Welcome to Bales’ Stacks and Hidden Gems! Below I will discuss my NBA favorite plays for tonight’s slate!
Easy Breezy: Chalk Stack
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets rank sixth and ninth in the NBA in pace, respectively. New Orleans ranks 19th in the league in offensive rating through 27 games, while Brooklyn ranks 15th in defensive rating through 26 games. The Pelicans are +2 point underdogs i a game set at 228.5 points, but they still feature an implied team total of 113.3 points tonight.
Lonzo Ball will likely be inserted into the starting lineup with JJ Redick out tonight. The former has seen mixed results recently, averaging 5.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals (20.0 DK points) in 25.6 minutes per game over the last 10 days. While his numbers are far from elite, Ball has scored 25+ DK points in 2 of his last 3 games. Ball is also averaging 0.98 DK points per minute on the season, and his inconsistencies have generally come from a lack of consistent minutes. He’s expected to play 30+ minutes tonight, and will see extra opportunities for peripheral stats because of the pace of this game. Ball will be one of the highest owned players on this slate.
Jrue Holiday is averaging 19.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists (37.5 DK points) in 34.2 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has scored 37+ DK points in each of his last 4 games, including a 50 DK point performance against the Orlando Magic. Holiday also scored 39.75 DK points in his only matchup against Brooklyn this season. He doesn’t always flash as a scorer with Brandon Ingram in the lineup, but he possesses tremendous versatility. Holiday will be owned too high to avoid in a New Orleans stack.
Jaxson Hayes’ price tag has dropped, but there is no real reason for it. He’s averaging 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 steal (22.2 DK points) in 23.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Hayes has scored 24+ DK points in 3 of his last 4 games, as well. Derrick Favors recently returned, but it’s clear that Hayes has earned a role in the New Orleans offense. He’s expected to play 20-25 minutes tonight, making him far too cheap for his production.
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Important Odds: Vegas Stack
Brooklyn Nets
The pace of this game has already been outlined above. The Brooklyn Nets currently rank 16th in the NBA in offensive rating, while the New Orleans Pelicans rank second last in defensive rating. The Nets are currently -2 point favorites in a game set at 228.5 points, and they boast one of the highest implied team totals on the slate at 115.3 points.
Spencer Dinwiddie continue to play well for Brooklyn. He’s averaging 21.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.0 steals (39.3 DK points) in 32.4 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has scored 35+ DK points in each of his last 10 games, including a 65 DK point performance against the Boston Celtics. Dinwiddie is the focal point of the Nets offense, and he’s an elite option on this slate.
Taurean Prince is averaging 10.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals (28.5 DK points) in 30.5 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has recently flashed 40+ DK point upside, and he dominated New Orleans in their only matchup this season. Prince will benefit from the pace of this game, and he comes with tremendous upside tonight.
Jarrett Allen has seen inconsistent minutes recently. He’s averaging 25.0 minutes per game over the last 10 days. In those minutes, he’s averaging 13.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists (31.1 DK points) per game. Allen has scored 60+ DK points recently, though, and he comes with tremendous upside. While he isn’t consistent enough to be considered in cash games, he’s an elite tournament option tonight.
Hidden Gem: Value Guard
Josh Hart
Josh Hart has seen mixed results recently. He’s averaging 10.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steal (22.3 DK points) in 27.2 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Hart has played 30+ minutes in 3 of his last 4 games. He is averaging 28.3 DK points per game in those contests.
Hart gets an outstanding matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, who have already been outlined above. JJ Redick has been ruled out tonight, locking Hart into 30+ minutes. He could see some ownership because of the game he’s playing in, but he is likely to go overlooked in favor of other options in this game. Hart can be considered in all leagues for his price tag.
Hidden Gem: Value Big
Alex Len
Alex Len has caught fire recently, averaging 11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists (28.0 DK points) in only 21.1 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has scored 20+ DK points in each of his last 6 games. Len has flashed near 40 DK point upside over that span, as well. Overall, he’s averaging 29.5 DK points per game in those 6 contests.
Len gets a good matchup against the New York Knicks. They only rank 27th in the NBA in pace, while also ranking 25th in defensive rating. Len doesn’t play big minutes, but he has flashed elite upside in his 20-25 minute role. His limited minutes have kept his price tag low, and he makes a great tournament option tonight.
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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.
