This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
FanDuel's main slate Sunday begins at 6:00 p.m. EST as the NFL Divisional games come to a close. If your fantasy pigskin pursuits fell short, slide on over to our recommendations to increase your chances of DFS NBA success.
SLATE OVERVIEW
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.
Highest Totals: IND/PHX (247.5), DEN/WAS (238)
Back-to-Back games: WAS, HOU
INJURIES
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.
LAL Anthony Davis (Achilles) - QUESTIONABLE
Davis often carries an injury designation, though the nature of this tag is a source of concern. We haven't seen the Achilles appear in the report, so monitoring his status is warranted. Christian Wood ($5,000) and Rui Hachimura ($4,700) would receive nice boosts if Davis is out.
POR Anfernee Simons (illness) - QUESTIONABLE
POR Scoot Henderson (nose) - QUESTIONABLE
If both listings hold, a massive workload will be in store for Malcolm Brogdon ($7,400).
WAS Daniel Gafford (concussion) - QUESTIONABLE
Bringing Marvin Bagley ($6,300) over from Detroit immediately came in handy due to Gafford's injury. Expect another contribution from the new Wizard should Gafford miss out again.
ELITE PLAYERS
We have four players at 10k and above for Sunday's slate. But with Anthony Davis and Tyrese Haliburton questionable, only two are viable. Nikola Jokic ($11,700) is in a smash spot against Washington, and I like his chances a little better than Jayson Tatum's matchup with the Rockets.
We'll want to keep tabs on the Lakers because I would have no problem pivoting to LeBron James ($9,800) in the event of a Davis absence. James also has an injury tag, but that's the norm. The first big guy off the board after Jokic would be Alperen Sengun ($9,000) since he's putting up massive numbers in Houston of late. Boston will lack depth at center if Al Horford (rest) can't go.
Jamal Murray ($8,100) rounds out our elite list as his production is routinely crushing 5x value. He faces a soft matchup against Washington. And though I'm not a fan of Murray's single eligibility, I'll take him at point guard without hesitation.
Also consider: Paolo Banchero, ORL
($8,800) vs. MIA
EXPECTED CHALK AND VALUE PLAYS
D'Angelo Russell, LAL
($6,900) vs. POR
FanDuel is finally showing Russell more respect with a higher salary, but going with him against a gutted Portland backcourt seems like a pretty smart play - especially if LA ends up looking for absorbed production from a potential Anthony Davis absence. I'm also loving his dual eligibility, and I'd most likely slot him at SG in most of my lineups to shore up the thinner position.
Michael Porter, DEN
($6,500) @ WAS
I'm obviously targeting the Nuggets on Sunday. Even though Porter's numbers tend to be all over the place, he's producing enough to consider him at this salary. He's beaten 5x value at this value in four of the last 10 games. And while that isn't a great percentage, the matchup increases Porter's probability of success.
Grayson Allen, PHX
($6,200) vs. IND
Allen fell back to Earth after sinking nine three-pointers against the Kings, though he should come in handy against the new-look Pacers, who are more imposing in the frontcourt with the addition of Pascal Siakam. Tyrese Haliburton may be back in the lineup, but most of his attention would be on Devin Booker to open scoring opportunities for Allen.
Jabari Walker, POR
($5,900) @ LAL
With Portland's roster reeling with injuries, Walker has started three straight games. While his numbers have carried some variance, his value is low enough for a flyer in GPP formats. There are other opportunities for value with players like Brogdon and Jabari Smith ($6,300), though Walker will be less popular. If you're looking for maximum salary relief, Matisse Thybulle ($3,900) would be a viable dart throw if Simons is confirmed absent.
Also consider: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DEN ($5,000) @ WAS
IND/PHX
To conclude, we should heed the high projected total of the Suns-Pacers matchup. Even though we didn't load up on players, look beyond the recommendations and feel free to plug in some players. Elite talents like Kevin Durant and Devin Booker carried high salaries and didn't make my initial list, but there's certainly merit in considering them.
