This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Basketball series.
Sunday slates are going to be wild from here on out. There will be games spread throughout the day, and that's certainly the case here with eight overall and five making up the main card beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Despite the small card, we do have some of the best players suiting up, and two of those superstars will be featured here. With that in mind, let's kick things off with some value guards.
Guards
Anfernee Simons, POR vs. DEN ($28)
The Trail Blazers look to be in rebuild mode, but it's made Simons a fantasy beast. Losing Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic to injury is one thing, but trading CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington is a different story. That has left Simons with all he can handle, generating a 36 percent usage rate with this current roster. It's not empty usage either, with ANT averaging 38 Yahoo points per game across his last six. Denver has struggled with opposing guards surrendering the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing PGs this season.
Reggie Jackson, LAC at HOU ($25)
R-Jax is in a similar situation as Simons. He's being asked to do a lot for the Clippers with them missing Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Powell. That has made Jackson the focal point of the offense and he's managed a 31 percent usage rate in this expanded role. Not to mention, he's averaging nearly 20 shots a game while logging 35 minutes a night. That has led to Reggie scoring at least 29 fantasy points in nine of the last 11 games en route to a 33-point average. The best part is this matchup with Houston surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing point guards. That was crystal clear when Jackson registered 37.4 Yahoo points in their matchup last week.
Guard to Avoid
Jalen Brunson, DAL at GSW ($23)
Brunson has been a revelation for Dallas at times this season, but it's going to be tough for him at this salary. Having to battle with Luka Doncic's 40 percent usage rate was tough enough, but trading for Spencer Dinwiddie has left Brunson with crumbs in this offense. That led to JB scoring 14.4 Yahoo points in the first game back from the break, with Dinwiddie taking many of his ball-handling duties for the second unit. That's particularly problematic in this matchup, with the Warriors boasting the NBA's best defensive rating. Over their two head-to-heads this season, Brunson has scored 26 or fewer fantasy points in both.
Forwards
LeBron James, LAL vs. NOP ($54)
Not much needs to be said when recommending LeBron. This is the greatest player of our generation and he's produced at least 36 Yahoo points in every game he's finished this season. That's an unbelievable floor averaging 31.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.5 steals over his last 24 games played. That's scary since James will be asked to do even more here without Anthony Davis, particularly against a 21st-ranked New Orleans defense. We also don't mind that he's recorded at least 41 fantasy points in 10 straight meetings with the Pelicans.
Marcus Morris, LAC at HOU ($19)
We already mentioned how many players the Clippers are missing, leaving Jackson and Morris as the key players on offense. In this increased role, Morris has registered at least 27 Yahoo points in 19 of 37 games while surpassing 34 fantasy points in 13. That means you have a 40 percent chance of getting 34 Yahoo points, which is all you can ask for from a sub-$20 player. It's much more likely in this matchup with Houston ranked first in pace and last in defensive efficiency. Morris also managed 27 points, five rebounds and three assists against the Rockets last week.
Forward to Avoid
Jerami Grant, DET at CHA ($25)
Grant has not looked like the same player since his return from injury. JG has produced 36 or fewer fantasy points in all 11 games while failing to crack 27 Yahoo points in eight. He's also got an atrocious 25-point average during that span while ceding touches and minutes to Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey, Kelly Olynyk, Marvin Bagley, and Hamidou Diallo. That's too many cooks in the kitchen for Grant to return to the $30 player we saw last season, and we simply have to fade him until we see something change.
Centers
Nikola Jokic, DEN at POR ($56)
It's tough to fade Jokic on any slate, especially a short one. The Joker is leading the NBA with 57 fantasy points per game with at least 40 Y! in all but one appearances. I've reiterated those stats countless times, but it makes him the best option on every slate. Jokic becomes even more enticing in this matchup with Portland ranked 26th in points allowed and 28th in defensive efficiency ratings. In their two meetings this season, Joker is averaging 24 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game despite playing 30 or fewer minutes in both.
Mason Plumlee, CHA vs. DET ($17)
Plumlee has been undervalued all season, and it's tough to understand why. The big man has accumulated at least 23 Yahoo points in 14 of his last 15 games while posting a 28-point average in those outings. That's all you can hope for from such an affordable player, especially since Plumlee is being asked to play more in the absence of Gordon Hayward. We love all of that against his former team as Detroit is ranked 27th in points allowed and 25th in defensive efficiency.
Center to Avoid
Christian Wood, HOU vs. LAC ($31)
Wood is this expensive for a reason, but we just don't trust him at this salary. You need about 40 fantasy points for him to reach value, and that's been a rare occurrence as of late. In fact, Wood has scored 40 or fewer fantasy points in seven of his last eight games while providing a 34-point average. What's more concerning is his playing time logging 28 or fewer minutes in each of the last three. That tells us that Wood's trust is waning in Houston, which is bad news since the Clippers rank seventh in defensive efficiency ratings. That was obvious when he recorded just 26 Yahoo points in this matchup last week.
