Yahoo DFS Basketball: Sunday Picks

Yahoo DFS Basketball: Sunday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.

The NBA closes out the weekend with six games on the schedule Sunday, five of which make up the main contest on Yahoo. The day will be highlighted by a matchup between the Bucks and Rockets. Let's discuss some players to target, and others to possibly avoid, while drafting your entry.

GUARDS

Luka Doncic, DAL at PHO ($53): With the Mavericks scoring 149 points in their overtime loss to the Rockets on Friday, it's no surprise Doncic put forth a monster stat line by logging a whopping 42 minutes and finishing with 28 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, one steal and one block. He'll now face a Suns' squad that has played at the ninth-fastest pace in the league, once again leaving him with a tremendously high floor.

George Hill, MIL at HOU ($10): The Bucks played without Eric Bledsoe (coach's decision) Friday against the Celtics, which opened up an expanded role for Hill. Although he didn't start, he still scored 18.8 Yahoo points across 28 minutes. Bledsoe will once again be out Sunday, setting up Hill with the potential for more minutes again. This should be a much more fantasy-friendly matchup considering the small lineups the Rockets deploy and the fact they play at the fourth-fastest pace, so Hill could provide value at the minimum price.

Guard to Avoid

Kemba Walker, BOS vs. POR ($27): The Celtics aren't going to take any chances with Walker, who has been battling knee issues this season. He only logged 19 minutes in their first game back against the Bucks, which contributed to only scoring 22.2 Yahoo points. With the expectation that the Celtics will continue to limit his playing time Sunday, Walker's too pricey to justify adding him to your entry.

FORWARDS

Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL at HOU ($56): Giannis certainly didn't show any signs of rust against the Celtics, torching them for 36 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block. Not much of an argument needs to be made to deploy Giannis is DFS, regardless of his opponent. When you add in the small lineups that the Rockets use, he could once again provide a massive all-around stat line.

Lonnie Walker IV, SA at MEM ($10): The Spurs technically have something left to play for, but their chances of making the playoffs took a hit when LaMarcus Aldridge (shoulder) was lost for the season. They will once again be thin at guard for this game, with Bryn Forbes (quad) out and Marco Belinelli (foot) listed as doubtful. Walker could get plenty of playing time down the stretch, considering he logged 32 minutes versus the Kings on Friday. He scored 23.6 Yahoo points in that contest, so he should at least be on your radar at such a cheap price.

Forward to Avoid

Harrison Barnes, SAC at ORL ($18): Including the Kings' first game back against the Spurs, Barnes has scored 29.1 Yahoo points or fewer in each of his last nine games. Most of his contributions come in the scoring column considering he's averaging only 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals ad 0.2 blocks. That could leave Barnes with a rough stat line Sunday given that the Magic have allowed the seventh-fewest points per game in the league. 

CENTERS

Kristaps Porzingis, DAL at PHO ($41): The Rockets had no one to match up with Porzingis' size, and it showed. He finished with 39 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block across 39 minutes. While it might seem like his playing time was added by the extra period, Porzingis had logged at least 37 minutes in five of his previous six games before the season went on hold. With the Suns playing at such a fast pace, he could once again shine.

Jakob Poeltl, SA at MEM ($14): Aldridge isn't the only big man the Spurs are missing since Trey Lyles (side) is also out. Their absences were the main reason why Poeltl started and logged 32 minutes versus the Kings. He only dropped seven points, but his six rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks helped him finish with 30.7 Yahoo points. With no one standing in his way for minutes for the rest of the season, Poeltl represents a viable target if you're looking to save money at center.

Center to Avoid

Hassan Whiteside, POR at BOS ($24): The Blazers wasted no time inserting Jusuf Nurkic into the starting five, which forced Whiteside to come off the bench against the Grizzlies. He played only 18 minutes, finishing with seven points, four rebounds and two blocks. As long as he's coming off the bench behind Nurkic, he's someone to avoid at this price.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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