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
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks rank 13th and 17th in the NBA in pace, respectively. Chicago only ranks 28th in the league in offensive rating, while Dallas ranks 16th in defensive rating. The Bulls are +10 point underdogs in a game set at 217 points. They own an implied team total of 103.5 points.
Zach LaVine
He has caught fire recently, and he’s still surprisingly cheap. He’s averaging 24.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals (41.3 DK points) in 34.5 minutes per game over the last 10 days. LaVine has scored 40+ DK points in 7 of his last 9 games, while flashing 50+ DK points over that span. He has played 38 and 39 minutes in his last 2 games, and he’s expected to see similar minutes tonight. He has also taken 20+ shot attempts in 4 of his last 5 games, and he will find similar opportunities tonight. LaVine is a consistent option, who comes with tremendous upside tonight.
Thaddeus Young
Lauri Markkanen and Otto Porter Jr. have been ruled out for this game. That will force Thaddeus Young into bigger minutes. He played 27 minutes in his last game, scoring 20.5 DK points. He’s also averaging 0.90 DK points per minute through 35 games this season. Young recently scored 28 DK points in only 20 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers, flashing tremendous upside in limited minutes. He’s expected to play minutes in the high-20s tonight, and he’s absurdly priced on this slate. Young could end up being the highest owned player on this slate.
Wendell Carter
With Markkanen and Porter out, Wendell Carter is another player that is likely to find some ownership. He has been playing well recently, averaging 13.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steal (35.3 DK points) in 31.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Carter has scored 29+ DK points in each of his last 4 games, while also scoring 40+ DK points in each of his last 2 games. While LaVine and Carter may not feature a plethora of ownership tonight, they are each too cheap for the matchup, and they make solid options alongside Young, who is a must play in cash games.
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Important Odds: Vegas Stack
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz and New Orleans currently rank 19th and seventh in the NBA in pace this season. Utah also ranks 19th in the league in offensive rating, while New Orleans ranks 26th in defensive rating. The Jazz are -3 point favorites in a game set at 221.5 points tonight, and they boast an implied team total of 112.3 points.
Donovan Mitchell
He is the focal point of the Utah offense. He’s averaging 27.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists (43.1 DK points) in 35.5 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has flashed 55+ DK point upside recently, as well. Mitchell is an elite scorer, who will benefit from this matchup. He scored nearly 55 DK points in his only matchup against New Orleans, and he could find similar success tonight.
Joe Ingles
He has cooled off a bit, but he’s still averaging 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists (32.5 DK points) in 33.2 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has scored 30+ DK points in 7 of his last 10 games, while flashing 40+ DK point upside. Ingles will be locked into 30+ minutes tonight, and he’s entirely too cheap tonight. He’s a solid option in all leagues.
Rudy Gobert
He has struggled a bit recently. Still, he’s averaging 13.2 points, 14.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks (37.7 DK points) in 35.1 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Gobert’s averaging 42.2 DK points per game over his last 10 games. Gobert missed his only matchup against New Orleans, but Tony Bradley dominated in limited minutes in his absence. Gobert is still a bit too cheap, and he comes with 20/20 potential in this particular matchup.
Wildcard GPP: Low Owned Stack
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings rank 28th in the NBA in pace. The Golden State Warriors rank 15th in the same category. Sacramento also ranks only 21st in the league in offensive rating, while Golden State ranks 22nd in defensive rating this season. The Kings are -10.5 point favorites in a game set at 215.5 points, giving them an implied team total of 113 points tonight.
De’Aaron Fox
He has been a bit of a boom or bust option recently. He’s averaging 17.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 2.0 steals (38.9 DK points) in 32.0 minutes per game over his last 4 games. Fox flashed 60 DK point upside over that span, as well. He’s a player that has been better at home, where he’s averaging 1.24 DK points per minute on the season. Fox isn’t overly consistent, but he comes with undeniable upside for the Kings.
Buddy Hield
He is a player that has caught fire over the last 10 days. He’s averaging 21.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists (38.3 DK points) in 36.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has scored 40+ DK points in 3 of his last 4 games, as well. Hield is a scorer, who will benefit from an elite matchup, and he’s a must start in a Sacramento stack tonight.
Richaun Holmes
He is likely to be the highest owned Kings player tonight. He’s far too cheap, as he’s averaging 17.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks (35.7 DK points) in 35.1 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Holmes has scored 30+ DK points in 9 of his last 10 games, while flashing near 60 DK point upside. Golden State isn’t a team that features bigs that will be able to slow him down, and he will benefit from an uptick in pace tonight.
Hidden Gem: Value Guard
Lonnie Walker IV
Lonnie Walker IV has been heating up a bit recently. He’s averaging 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds (16.1 DK points) in 18.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Walker has played 20+ minutes in 4 of his last 10 games. He’s averaging 20.0 DK points per game in those contests. He has also flashed 30+ DK point upside in limited minutes, as well.
Walker gets an interesting matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. They currently lead the NBA in pace, while also leading the league in defensive rating. Walker is expected to find 20-25 minutes once again tonight. He’s playing a surprisingly role in the offense, and boasts tremendous upside. Walker is better suited for tournaments on this slate, but he can be used as a salary relief option in cash games, as well.
Hidden Gem: Value Big
Eric Paschall
Eric Paschall has seen mixed results recently. He’s averaging 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists (15.6 DK points) in 21.0 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Paschall has played 19 and 26 minutes in his last 2 games, scoring 19 and 20.75 DK points in those contests. He’s averaging 0.86 DK points per minute on the season, as well. His versatility generally adds to his floor and ceiling in any given game.
Paschall gets a matchup against the Sacramento Kings, who rank 28th in the NBA in pace and 18th in defensive rating this season. Paschall is expected to see around 25 minutes tonight. I believe he is cheap enough to be considered in all leagues, but he’s a player that is best suited for tournaments on this slate.
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