claxton (rest) - OUT
BKN Noah Clowney (wrist) - OUT
BKN Michael Porter (hamstring) - OUT
Duties under the basket will fall to Josh Minott ($4,400). Danny Wolf ($5,700) and Ziaire Williams ($4,000) will also register well in this spot.
SAC Russell Westbrook (foot) - OUT
SAC Daeqwon Plowden (foot) - QUESTIONABLE
Malik Monk ($4,800) should draw the start for Westbrook.
WAS Trae Young (quad) - QUESTIONABLE
WAS Tre Johnson (foot) - QUESTIONABLE
WAS Leaky Black (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
All three of these players are on the wrong side of questionable for Sunday's meeting with the Knicks. Tristan Vukcevic ($4,500) should earn a usage bump, and I'll also increase my exposure to Bilal Coulibaly ($5,600).
NYK Josh Hart (knee) - QUESTIONABLE
NYK Landry Shamet (knee) - OUT
Jordan Clarkson ($3,900) should start with Shamet unavailable as a pivot for Hart. Hart could also end up playing through the injury, so it's best to wait before locking it in.
MIN Anthony Edwards (knee) - OUT
MIN Naz Reid (ankle) - QUESTIONABLE
Edwards will remain out, though Reid could return to action. Ayo Dosunmu ($6,500) has played lights-out in relief of Edwards and should be universally considered.
PHX Royce O'Neale (knee) - OUT
PHX Grayson Allen (knee) - OUT
PHX Dillon Brooks (hand) - OUT
PHX Mark Williams (foot) - OUT
The Suns could end up having some of the best budget pivots of the evening. Jordan Goodwin ($5,000) and Oso Ighodaro ($5,700) lead the list.
Elite Players
The slim player pool lists zero players above $10k for Sunday, so our elites will range from $8,400 to $9,600. Jaylen Brown ($9,600) is at the front with a probable tag, but I'm more compelled to add Jalen Brunson ($9,200) over the MVP candidate in a favorable matchup against the Wizards. I'm also fine with stocking Karl-Anthony Towns ($8,900) alongside. The remaining elites are also worthy as Devin Booker ($8,800) and Scottie Barnes ($8,700) should reap dividends squaring off against each other. As for Jayson Tatum ($8,400), he's not at the nightly value-beating level you want to see at this salary point. While not a full fade, he's more of a risk-reward option.
Expected Chalk, Mid-range Options and Value Plays
RJ Barrett, TOR ($7,300) @ PHX
I like Toronto's starting lineup tonight against Phoenix, but I'll begin by singling out Barrett. My favorite thing about the swing man is his ability to hover right around 5x value relative to whatever salary he sits at and he'll be going opposite Jalen Green, which is a size mismatch. Both are great defenders, yet Barrett will have better playmakers to dish the ball off to against the shorthanded Suns. Brandon Ingram is also fine at $7,800, though you can save a bit of coin with Barrett.
Collin Gillespie, PHX ($6,300) vs. BOS
If Booker was too expensive for you, I think Gillespie is a fine alternative with a salary that could yield 5x dividends. He's produced three consecutive strong outings the past week and led the team in scoring during one of those. Toronto will pose a serious challenge, but Gillespie's steady floor is safe to target.
Jaden McDaniels, MIN ($6,200) @ BOS
When scanning through Minnesota's starters, McDaniels will usually show up as one of the team's best value options. He didn't perform as expected early on during Edward's absence, yet has come around as the absence continued. I'm taking him over other players like Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo due to the favorable salary and upside potential.
Neemias Queta, BOS ($5,600) vs. MIN
I looked at Rudy Gobert first, but Queta's 19/18 double-double against Minnesota earlier this season compelled me to add him here. He'll be one of two I'm targeting at center, and Vegas is actually projecting a higher pace for this matchup. That's been a recent rarity for a Celtics squad that usually plays slow.
Jakob Poeltl, TOR ($5,900) @ PHX
Poelltl has an inch on Oso Ighodaro while Royce O'Neale's absence will also leave Phoenix vulnerable at the baseline. While Barnes is my exploiter in this spot, you can easily utilize Poeltl if salary cap concerns force you in another direction. He just ekes out Maxime Raynaud ($6,400) as my second-favorite center on Sunday.
Josh Minott, BKN ($4,400) @ SAC
Though I don't typically repeat options from the injury section, I want to emphasize Minott. The Kings' brightest spot up front has been Raynaud, but the Nets should still be able to take advantage of the situation. With Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney out of commission, it's a green light for Minott to make plays and the 6'8" bruiser should be able to find opportunities as he squares off against Sacramento's front three.
Jose Alvarado, NYK ($4,200) vs. WAS
The Knicks love using Alvarado in cleanup duty as he's a hard-working guard who can quickly rack up points. This is a great bargain salary for Alvarado, who should also benefit if Josh Hart is out or limited.
Visit RotoWire's NBA Daily Starting Lineups and NBA News for up-to-the-minute information!
