Welcome to Bales’ Stacks and Hidden Gems for DraftKings! Below, I will discuss my NBA favorite plays for tonight’s slate!
Easy Breezy: Chalk Stack
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks rank 21st and eighth in the NBA in pace, respectively. Boston also ranks fifth in the league in offensive rating, while Atlanta ranks 28th in defensive rating. The Celtics are -10.5 point favorites in a game set at 223.5 points, giving them an implied team total of 117 points.
Boston will be without Kemba Walker, who has already been ruled out tonight. Marcus Smart will be one of the biggest beneficiaries, as he sees the second largest increase in usage without Walker on the court. He’s only averaging 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals (22.8 DK points) in 26.6 minutes per game over the last 10 days. In his last 7 games with 30+ minutes, Smart is averaging 30.6 DK points per game. Smart is expected to see minutes in the low-30s, and he’s far too cheap without Walker in the lineup.
Gordon Hayward has been playing well recently. He’s averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.0 block (34.5 DK points) in 31.0 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Hayward’s coming off of a 44.5 DK point performance against the Charlotte Hornets, and he has flashed 60+ DK point upside this season. He’s a versatile option, who is at his best when he’s scoring well. Hayward will be locked into big minutes, and he will see extra offensive opportunities with Walker out of the lineup. Hayward could end up being the highest owned option for Boston, and he’s a bit too cheap on this slate.
Jayson Tatum has seen the biggest boost in usage rating with Walker injured. The former is averaging 19.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 steals (35.8 DK points) in 34.5 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Tatum has also scored 40+ DK points in 4 of his last 6 games, including a 67.5 DK point performance against the Charlotte Hornets. He will see extra shot opportunities throughout this game, and he has been an outstanding option for Boston this season. Tatum is a bit cheap for his potential role in the offense tonight, and he makes an outstanding option in this stack.
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Important Odds: Vegas Stack
Portland Blazers
The Portland Blazers and Washington Wizards currently rank 11th and third in the NBA in pace this season. Portland ranks 12th in the league in offensive rating, as well, while Washington ranks last in the NBA in defensive rating. The Blazers are -6.5 point favorites in game set at 235 points, and they possess the highest implied team total on the slate at 120.8 points.
Damian Lillard is averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 1.0 steal (46.4 DK points) in 37.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has scored 50+ DK points in 3 of his last 4 games, as well. Lillard will benefit from the pace and lack of defense in this game, and he’s an elite option on the slate tonight, although he has been priced up a bit.
C.J. McCollum has also found success recently. He’s averaging 21.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists (32.7 DK points) in 36.6 minutes per game over the last 10 days. While he isn’t overly consistent, McCollum comes with 50+ DK point upside. Similarly to Lillard (and the rest of Portland’s team), he has been priced up tonight, but he’s still a bit too cheap in tournaments, specifically for this matchup.
Hassan Whiteside is averaging 14.2 points, 14.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 3.0 blocks (41.4 DK points) in 31.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has scored 40+ DK points in 8 of his last 10 games, including a pair of games with 60+ DK points. Whiteside is an athletic big, who will benefit from the pace. Washington is also dealing with multiple injuries, and they don’t have anyone that will be able to slow Whiteside down tonight. He isn’t a lock because of his price tag, but he’s still an elite option on this slate.
Hidden Gem: Value Guard
Kendrick Nunn
Kendrick Nunn has seen plenty of ups and downs this season. He’s averaging 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists (23.4 DK points) in 30.2 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Nunn has scored 20+ DK points in 9 of his last 10 games, while flashing 40+ DK point upside. He has also played 38 and 34 minutes in his last 2 games, while posting 49 DK points in those games.
Nunn gets a bad matchup against the Orlando Magic, who rank 27th in the NBA in pace and 11th in defensive rating. Still, Nunn is expected to find plenty of minutes in this game. He’s still a featured part of the offense, and he boasts a surprisingly low price tag. Nunn is safe enough to be considered in both cash games and tournaments on this slate.
Hidden Gem: Value Big
P.J. Tucker
P.J. Tucker has been ice cold recently. He’s averaging 4.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists (18.9 DK points) in 36.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Tucker has scored fewer than 20 DK points in each of his last 4 games. With that being said, he boasts 30+ DK point upside because of his versatility. His price tag has also dropped nearly $1,000 from only two games ago.
Tucker gets a tough matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. They rank 19th in the NBA in pace and seventh in defensive rating through 36 games. Still, Tucker is expected to find minutes in the mid- to high-30s tonight. He has never been an elite per minute option, but he’s far too cheap for the upside he possesses. It’s shocking Tucker is going overlooked on this slate, and he’s an elite salary relief option in tournaments.
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DFS Karma is partnered with DraftKings and are also avid fans and users and may sometimes play on our personal accounts in the games that we offer advice on. Although we have expressed our personal view on games and strategies, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and we may deploy different players and strategies than what we recommended in this article. We are not employees of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
