Yahoo DFS Basketball: Sunday Picks

Written by

Published on February 2, 2020

As the sporting world gets ready for the Super Bowl, we only have four games in the NBA on Sunday. The slate kicks off at 12:30 PM EST, so be sure to get your Yahoo lineups in early. Here are some players to target, as well as a few to potentially avoid.

GUARDS

Jrue Holiday, NO at HOU ($32): Holiday is rolling right now after scoring at least 35.5 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games. He's certainly faced some soft matchups during that stretch, playing defensively deficient teams like the Grizzlies (twice) and the Cavaliers. This is another favorable spot for Holiday to shine against the Rockets considering they have played at the second-fastest pace. He has already faced them twice this season, scoring 45.3 and 40.9 Yahoo points, respectively.

Tomas Satoransky, CHI at TOR ($15): The Bulls suffered yet another tough injury when they lost Kris Dunn (knee) on Friday. While the team has yet to provide a timetable for his return, it seems like he could be out for a while. Satoransky has scored at least 30.6 Yahoo points in three of his last four games, logging at least 30 minutes in each of those three contests. Playing time shouldn't be hard for him to come by in this game.

Guard to Avoid

Bruce Brown, DET vs. DEN ($13): Brown is a pretty easy pass in my eyes. The Pistons have Derrick Rose and Reggie Jackson healthy, which cuts down on Brown's playing time. He's scored 20.8 Yahoo points or fewer in six of his last seven games, in large part because he hasn't been playing as much. Satoransky is locked into a much more significant role for the Bulls and is only two dollars more than Brown.

FORWARDS

Jerami Grant, DEN at DET ($25): The Nuggets' frontcourt is in dire straights right now. Paul Millsap (knee), Mason Plumlee (foot) and Michael Porter Jr. (ankle) have all been ruled out Sunday. That should leave Grant with all of the playing time he can handle. He's already scored at least 32.4 Yahoo points in six of his last seven games, so he represents a very appealing mid-tier priced option.

Danuel House Jr., HOU vs. NO ($15): The Rockets like to play small, but have really gone small with Clint Capela (heel) out. House has started both of the last two games that Capela has missed, scoring 47.2 and 29.6 Yahoo points, respectively. In a potentially high-scoring affair between two teams ranked inside the top-six in the league in pace of play, added playing time makes House someone to target at such a cheap price.

Forward to Avoid

Thaddeus Young, CHI at TOR ($18): Even with all of the Bulls' injuries, Young hasn't been great. He's scored 27.6 Yahoo points or fewer in each of his last six games despite starting each of the last five contests during that stretch. The Raptors come in with the second-best defensive rating in the league, which doesn't bode well for Young to have one of his more productive afternoons.

CENTERS

Nikola Jokic, DEN at DET ($44): Not only have the Nuggets been decimated by injuries up front, but Jamal Murray (ankle) is also slated to miss his 10th straight game. Jokic has put the team on his back during Murray's absence, scoring at least 40.5 Yahoo points eight times. With the Pistons sporting the ninth-worst defensive rating, look for Jokic to thrive.

Serge Ibaka, TOR vs. CHI ($27): Injuries have hit the Raptors again, with the biggest one impacting Ibaka being the loss of Marc Gasol (hamstring). Ibaka has started back-to-back games with Gasol out and has scored at least 27.7 Yahoo points in each of his last four games. The Bulls have allowed the fourth-most Yahoo points per game to opposing centers, setting up Ibaka as an excellent option if you want to fade Jokic.

Center to Avoid

Derrick Favors, NO at HOU ($20): With Zion Williamson back in the fold, the Pelicans don't need to push the injury-prone Favors to log a ton of minutes. It's no surprise Favors has seen a decrease in production due to his limited minutes. Across the last five games, he's scored 25.1 Yahoo points or fewer four times. Add in the possibility he doesn't play much because of the Rockets' small lineups and this might not be the night to roll with Favors.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.