Welcome to Bales’ Stacks and Hidden Gems! Below I will discuss my NBA favorite plays for tonight’s slate!
Easy Breezy: Chalk Stack
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons only rank 24th in the NBA in pace, but they get a matchup against the Washington Wizards, who rank second in the same category. Detroit also ranks ninth in the league in offensive rating, while Washington ranks last in defensive rating this season. The Pistons are -5.5 point favorites in a game set at 229.5 points, and they boast an implied team total of 117.5 points.
Blake Griffin has been ice cold recently, scoring 22 or fewer DK points in each of his last 3 games. His price tag has dropped drastically, though, and he’s only $5.9K tonight. Griffin has flashed 40+ DK points upside this season, as well. He’s averaging 20.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on a per-36 minute basis in 2019. Griffin is also averaging 0.99 DK points per minute this season. If he’s active, he’s expected to play around 30 minutes. Griffin isn’t overly consistent, but he’s far too cheap for his talent level, and he’ll be one of the highest owned players on the slate because of this matchup.
Andre Drummond is the other chalk option for Detroit. He has caught fire recently, averaging 20.2 points, 15.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 2.6 steals (52 DK points) in 32.8 minutes per game over his last 5 games. Drummond was able to score 50+ DK points in 4 of those 5 games, while also posting 65 DK point upside. He scored nearly 60 DK points in his only matchup against Washington this season, and they don’t have any big men that can contend with him in the paint. He’s an elite option on this slate.
This is a two man stack in terms of ownership, but Derrick Rose can be considered to fill out this stack. He has been playing well, averaging 18.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.0 assists (35.1 DK points) in 26.4 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has scored 30+ DK points in each of his last 4 games, including a 43.5 DK point performance. Rose is a player that relies heavily on scoring, and he gets an elite matchup against one of the worst defenses in the NBA.
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Important Odds: Vegas Stack
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs rank fourth and 14th in the NBA in pace, respectively. Houston also ranks third in the league in offensive rating through 26 games, while San Antonio ranks 23rd in defensive rating through 25 games. The Rockets are -9.5 point favorites in a game set at 232.5 points tonight, and they possess the highest implied team total on the slate at 121 points.
Russell Westbrook and James Harden are finally playing well together (in terms of fantasy). The former is averaging 24.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 2.2 steals (53.5 DK points) in 35.6 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has scored 48+ DK points in 5 of his last 6 games, including a 71 DK point performance. Westbrook is a triple-double threat each night, and he makes a great option on this slate.
James Harden has also caught fire recently. He’s averaging 38.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 2.5 steals (63.5 DK points) in 39.1 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Harden has also scored 80+ DK points in 2 of his last 3 contests. He’s the focal point of the offense, and will benefit from a plus matchup against a bad defense.
P.J. Tucker is a boom or bust option, who comes with a great price tag. He’s averaging 8.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steal (26.6 DK points) in 37.1 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Tucker has also recently flashed 40+ DK point upside. He comes with a terrible floor, keeping his price tag low, but he’s locked into 35+ minutes on a nightly basis. He adds tremendous upside to an already high upside stack.
Hidden Gem: Value Guard
Collin Sexton
Collin Sexton is inconsistent, but comes with upside. He’s averaging 15.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 steals (22.3 DK points) in 29.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. While he has struggled a bit recently, he has flashed 35+ DK point upside, as well. He boasts a 26.3% usage rating, while leading the Cleveland Cavaliers in shot attempts.
Sexton gets a matchup against the Toronto Raptors. They currently rank 13th in the NBA in pace and second in defensive rating. While it isn’t an ideal matchup, Sexton is a bit too cheap for his upside. He’s likely to see 30+ minutes tonight, and boasts tremendous scoring potential. Sexton should strictly be considered in tournaments on this slate.
Hidden Gem: Value Big
Derrick Jones Jr.
Derrick Jones Jr. makes an interesting option tonight. He has been playing well recently, scoring 23+ DK points in each of his last 3 games. He has also scored 33 DK points over that span. Jones isn’t a major part of the Miami Heat offense, but he does have the potential to contribute in each of the five categories. Most importantly, he has played 28+ minutes in each of his last 3 games.
Jones gets a great matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, who rank fifth in the NBA in pace and 20th in defensive rating. Jones is expected to see minutes in the high-20s once again tonight. He’s still cheap enough to be considered in all leagues on this slate tonight.
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