Welcome to Bales’ Stacks and Hidden Gems for today’s NBA DFS slate for DraftKings! Below, I will discuss my favorite NBA DFS plays for tonight’s slate!
Easy Breezy: Chalk Stack
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder rank 15th and 22nd in the NBA in pace, respectively. Los Angeles also ranks fourth in the NBA in offensive rating, while Oklahoma City ranks 10th in defensive rating. The Lakers are +7 point underdogs in a game set at 213 points, giving them an implied team total of 103 points.
Rajon Rondo
LeBron James and Danny Green have been ruled out tonight. Anthony Davis is currently questionable, but it isn’t likely that he suits up. That will force Rajon Rondo into a bigger role, as he’s expected to play roughly 30 minutes tonight. Through 26 games this season, he’s averaging 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.0 steal (21.0 DK points) in only 21.1 minutes per game. In other words, he’s averaging 1.0 DK points per minute this season. Rondo is far too cheap for his new role in the rotation, and he’s likely to be the highest owned player on this slate.
Kyle Kuzma
Kyle Kuzma saw a larger role in the offense with Davis out. In his last game, he scored 26 points with 6 rebounds and 2 assists (37.5 DK points) in 34 minutes. Kuza saw 22 shot attempts, 8 three-point attempts, and 6 free throw attempts in that game. While he has struggled at times to produce this season, Kuzma will be the focal point of the offense with James and Davis off the court. He’s expected to play 30+ minutes tonight, making him an outstanding option.
JaVale McGee
JaVale McGee is far too cheap on this slate. Over the last 10 days, he’s averaging 6.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals (21.1 DK points) in only 17.3 minutes per game. Through 38 games this season, McGee is averaging 1.18 DK points per minute. He will be forced into bigger minutes tonight, potentially playing 20-25 minutes in this game. While he won’t be forced into major minutes like the other Los Angeles players, McGee has flashed elite upside in limited time on the court. He has been consistent in limited time recently, as well, making him a must start in cash games tonight.
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Important Odds: Vegas Stack
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics and New Orleans Pelicans currently rank 21st and seventh in the NBA in pace this season. Boston also ranks seventh in the league in offensive rating, while New Orleans ranks 25th in defensive rating. The Celtics are -11 point favorites in a game set at 223.5 points tonight, and they boast the highest implied team total on the slate at 117.3 points.
Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker has played 30+ minutes in 8 of his last 10 games. He’s averaging 37.5 DK points per game in those contests. Walker has also been at his best in Boston, where he’s averaging 1.24 DK points per minute on the season. Walker boasts 50+ DK point upside, and this is an elite matchup. He’s a scorer, who should have no problems finding success against a fast paced team that struggles defensively.
Jaylen Brown
Similarly to Walker, Jaylen Brown has been struggling recently. He’s averaging 17.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.0 steal (30.8 DK points) in 33.1 minutes per game over the last 10 days. With that being said, Brown has also posted 50+ DK point upside recently. This is an elite matchup for the entire Boston team, and Brown adds tremendous upside to this stack.
Gordon Hayward
Gordon Hayward has found plenty of success recently. Over the last 10 days, he’s averaging 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists (28.5 DK points) in 35.0 minutes per game. Hayward has scored 30+ DK points in 8 of his last 10 games, while flashing 45 DK point upside over that span. He comes with tremendous upside in this matchup because of his versatility, as well. This stack is best suited for tournaments tonight.
Hidden Gem: Value Guard
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been struggling recently. He’s averaging 8.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assist (13.6 DK points) in 23.6 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Caldwell-Pope is only averaging 0.67 DK points per minute in 2019. With that being said, he has recently flashed 30+ DK point upside, and will see a significantly larger role in the offense with LeBron James and Danny Green out.
Caldwell-Pope gets a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which has already been outlined above. He’ll be forced into minutes in the high-20s or low-30s tonight. He’s a player that is likely to go overlooked for Los Angeles, but he makes an outstanding option in all leagues tonight.
Hidden Gem: Value Big
Jahlil Okafor
Jahlil Okafor has seen mixed results this season. He has seen limited minutes for the majority of the season, while flashing on the court. Okafor is averaging 7.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists (16.2 DK points) in 15.6 minutes per game through 22 games. His best game of the season came against the Denver Nuggets, as he scored 26 points with 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block in 33.5 minutes.
Okafor gets a matchup against the Boston Celtics, who rank 21st in the NBA in pace and fourth in defensive rating. Kenrich Williams and Derrick Favors, along with multiple other players, have already been ruled out tonight. Okafor could find 20-25 minutes in this game, making him a solid option for his price tag. The majority of fantasy owners are likely to use Jaxson Hayes (who is an outstanding option), giving Okafor leverage for a bit cheaper.
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