Easy Breezy: Chalk Stack
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans have been pushing the pace throughout the 2018 season, ranking fifth in the NBA in pace thus far. They get a matchup against the Indiana Pacers, who only rank 25th in the league in pace through 52 games. New Orleans also ranks sixth in the NBA in offensive rating this season, while Indiana ranks second in the league in defensive rating. While Indiana has featured an elite defense, they will be without Victor Oladipo, who is one of their best defensive players. The Pelicans are currently +2.5 point underdogs in a game set at 218 points, and they feature an implied total of 107.8 points tonight.
Kenrich Williams has been thrust into big minutes recently, playing 30 minutes in each of his last three games. Over that span, he’s averaging 13.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 block (33.0 DK points) in 32.7 minutes per game. He has also scored between 27 and 41 DK points in each of those games. Williams will see similar minutes with plenty of injuries in New Orleans, and he’s an elite option on this slate. Frank Jackson is another absurdly cheap option, who will feature plenty of ownership tonight. He has been playing well over his last four games, averaging 14.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists (24.4 DK points) in 28.5 minutes per game over the last four games. He struggled with 16 DK points in one of those games, but was able to score 31, 21.25, and 29.25 DK points in the other three games. These two players will combine for only $8K tonight, leaving plenty of salary to fill out this stack and the rest of your roster. Jrue Holiday is the leader of this offense, and he’s the top option. He’s averaging 22.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals (45.9 DK points) in 35.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He’s coming off of a rough game against the San Antonio Spurs, but he was able to score 40+ DK points in seven of his nine games prior to that, including a 63.25 DK point performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Holiday adds both consistency and upside to this stack, as well.
Wildcard GPP: Low Owned Stack
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks will be playing in the fastest paced game on the slate tonight. These two teams currently rank ninth and first in the NBA in pace, respectively. Washington only ranks 17th in the league in offensive rating, but Atlanta ranks only 26th in the NBA in defensive rating. The Wizards are -6.5 point favorites in a game set at 230.5 points, giving them the highest implied total on the slate at 118.5 points.
Most stacks will feature some ownership on a six game slate, but this Washington will be under-owned compared to what I believe their ownerships should be. Tomas Satoransky has seen limited minutes in his last two games, but he still is averaging 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.3 steals (31.1 DK points) in 31.4 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Over his last 10 games, Satoransky has flashed triple double potential, while scoring 46.75, 46.75, and 54.5 DK points in three games. On the season, he’s averaging 32.8 DK points in 32.1 minutes per game against Atlanta, and he makes a great option. Bradley Beal hasn’t been playing at that high of a level recently, averaging 25.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals (43.7 DK points) in 36.4 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has flashed undeniable upside recently, though, including a 93.5 DK point performance against the Toronto Raptors. Beal also gets an elite matchup against one of the worst defensive backcourts in the NBA, and Beal is averaging 50.3 DK points in 39.1 minutes per game against the Hawks this season. Beal isn’t going to come cheap, but his price tag could keep his ownership down a bit on this slate. This stack can be filled out with any of the Wizards three forwards – Otto Porter Jr., Trevor Ariza, or Jeff Green. They will all feature similar ownership, but I’m siding slightly with Green for his price tag. He’s the cheapest of the trio, while averaging 17.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists (28.3 DK points) in 30.4 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has also caught fire over his last two games, scoring 31.25 and 42.75 DK points in those contests. Green, who sits under $5K tonight, is also averaging 32.9 DK points per game against Atlanta this season.
Hidden Gem: Value Guard
Reggie Jackson
Jackson has been a man on a mission recently, averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists (37.7 DK points) in 34.5 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has been playing at an even high level recently, scoring 46.5, 42.75, and 39.75 DK points in his last three games. Most importantly, Jackson has seen 35+ minutes in each of his last four contests.
Jackson is expected to see minutes in the mid- to high-30s once again tonight. He gets a solid matchup against the Denver Nuggets, who rank 17th in the NBA against point guards this season. Jackson has been a better option at home this season, and he’s one of the best options on the slate tonight.
Hidden Gem: Value Big
Kenrich Williams
I have already outlined Williams above, so I won’t go into too much detail here. He has looked outstanding since getting 30+ minutes because of injuries. The New Orleans Pelicans are still dealing with those injuries, and Williams will see 30+ minutes again tonight. He’s especially valuable on DraftKings, where he’s guard and forward eligible. Williams can safely be used in all leagues tonight.
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