This article is part of our FantasyDraft NBA series.
Sunday evening offers a modest four-game slate where ownership is naturally bound to be more concentrated. The statuses of Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony also remain in question heading into the day, while Tyreke Evans is slated to make his return to the lineup after having remained with the Grizzlies at the trade deadline. With a few storylines to sift through, let's dive into who looks appealing at each price level:
GUARDS:
Premium Option
James Harden, HOU vs. DAL ($22,100): Harden has averaged 27.0 points, 10.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals across 31.5 minutes in two prior games against the Mavericks this season, and he's scored at least 51.50 fantasy points in eight of his last nine contests. The Rockets continue to play at a brisk clip (101.7 possessions per game), and Dallas has notably been very vulnerable to two-guards in recent games. The Mavs have allowed the second-most fantasy points to two-guards over the last 10 (55.6), including 59.8 over the last five. They're also allowing the fourth-most points from three-pointers (40.0) over the last three contests, a number that particularly spells trouble against Harden.
Mid-Tier
Tyreke Evans, MEM at OKC ($14,900): Evans projects to be back in the starting lineup Sunday after having been held out in seven of the last eight games while the Grizzlies explored potential trade opportunities for him. With that time having come and gone and Evans remaining put, he'll jump right back into his high-usage role and will draw an appealing individual matchup right off the bat. The Thunder have been increasingly vulnerable to two-guards since Andre Roberson's season-ending knee injury, as they're now allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to the position on the season (43.7), including the third most (61.4) over the last five. OKC has also allowed the most rebounds (11.6) and third-highest shooting percentage (51.0) to shooting guards over the latter span, while Evans has scored 29.50 to 49.00 fantasy points in five of the last six contests he's played.
Affordable
De'Aaron Fox, SAC at MIN ($11,600): Fox had a downturn against the Bulls two games ago, but he's scored 24.75 to 35.50 in six other games over his last seven. The rookie is sporting a solid 25.4 percent usage rate over that stretch, and he'll face a Timberwolves team on Sunday that's been increasingly vulnerable to point guards. Minnesota checks in allowing 41.2 fantasy points to ones over the last 10, a notable bump over the 36.7 they've allowed to the position on the season. The T-Wolves have also been playing at an elevated pace over the last three (105.1 possessions per game, third-fastest during that span), furthering Fox's case at a reasonable price.
FORWARDS/CENTERS:
Premium
Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN vs. SAC ($18,500): Towns trampled the Kings for 30 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, five blocks and one steal over 35 minutes back on Dec. 14, and he's scored 42.25 to 53.25 fantasy points in six of his last eight contests. He's had a blistering hand from the field recently as well, shooting 62.5 percent – including 83.3 percent on 2.4 three-point attempts – over the last five contests, while the Kings come in allowing the seventh-most fantasy points (34.0) to centers on the season, along with a 54.0 percent success rate from the field.
Mid-Tier
Rudy Gobert, UTA at POR ($13,400): Gobert has been his typically dominant self since returning from an extended layoff due to a knee injury, as he's scored over 30 fantasy points on six occasions and over 40 in another three instances during the 11 games he's played in during that span. The Stifle Tower has racked up five double-doubles over that stretch as well, and with Rodney Hood now in Cleveland and Ricky Rubio potentially sitting out Sunday due to a hip injury, he could have more scoring responsibility than usual. Gobert is averaging 1.05 fantasy points per minute with both off the floor this season, and the Trail Blazers could also make for inviting targets Sunday. Portland will be on its third game in four days and has allowed the most fantasy points (46.2) and points (18.9) over the last 10 games to centers, while Gobert is averaging 15.7 points (on 71.4 percent shooting) and 11.0 rebounds over the last three contests.
Affordable
Ed Davis, POR vs. UTA ($7,900): Davis has eclipsed 20 fantasy points in two of his last four games and has posted double-digit rebounds twice during that span as well. The veteran's minutes often hover around a modest 20, but he's proven capable of generating solid production for stretches with that amount of playing time this season. Davis had also scored 24.50 to 39.25 fantasy points in another five-game sample in later January, and he'll tangle with a Jazz squad on Sunday that's yielded the third-most fantasy points (52.8), second-most points (26.0), fifth-most assists (4.2), second-most steals (2.4) and fourth-most made three-pointers (2.0) to power forwards over the last five games.
UTILITY:
Willie Cauley-Stein, SAC at MIN ($12,200): Cauley-Stein has scored over 30 fantasy points three time over the last four games, and the 13.1 shot attempts he's averaged over his last 10 represents a notable increase over his 10.3 season figure. As mentioned earlier, the T-Wolves have been playing at the third-fastest pace in the NBA over the last three games. They've also yielded 36.3 fantasy points per game to centers over the last five, along with the third-most points (21.5) and highest shooting percentage (64.0). Moreover, Minnesota is yielding the ninth-most points in the paint (45.7) on the season, an area of the floor where 69.2 percent of Cauley-Stein's scoring originates.
Dwight Powell, DAL at HOU ($9,900): Powell has seen some extended run in recent games, which has led to three 30-plus fantasy-point tallies in the last four contests. Those numbers represent excellent returns on his current price, and he'll be in another potentially favorable spot against the fast-paced Rockets on Sunday. Houston has allowed the second-highest shooting percentage (49.0) to power forwards on the campaign, while Powell is draining 73.0 percent of his 7.4 shot attempts over the last five contests, a span during which he's averaging a solid 13.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals across 28.4 minutes.
