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
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics and Portland Blazers rank 17th and 11th in the NBA in pace, respectively. Boston also ranks fifth in the league in offensive rating, while Portland ranks 27th in defensive rating. The Celtics are -7.5 point favorites in a game set at 223 points, and they boast an implied team total of 115.3 points.
Gordon Hayward
Kemba Walker has been ruled out tonight, allowing others to take on larger roles in the offense. Gordon Hayward will be one of the beneficiaries, as he has been in recent games. He does come with some risk, but he has posted 40+ DK points in 7 of his last 10 games. He flashed 50+ DK point over that span, as well. Hayward struggled to score in his last game, but nearly triple-doubled. He’ll continue to see increased usage with Walker out, while playing minutes in the high-30s tonight.
Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum is the player that will see the biggest increase in value because of the injury to Walker. He has been playing at an elite level in recent games, scoring 40+ DK points in each of his last 9 contests. He flashed 60+ DK point upside over that span, as well. Tatum is averaging 29.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.3 steals (50.1 DK points) in 36.9 minutes per game over that span. Tatum is consistently seeing 20+ shot attempts with Walker out, and he’s likely to see a similar role in the offense tonight. He’ll find minutes in the mid- to high-30s in this game, and he’s one of the top options on this slate.
Daniel Theis
Daniel Theis is another player that has found plenty of success in recent games. He’s averaging 15.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists (32.2 DK points) in 28.4 minutes per game over his last 5 games. Theis posted 23+ DK points in each of those games, including a 48 DK point performance against the Minnesota Wolves. He isn’t a huge part of the offense, but comes with double-double potential. Theis is expected to play around 30 minutes tonight, making him an outstanding option for a relatively low price tag.
Important Odds: Vegas Stack
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers currently rank fourth and 13th in the NBA in pace this season. New Orleans also ranks 15th in the league in offensive rating, while Los Angeles ranks fifth in defensive rating. The Pelicans are +7 point underdogs in a game set at 239.5 points, but they still possess one of the highest implied team totals on the slate at 116.3 points.
Lonzo Ball
Lonzo Ball is coming off of a bad game against the Golden State Warriors, but he has been an extremely consistent option for New Orleans in recent games. Excluding his last game, Ball posted 33+ DK points in 8 consecutive contests. He’s a player that boasts 50+ DK point upside, as well. Ball will return to minutes in the mid-30s tonight, and he makes an outstanding option against his former team on this slate.
Jrue Holiday
Jrue Holiday has caught fire over his last 5 games. He’s averaging 20.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists, and 1.8 steals (49.2 DK points) in 33.4 minutes per game over that span. Holiday has also found success against Los Angeles this season, averaging 43.9 DK points in 38.0 minutes per game against them. He’s expected to see minutes in the 30s once again tonight. Holiday is still reasonably priced for his recent production, and he’s a player that can be considered in all leagues tonight.
Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram has been dealing with an injury, but he saw 34 minutes in his last game, suggesting he’s finally healthy. Prior to his injury, Ingram averaged 26.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals (43.3 DK points) in 32.5 minutes per game over his last 4 games. Ingram is expected to see minutes in the 30s tonight, and his price tag has dropped far too low because of his recent injury. He’s a player that can be used in all leagues on this slate.
Hidden Gem: Value Guard
Malik Monk
Malik Monk has quietly caught fire recently. He’s averaging 17.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists (28.6 DK points) in 28.9 minutes per game over his last 8 games. Monk posted 23+ DK points in each of those games, as well. Furthermore, he flashed 40+ DK point upside in those contests.
Monk gets a tough matchup against the Indiana Pacers. They rank 25th in the NBA in pace and 11th in defensive rating. Monk is expected to see roughly 30 minutes tonight. He has struggled a bit against Indiana this season, but has been playing well enough to be considered in all leagues tonight.
Hidden Gem: Value Big
P.J. Washington
P.J. Washington has looked outstanding since the All Star Break. He’s averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals (34.0 DK points) in 33.5 minutes per game. Washington posted 33+ DK points in each of those games, while flashing more upside earlier this season. He’s averaging 0.84 DK points per minute on the season, and has played 29+ minutes in each of his last 5 games.
Washington gets a tough matchup against the Indiana Pacers, which has been outlined under Malik Monk. Still, Washington is averaging 24.8 DK points in 28.1 minutes per game against Indiana this season. He’s expected to see 30+ minutes once again tonight, and Washington can be used in all leagues tonight.
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DFS Karma is partnered with DraftKings. We are also avid fans and users. As such, we 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. 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.
