With the NFL taking one week off before the Super Bowl and the NHL on its All-Star break the focus in fantasy sports at least for this weekend will be on NBA fantasy and the full slate of games scheduled for Sunday. 14 teams will be in action and while that allows plenty of choice for fantasy fans it also means some difficult decisions to make when it comes to finding the perfect balance between superstar talent and strong value options. Here is some important fantasy advice to consider for Sunday’s NBA fantasy action.
Weak Defense To Target: Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have dropped nine in a row to cement their position at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, giving up at least 105 points in eight of them as they continue to slide further down the rankings in scoring defense this season. Los Angeles has allowed an average of 106.3 points per game this season and they will be in tough again versus a Charlotte Hornets team that is fighting for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets aren’t exactly a cast of All-Stars as they’ve experienced their fair share of struggles this season too. They have won just five of their last 17 games. Even so, Kemba Walker is the obvious star play if you are looking to target the Lakers’ terrible defense but it’s also worth considering Marvin Williams as a potential sleeper value play for the Hornets on Sunday.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
Miami has won three straight and will look to continue its climb up the standings with the visiting Atlanta Hawks in town on Sunday with Wade looking to pick up from right where he left off over the last couple of days as one of the hottest players in the NBA right now. Wade has averaged 26.3 points, 6.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game over the last week of action and he should be able to produce a similar stat line for the Heat in Sunday’s matchup with the Hawks.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… Archie Goodwin, Zach LaVine
The free-falling Phoenix Suns have finally decided to give their younger players more opportunities and one of the players that has benefited is Archie Goodwin, who has become a very strong sleeper value play in NBA fantasy Leagues. Goodwin has averaged 17.0 points, 4.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 three-point shot per game over the last week of action and he should produce another strong stat line when Phoenix visits the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Zach LaVine has averaged 27.3 minutes per game for the Minnesota Timberwolves over the last seven days and he has rewarded their faith in him with some impressive numbers. LaVine has averaged 20.0 points,3.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds,2.0 three-point shots and 1.3 steals per game over that span. The reality with LaVine is that he’s a better NBA fantasy contributor than he is in real life. He seems to be valuable in a number of categories in terms of fantasy production but the Timberwolves don’t seem to perform any better when he has a good game. At any rate, he is another strong value option for Minnesota’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: GS @ NYK
The New York Knicks have struggled with consistency at the offensive end of the floor all season but they have the potential to put up some decent scoring numbers at home and they will have to produce in order to have any shot at keeping up with the top-ranked offense in the NBA. Carmelo Anthony’s scoring totals have fallen off a bit this season so the better value from the Knicks roster might very well lie with Arron Afflalo or Derrick Williams. Meanwhile, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the obvious superstar options from the Warriors but Draymond Green might be the smarter value play as a reasonably priced second-tier star that can contribute across the board and register a strong overall performance in Sunday’s NBA fantasy leagues.
