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
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks rank 16th and 19th in the NBA in pace, respectively. San Antonio also ranks 12th in the league in offensive rating, while Dallas ranks 18th in defensive rating. The Spurs are +5 point underdogs in a game set at 232.5 points, but they still boast an implied team total of 113.8 points.
DeMar DeRozan
LaMarcus Aldridge has been ruled out tonight. DeMar DeRozan will be one of the biggest beneficiaries, as his usage rating will increase exponentially. He has been struggling a bit recently, but still posted 35+ DK points in 7 of his last 9 games. DeRozan posted 50+ DK points in a pair of those games, as well. Overall, he’s averaging 39.5 DK points per game. DeRozan will be forced into minutes in the mid-30s, and he’ll be the focal point of the offense. His price tag has dropped a bit because of his recent struggles, and he’s an outstanding option in all leagues tonight.
Trey Lyles
Trey Lyles is another player that will benefit from the injury to Aldridge. He has played 29+ minutes in 3 of his last 4 games, scoring 18+ DK points in each of those games. Lyles also recently played 34 minutes against the Portland Blazers, scoring 43 DK points with a 23/10 double-double. Lyles is also averaging 0.85 DK points per minute through 56 games this season. He’s tentatively expected to find minutes in the high-20s or low-30s tonight. Lyles likely won’t feature the same upside as the other two players in this stack, but he’s cheap enough to be used as part of a “cash stack” tonight.
Jakob Poeltl
Jakob Poeltl is an elite option tonight. He has seen 16 and 13 minutes in his last 2 games, scoring 19.5 and 23.75 DK points. Poeltl also flashed tremendous upside recently, scoring 32.75 DK points in only 18 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets. He’s averaging a healthy 1.13 DK points per minute through 56 games this season. Poeltl will be forced into 30+ minutes tonight with Aldridge injured. He could end up being the highest owned player on the slate, and he’s a must start in cash games tonight.
Important Odds: Vegas Stack
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies currently rank second and sixth in the NBA in pace this season. Houston also ranks second in the league in offensive rating, while Memphis ranks 19th in defensive rating. The Rockets are -11.5 point favorites in a game set at 237 points tonight, and they possess the highest implied team total on the slate at 124.3 points.
Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook has cooled off a bit recently. Still, he posted 50+ DK points in 8 of his last 10 games. He also flashed 70 DK point upside over that span, while averaging 55.3 DK points per game in those contests. Furthermore, Westbrook has been at his best in Houston, and he makes an outstanding option on this slate.
James Harden
James Harden has caught fire over his last five games. He’s averaging 34.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.8 steals (63.4 DK points) in 35.8 minutes per game in those contests. Harden also posted 60+ DK points in each of those games. He’s a player that comes with unmatched upside on a nightly basis. He’s averaging nearly 70 DK points per game against Memphis this season, as well. Harden will be locked into minutes in the high-30s, and he makes an elite option tonight.
Robert Covington
Robert Covington is the final part of this stack. He has found his role in the Houston rotation, playing 27+ minutes in each of his last 4 games. In those contests, he’s averaging 12.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 3.8 blocks, and 1.0 steal (35.7 DK points) in 33.0 minutes per game. Covington is an athletic forward that will benefit from the pace in this game. He’s expected to play 30+ minutes tonight, making him another safe option for Houston.
Wildcard GPP: Low Owned Stack
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets rank 10th in the NBA in pace, while the Washington Wizards rank fourth in the league in the same category. Brooklyn only ranks 22nd in the NBA in offensive rating, while Washington ranks last in the league in defensive rating. The Nets are -2 point favorites in a game set at 234 points, giving them an implied team total of 118 points.
Spencer Dinwiddie
Spencer Dinwiddie is locked into 30+ minutes with Kyrie Irving injured. He has seen 30+ minutes in 5 of his last 6 games, scoring 38+ DK points in each of those games. He also flashed 50+ DK points over that span. Dinwiddie also posted 41.5 DK points in his only matchup against Washington this season. He’s priced up a bit, but still comes with more than enough upside to be considered in GPPs.
Caris LeVert
Caris LeVert is another player that has caught fire recently. Over his last 8 games, he’s averaging 22.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.1 steals (39.8 DK points) in 33.0 minutes per game. LeVert is still reasonably priced, flashing 50+ DK point upside. He’s a massive part of the offense, and will see 30+ minutes on this slate. LeVert is a bit safer than the other two options in this slate, but he comes with tremendous upside, as well.
Jarrett Allen
Jarrett Allen is anything but consistent, but he does come with tremendous upside. He posted 27+ minutes in 4 of his last 5 games, including a 41.75 DK point performance against the Orlando Magic. With that being said, Allen also posted 1.5 DK points in one of those games. Allen posted 44.75 DK points in 26.6 minutes in his only matchup against Washington, and he could find similar minutes tonight. He’s a boom or bust option for Brooklyn.
Hidden Gem: Value Guard
Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverley has been dealing with an injury recently. He’s expected to be fully healthy in his return tonight. Beverley saw limited minutes in his last pair of games, but he posted 20+ DK points in each of his 8 games prior to that. Furthermore, he flashed 35+ DK point upside over that span.
Beverley gets a great matchup against the Phoenix Suns. They currently rank ninth in the NBA in pace and 17th in defensive rating. Beverley’s minutes are far from guaranteed, but he’s expected to play around 25 minutes tonight. He isn’t a player that should be used in cash games, but he’s cheap enough to be used in tournaments on this slate.
Hidden Gem: Value Big
Gorgui Dieng
Gorgui Dieng was thrust into a larger role over his last two games with injuries to Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke. He played 21 and 28 minutes in those games, scoring 32.5 and 38.5 DK points. Dieng posted 30+ DK points in both of those games, as well. Through 50 games this season, he’s averaging 1.19 DK points per minute, flashing tremendous upside.
Dieng gets a plus matchup against the Houston Rockets, who rank second in the NBA in pace and 15th in defensive rating. He is also averaging 19.3 DK points in only 15.1 minutes per game against Houston this season. Dieng is expected to see around 25 minutes tonight, making him an outstanding tournament option on this slate.
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