There are only five NBA games on the schedule for Sunday but that doesn’t mean there won’t be an opportunity to make some serious money in Daily Fantasy Leagues. The fact that only 10 teams play means it will be that much more important to get every selection on your roster right as you try to find the perfect balance between star power and the bargain value options that will help you complete your lineup. Here is some important fantasy advice to consider for Sunday’s NBA action.
Weak Defense To Target: Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have now earned back-to-back wins, which is a quite incredible feat for them. Considering they won just five of their first 32 games this season, the fact that they’ve won two in a row is quite impressive. However, temper expectations: they beat the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. Overall, they are still just 3-9 at the Staples Center this season and they won’t have the extra motivation of playing against a long-time rival when they host the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. Los Angeles ranks 29th in the NBA with an average of 107.2 points allowed per game this season so it only makes sense to target their weak defense by plugging in players from Phoenix in your lineup. Brandon Knight has been on fire of late for the Suns but it might also be worth targeting TJ Warren or even Mirza Teletovic as potential sleeper plays for Sunday night.
Player Who’s Hot Right Now: Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
The New York Knicks haven’t been able to claw their way back to the .500 mark but Carmelo Anthony has been absolutely on fire over the past seven days and is worth building your lineup around as a star player that has the potential to put up a solid stat line against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. Anthony has averaged 21.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 three-point shots per game over the last week of action and if he hits those averages across the board versus the Hawks on Sunday then it will definitely be a reward for those that made sure they built their lineup around him.
Injuries, Rest Create Opportunities For… C.J. McCollum,
Portland Trail Blazers’ star point guard Damian Lillard has been outstanding but he is dealing with a foot injury that could limit his playing time or keep him out of the lineup entirely against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday so it only makes sense to take advantage of the situation and have C.J. McCollum in your lineup. McCollum has stepped up with 21.0 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 three-point shots and 1.3 steals per game over the last week of action and if Lillard is out or limited then he will continue to play big minutes as Portland’s best option at the offensive end of the floor.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets are dealing with injuries to Danilo Gallinari and Emmanuel Mudiay and that has opened the door for Will Barton to pick up his production. Barton has averaged 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 three-point shots and 1.1 steals per game over the past week of action and he should have no problem registering another quality stat line matched up against Portland on Sunday.
Highest Scoring Game Of The Night: CHI @ TOR
The Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors have both been in the middle of the pack in terms of points per game this season but considering they are battling for position near the top of the Eastern Conference standings this should be one of the highest scoring games of the night. Jimmy Butler is the best option for the Bulls while Nikola Mirotic and Aaron Brooks are both potential sleeper plays worth taking a shot on. Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan has been one of the hottest players in the association over the past couple of weeks and if you can’t afford him it makes sense to take a chance on either Luis Scola or Cory Joseph as decent value options that won’t take up too much of your payroll for Sunday’s NBA action.
