NBA Stacks of the Day 3/29/18

The Miami Heat have been slowing the pace down this season, ranking 27th in the NBA in pace through 75 games. They will see an uptick in pace tonight, as they get a matchup against the Chicago Bulls, who currently rank 11th in the league in pace. Miami has been heating up as an offense recently, though, as they rank ninth in the NBA in offensive rating since the All Star Break. Chicago ranks 29th in the league in defensive rating over that same span. The Heat are -12.5 point favorites in a game set at 209 points, giving them the highest implied team total on the slate at 110.8 points. 

Utilizing three big men for Miami likely will not be a popular stack. That does not mean it is wrong, though. This stack is purely about upside, and utilizing three big men is a way to keep their own percentage lowered. Olynyk has been the top option in the frontcourt recently, as he is averaging 18.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.6 steals in 29.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Olynyk has been on fire for longer than that, averaging 36.2 DK points per game over his last 10 games. James Johnson has also been on fire over the last 10 days, averaging a 17.4/7.6/4.4/1.0/0.8 line in 32.4 minutes per game. Johnson is also averaging 1.03 DK points per minute against Chicago this season. Hassan Whiteside is the final part of this stack, and he has proven that he can score fantasy points in limited minutes this season. Whiteside will likely steal a few minutes away from Johnson and Olynyk, but they should all still see solid time. This trio of players is averaging a combined 1.14 DK points per minute, and they are tentatively expected to play nearly 80 combined minutes tonight. Overall, this is a stack that should strictly be used in tournaments tonight.

Russell Westbrook/Paul George/Steven Adams

The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will be playing in a below average paced game tonight. These two teams rank 17th and 29th in the NBA in pace, respectively. San Antonio features an elite defense this season, but Oklahoma City ranks in the top-10 of the NBA in offensive rating. Overall, the Thunder are -3 point favorites in a game set at 208 points, giving them an implied team total of 105.5 points.

Russell Westbrook is the focal point of the Thunder offense, sporting a usage rating over 30%. He has been playing well recently, averaging 26.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game over the last 10 days. While that is not the “elite” Westbrook we’re used to, it has kept his price tag relatively cheap for his upside. Steven Adams is a player that has been on fire over his last five games, averaging 19.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 blocks (40.1 DK points) per game. He has struggled a bit on the road this season, but Adams has been playing well enough recently to look passed that on the short slate. Paul George is the final piece of the puzzle tonight He has struggled in his last two games, but was able to score 45.75 DK points in his game before that. He is a player that has been slightly better on the road, as well, as he is averaging 22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.3 steals in 36.2 minutes per game away from home. The Thunder are another stack that should be strictly used in tournaments tonight.

By: Justin Bales (Twitter)