There will be only five games on the NBA schedule for Sunday and while that means limitations in terms of options to choose from when building an optimal lineup for Daily Fantasy Leagues, there will still be plenty of opportunity to make some serious cash if you do your research and find the perfect combination of superstar talent and sleeper value performers. Here is some important fantasy advice to consider for Sunday’s NBA action.
Weak Defense To Target: Phoenix Suns
The Minnesota Timberwolves have dropped nine straight games but the good news is that their next matchup is against a Phoenix Suns’ side that has been just as terrible as they have been over their last 10 games. That means they will have an excellent opportunity to end their losing streak. Minnesota’s 22nd-ranked scoring defense isn’t very good as it has allowed an average of 102.9 points per game this season but Phoenix has been even worse in that department, giving up an average of 106.6 points per game for the 29th-ranked scoring defense. The other thing to keep in mind here is that Phoenix is on the road and they’ve been terrible away from home this season. They are just 4-17 on the road compared to 9-11 at home.
Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns are the obvious picks from the Timberwolves but it’s also worth considering Zach LaVine and even Shabazz Muhammad as sleeper plays that are capable of registering quality sleeper fantasy lines for Sunday’s Daily Fantasy Leagues. LaVine could be worth a look here as he had a quality breakout game earlier in the week with 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three three-pointers.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Danilo Gallinari, Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have dropped seven of their last 10 but their struggles have had little to do with Danilo Gallinari, who has been absolutely on fire of late. Gallinari has averaged 22.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 three-point shots per game over the last week of action and the best part about targeting him while he is hot is that he won’t force you to spend a ridiculous amount of money in order to have him in your lineup. Denver will be in tough with the high-scoring Indiana Pacers in town on Sunday and while they might not win the game, Gallinari should put together another excellent fantasy performance to stay hot.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… David West, Jordan Clarkson
After getting off to a slow start when he joined the San Antonio Spurs, David West has put together some strong fantasy performances in the month of January and that could make him a strong sleeper option for Sunday when they host the Dallas Mavericks. West has produced four double-digit scoring performances in the month of January and he is coming off a strong performance in which he scored 13 points with five rebounds and an assist in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers so he should be a strong option.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers continued to give Jordan Clarkson the bulk of the minutes at the point guard position ahead of D’Angelo Russell and the opportunity makes him a strong fantasy option. Clarkson has averaged 18.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 1.3 assists and 1.0 three-point shot over the past week of action and the Lakers will need him to produce as they try to keep up with the visiting Rockets.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: MIA @ OKC
The Miami Heat will be in tough to contain the second-highest scoring team in the NBA in the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday and that means they will need to rely on their offensive weapons like Dwyane Wade as they attempt to keep up. Wade and Chris Bosh are the obvious star options for Miami but Gerald Green and Tyler Johnson are also worth considering as potential value sleeper plays. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook continue to play at a high level but it’s worth considering Dion Waiters and even Steven Adams in deeper leagues as both have the potential to produce quality fantasy stat lines in Sunday’s Daily Fantasy Leagues.
