This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
There are seven games in the NBA on Sunday, six of which will make up the main slate on Yahoo. You'll need to get your lineups in earlier than usual since that slate starts at 6:00 PM EST. Let's dive into the matchups and highlight some players to target, as well as discuss a few to potentially avoid.
GUARDS
Elfrid Payton, NY at ATL ($28): Make no mistake about it, Payton has separated himself on the depth chart from the rest of the Knicks' point guard options. He's logged at least 30 minutes in eight straight games, averaging 12.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 2.1 steals during that stretch. With the Hawks playing a the fourth-fastest pace in the league, Payton should receive plenty of opportunities to provide another excellent all-around stat line.
De'Anthony Melton, MEM at WAS ($11): Even with the Grizzlies dealing away some players at the deadline, Melton only logged 23 minutes against the Sixers on Friday. To make matters worse, he shot just 1-for-9 from the field in that game. However, he still managed to score 25.9 Yahoo points thanks to five steals. This is a much easier matchup against a Wizards' team that allows the most points per game, making Melton an intriguing option at nearly the minimum price.
Guard to Avoid
Josh Richardson, PHI vs. CHI ($16): After missing six games with a hamstring injury, Richardson made his return Friday against the Grizzlies. The Sixers clearly took a cautious approach, playing him just 15 minutes off the bench. Richardson could once again be limited here and might not need to play much given the high likelihood the Sixers blow out the Bulls, so keep him out of your entry.
FORWARDS
John Collins, ATL vs. NY ($39): The Hawks will be without Clint Capela (heel) again for this game, leaving little rebounding competition for Collins. Trae Young (ankle) is listed as questionable after sitting out Friday, so Collins will be the main scoring option on the team if the star guard is sidelined again. He logged 38 minutes in that matchup against the Celtics on Friday, finishing with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Even if Young does play, Collins represents a great option considering he has scored at least 41 Yahoo points in five of his last six games.
Chandler Hutchison, CHI at PHI ($13): The Bulls don't have many healthy players left at this point. The most recent player joining the injury report is Zach LaVine (neck), who is listed as questionable. If he doesn't play, the Bulls are going to have a really hard time scoring. Regardless if he plays or not, Hutchison is in line for extended minutes with Kris Dunn (knee) out and Denzel Valentine (hamstring) doubtful. Hutchison has started back-to-back games, which helped him score at least 25.5 Yahoo points in both contests.
Forward to Avoid
Carmelo Anthony, POR vs. MIA ($19): Anthony has thrown up some duds lately, scoring six points or fewer in three of his last five games. For a player who mostly only contributes in points and rebounds, those type of scoring performances are killers in DFS. On top of his recent struggles, this is a tough matchup against the defensive-minded Heat. If you're looking for a forward in this price range, it might be best to roll with Bojan Bogdanovic ($21), who has a much easier matchup against the Rockets.
CENTERS
Bam Adebayo, MIA at POR ($34): This should be a fun big man battle with Adebayo and his former teammate Hassan Whiteside facing off. It will be on Adebayo's shoulders to try and carry the Heat to a win with Jimmy Butler (shoulder) out again. He's already scored at least 39.9 Yahoo points in five of his last six games, leaving him as one of the safer centers on this slate.
Larry Nance Jr., CLE vs. LAC ($20): If you are looking for a viable cheap center, it's slim pickings. One to possibly target who likely won't be included in a lot of entries is Nance, who has scored at least 26.8 Yahoo points in eight of his last nine contests. Even though the addition of Andre Drummond makes things cloudy in the Cavaliers' front court, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Tristan Thompson fall completely out of the rotation. Also, this game has blowout written all over it, so Nance could receive added minutes in the second half.
Center to Avoid
Montrezl Harrell, LAC at CLE ($26): The Clippers enter this game mostly healthy and could even have the newly-acquired Marcus Morris available. That should spell trouble for the Cavaliers. If this game does indeed get out of hand early, we might not see much of Harrell late. Add the potential for limited playing time to him already scoring 26.2 Yahoo points or fewer in four straight games and this might not be the night to roll with Harrell.
