Welcome to Sunday’s NBA DFS Primer. Tonight’s eligible slate of NBA games presents some interesting matchups for DFS players, including the Utah Jazz versus the Charlotte Hornets, where both teams have below-average defenses.
Other great opportunities could present themselves with the Toronto Raptors and their low-rated defense taking on the Memphis Grizzlies. Let’s take a look at our top NBA DFS picks for the evening.
View the best player prop bets for tonight’s slate with our NBA Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
NBA DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer
NBA DFS Core Plays
- DraftKings: $9,800
- FanDuel: $9,800
Tyrese Maxey has been on an absolute tear to start the season, showcasing his scoring and assisting abilities with a double-double in each of the past two games.
Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers will match up against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday — the team with the worst defense rating in the league so far this season. With Maxey in this leading role, this is a player who can match Victor Wembanyama‘s production at a much lower cost.
- DraftKings: $8,200
- FanDuel: $7,800
A one-game suspension has been handed out to Ja Morant for “conduct detrimental to the team” during a postgame interview after Friday’s game against the Lakers. As the team’s secondary star, Jaren Jackson Jr. is the obvious choice in DFS lineups to pick up the usage in Morant’s absence.
Jackson should be able to maintain his efficient shooting against the Raptors’ bottom-tier defense and should see 30+ minutes on the floor — a trend that has been pushing up in the last two games.
NBA DFS Cash Game Targets
- DraftKings: $8,100
- FanDuel: $7,900
Lauri Markkanen should be heavily rostered in DFS lineups on Sunday as he’ll look to add to his current season averages of 33.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Markkanen dropped 51 points against the Phoenix Suns on Monday and will have the chance to put up a similar performance against the Charlotte Hornets.
- DraftKings: $8,700
- FanDuel: $8,600
Jalen Brunson is having a stellar start to the fantasy season, with at least 25 shot attempts in each of his last three games. The Knicks played the Bulls on Friday, but will match up with them again in Madison Square Garden today.
Brunson boasted a 29-point and seven-assist stat line on 12-of-25 shooting in 35 minutes in that Friday matchup.
NBA DFS GPP Targets
- DraftKings: $6,100
- FanDuel: $5,300
I mentioned the poor defensive rating of the Brooklyn Nets earlier, and Joel Embiid has also been ruled out for the game. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are likely to produce and be heavily rostered, but playing Quentin Grimes in DFS could yield value well above his cost.
Grimes gets big minutes off the bench and has torn bottom-tier defenses apart this season, most recently showing out with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks against the Wizards on Tuesday. Consider Grimes for lineups where you need big play potential.
- DraftKings: $5,300
- FanDuel: $5,100
The reserve forward for Memphis has averaged 23.5 minutes so far this season and has shown he can do a lot with a little. Cedric Coward boomed in two out of six games this season, scoring 27 points against the Pacers and notching his first double-digit rebound game of the season against the Lakers on Friday.
With the Ja Morant suspension and the Raptors’ struggling defense, it’s not unreasonable to think Coward may need to be relied on for additional scoring opportunities. This matchup could provide a nice game from Coward and a low-cost boost to your lineup.
NBA DFS Value Plays
- DraftKings: $5,500
- FanDuel: $5,400
Dillon Brooks will miss his fourth game in a row. Royce O’Neale has filled in nicely in the starting lineup in his absence. While this matchup figures to be a low-scoring game based on the over/under, the Spurs have shown lower defensive ratings in points, made three-pointers and steals against opposing power forwards.
These are all areas O’Neale can excel in when given the opportunity, so look for big game potential from the 32-year-old veteran in this matchup.
- DraftKings: $4,500
- FanDuel: $5,000
You may want to check the Bulls’ injury report before making this selection, but Ayo Dosunmu is at risk of missing his first game this season with a quad injury, and Coby White will remain sidelined with his calf injury.
More playing time could be coming today for Kevin Huerter, who is averaging 14.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game so far this season.
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