It’s our first of many Sunday DFS NBA slates as four of the top six teams in pace thus far are on the docket and we must take advantage of those teams as we have a short five-game slate. Stat-trends are very hard to find this early in the season but playing time is a key indicator and a player playing at least 20 minutes per game is a committed member of their team’s rotation. Remember, even lesser known players who are starting aren’t necessarily locked into getting a good chunk of playing time as teams are still experimenting with lineups.
PG Ja Morant, MEM: In this excellent pace-up spot, Morant should be able to take advantage of Russell Westbrook, who is a horrible defender. While LeBron James can get switched on him at times, Morant is still the prioritized scorer and playmaker and he’s shot over 52 percent from the floor in both games he’s played in. He’s scored 28-plus in both games and he’s dishing 7 dimes per game. The days of wondering if Morant will hit 30 minutes are over as he’s played at least 34 minutes in both games. He’s grabbed nearly four boards and a steal per game for his career. The Lakers are winless and have allowed the most points of any Western Conference team so far. The Grizzlies are right behind the Lakers in that category and the defensive struggles early raises the production ceiling for this game. Lakers have been weak at defending guards.
SG: Jalen Green, HOU: Let’s give the rookie a spin as Kevin Porter Jr. will be shadowed all game by Marcus Smart. Green may have to contend with Jaylen Brown, but Brown isn’t 100 percent and might not play. Even if he plays, we saw Evan Fournier go ham against Boston the other night and Boston allowed the Raptors to score 115 points on them with big mid-court performances offensively from Gary Trent Jr. and Scottie Barnes. Green has taken 12-13 shots per game and if Smart is all over Porter and he can’t get any space expect Green and Eric Gordon to take more shots. Green has grabbed at least three boards and a steal in both games to start his rookie campaign. He should play around 30 minutes in this game and once again take double-digit shots. He hasn’t shot too well to start off the year, but he’s not afraid to take the ball to the rack making him more of a dynamic guard rather than just a shooter.
SF: LeBron James, LAL: The seasoned veteran nearly provided us a 5x return against the toughest defense in the NBA, the Suns, and now goes up against Memphis who are just as poor defensively and James should tear them apart. James has taken at least 18 shots in both of the games he’s played in and with the Lakers 0-2, even if they have a double-digit lead, don’t expect them to let up and James has played 37 minutes in both of the Lakers contests. James will still get time with the ball and he’s dished five dimes in both games and he grabbed a steal in both outings. He’s been shooting the ball solidly from the outside as he’s shot over 45 percent in his first 2 games of the season. Expect him to rip down more boards than he did against Phoenix. He should have a similar stat-line to what he produced against the Warriors opening night. He grabbed 11 rebounds that night and grabs 7.4 per game for his career.
PF Harrison Barnes, SAC: Even though Barnes is going to see a lot of Draymond Green in this match up, it’s a pace up spot and Barnes has started off the season by taking 19-20 shots per game, scoring 25-plus and grabbing 9 or more rebounds in both contests. Barnes has played 37 or more minutes so far and he’s shooting over 47 percent from the floor. Barnes will take shots from the outside and utilize the post as well. He’s aggressive and can absolutely produce in the paint. Marvin Bagley is having issues with the Kings organization and they are keeping him out of the rotation for the most part and Barnes will continue to have an ultra-safe floor when it comes to minutes. Green will have to keep an eye on Richaun Holmes as well since the Warriors lack big-man depth with James Wiseman still out. Barnes is the second scoring option in terms of priority on the Kings and he should continue taking more shots than Buddy Hield.
C: Julius Randle, NYK: After seeing this match up two nights ago, the Magic don’t have the personnel to stop Randle from having his way in the post. Mo Bamba will have to keep an eye on Mitchell Robinson and Taj Gibson and Wendell Carter Jr. has been playing out of position and it will be hard for him to body-up Randle and Randle should once again handle the post with ease. He’s grabbed nine boards and dished eight dimes per game through the Knicks first two contests. Randle has scored 28 points per game so far and produced a double-double against the Magic on Friday night. It doesn’t matter to me that the Magic have been the slowest team in the league because it’s very early in the season and Randle remains the Knicks prioritized scorer despite them adding Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker. Ultimately, Randle may lose out on some shots this year, but with the Knicks having more shooting depth, it’ll allow him to have better possessions rather than getting double teamed in the corner and forcing up as many bad shots.