Kemba Walker/Nicolas Batum/Dwight Howard
The Charlotte Hornets have been playing at an above average pace this season, ranking eighth in the NBA in pace through 74 games. They get a matchup against the New York Knicks, who only rank 16th in the league in pace this season. With that being said, New York ranks last in the NBA in defensive rating since the All Star Break, while Charlotte ranks in the top-10 in offensive rating over the same span. The Hornets are also -11.5 point favorites in a game set at 221.5 points, giving them the highest implied team total on the slate at 116.5 points.
The Hornets team is filled with high upside fantasy options. Kemba Walker has been a huge part of the offense recently, and his numbers show it. Over his last four games, he is averaging 29.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. He is also averaging 19.8 shot attempts and 7.5 free throw attempts per game over that span. Dwight Howard is also come off two elite games, scoring 52.75 and 69.5 DK points in each of those games. He also posted an absurd 30/30 line against the Brooklyn Nets in one of those games. Howard will also be returning home tonight, where he has been a better player. Through 36 home games, Howard is averaging 17.1 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.0 blocks in 31.2 minutes per game. The final part of the stack is Nicolas Batum, who was playing at a high level before his most recent injury. He has scored 50+ DK points in each of his last three healthy games, averaging 19.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 1.0 block, and 1.7 steals in 39.0 minutes per game over that span. These three players are the focal points of the Charlotte rotation, and they should be able to take advantage of an elite matchup on this smaller slate.
Jeff Teague/Andrew Wiggins/Karl-Anthony Towns
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies have quietly been pushing the pace more since the All Star Break. Since then, these two teams rank 13th and 17th in the NBA in pace, respectively. Minnesota also ranks sixth in offensive rating, while Memphis ranks 25th in the league in defensive rating. The Wolves are -13.5 point favorites in a game set at 215.5 points, as well. They feature an implied team total of 114.5 points.
Karl-Anthony Towns is not a safe option, but he comes with elite upside. He leads the team with a usage rating around 25%, and he has scored 50+ DK points in five of his last 10 games. Towns has a ceiling around 70+ DK points, as well. He struggled in his only matchup against Memphis this season, but they have taken on a youth movement later in the season, allowing Towns to take advantage of the matchup tonight. Jeff Teague is an option that has cooled off a bit recently, but he is still averaging 14.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game over the last 10 days. Excluding his last two games, and Teague had scored 29+ DK points in more than eight consecutive games. He also features a ceiling north of 50 DK points. Andrew Wiggins is the final piece of the puzzle, and he may arguably be the most consistent. He has scored between 29 and 41 DK points in nine of his last 10 games. He is finally adding peripheral stats on top of his scoring, which has allowing him to add to his consistency and upside. He is also locked into big minutes, and this stack gets the three top scoring options in Minnesota’s offense. These three players should only be stacked in GPPs, though, as Teague and Towns are both somewhat of inconsistent options.
By: Justin Bales (Twitter)
