On Monday night, the NBA tips off the first work week of 2025 with eight games on the slate. It should be a fun night of fantasy basketball, so be sure to get your squad assembled for DraftKings contests, including the NBA $300K Zone Special [$100K to 1st] which offers a $100,000 top prize for just a $5 entry. As you put your lineups together, there are several situations that create excellent situations to target and make great NBA stacks to build your team around.
Building your lineup around multiple players from the same team can help your lineup have an even higher ceiling since there is increased correlation between the players’ production. It does also make your lineup higher risk if the game turns into a blowout, but the juice is usually worth the squeeze if you find the right spots to attack.
Check out my top three spots to stack this Monday listed below. As we approach tip time, be sure download the DK Live app and check back on today’s Injury Report for the latest news.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Dallas Mavericks
As they host the Mavs on Monday in their first home game since the day after Christmas, the Grizzlies will be without Ja Morant (shoulder), Santi Aldama (ankle) and Marcus Smart (finger), while Luke Kennard ($4,600; hamstring) is questionable and Desmond Bane ($8,100; ankle) is doubtful. Dallas is also going to be shorthanded without Luka Doncic (calf) and Kyrie Irving (illness), but of the two teams, I like the Grizzlies’ value for DFS stacking a little bit better.
Core Plays: The Grizzlies have played four games without Morant and Bane this season. In those games, Scotty Pippen Jr. ($6,200) has averaged 1.39 fantasy points per minute and 35.5 DraftKings points per game. Jaren Jackson Jr. ($9,100) has averaged 43 DraftKings points with a massive 36.7% usage rate in those four games. Jackson’s usage rate is 34.6% overall with Morant and Bane off the floor this year, compared to a 29.1% usage rate overall. Zach Edey ($5,400) returned from a two-game concussion absence with two down games, but he has very strong splits at home and had 50 fantasy points on 21 points and 16 boards in his last game in Memphis.
Value Options: Since Aldama, Smart and Kennard are also out, there are more opportunities for fringe players to step up as part of the Grizzlies’ stack as well. Jake LaRavia ($5,000) is coming off his first double-double of the season with 10 assists and 37.5 fantasy points against the Warriors on Saturday. He could help fill time in the backcourt, opening up more work for Brandon Clarke ($3,900), who has 20+ fantasy points in each of his two games since returning from a calf injury. Cam Spencer ($3,000) is also worth a look as a punt play at the minimum salary. The rookie played 22 minutes last Sunday and had 19.25 fantasy points off the bench. He also needed just 13 minutes to score seven points on Saturday.
San Antonio Spurs at Chicago Bulls
The Spurs have the highest implied team total on the slate and should be able to put up points in bunches as they take on the Bulls. Chicago ranks third in the NBA in Pace and are seventh-worst in defensive efficiency. They have allowed 121.3 points per game, the second-highest mark in the league behind only the Wizards. Even though the Spurs will be at full strength, the matchup is good enough to still make them a strong NBA stack.
Core Plays: The Spurs production is built around second-year center Victor Wembanyama ($11,100) who is a great place to start your stack. He is coming off of two other-worldly performances against the Nuggets. He had 69.5 fantasy points in the Spurs’ win last Friday and followed that up with 63.75 fantasy points on 20 points and 23 rebounds the next night in San Antonio. The Bulls have been a great matchup for centers lately, so Wemby could feast much like Karl-Anthony Towns ($10,000) did on Saturday when he dropped 75 fantasy points on the Bulls. As Wemby’s running mates, Devin Vassell ($6,100) has over 33 fantasy points in four of his last five and Chris Paul ($6,000) had over 30 fantasy points in three straight before struggling on the second night of San Antonio’s back-to-back.
Value Options: The Spurs don’t have any apparent punt plays like Spencer, but they have a few strong value options under $5,000. Keldon Johnson ($4,400) has scored double-digit points in five straight games while averaging 24.2 fantasy points per game as a good value play. Harrison Barnes ($4,000) and Stephon Castle ($3,700) have also shown spike-game potential but haven’t been as consistently involved as the other options in the potential Spurs’ stack.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Indiana Pacers
The Nets bring a bargain stack extravaganza on Monday night since they’ll be so thin as they host the Pacers. Cam Thomas (hamstring) and Cameron Johnson (ankle) are out and Ben Simmons ($5,900; calf/back) and D’Angelo Russell ($5,500; shin) are both questionable. While the team could be seriously over-matched without many offensive options, there should be great minutes and potential usage available, which could make a value stack work nicely alongside the stars you want from other teams or even the higher-priced options in the stacks above. The Nets probably won’t score a ton of points as a team, but they should be great per-dollar producers since the usage could go to players who are so cheap.
Core Plays: If Russell plays through his shin injury, he should have all the usage he wants. Since returning to the Nets, he had 22 points, eight assists and 42 fantasy points against the Raptors and 11 points, 12 assists and 37.75 fantasy points against the Bucks. He left Friday’s game with the shin injury that has him questionable, but if he plays through the issue, he’ll be an elite option under $6,000 based on his ceiling. Simmons could also be a solid play but doesn’t have the scoring ceiling that Russell brings.
If Simmons, Russell or both are out, Keon Johnson ($5,300) could end up one of the key players on the entire slate. Johnson had 15 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and 39 DraftKings points on Saturday against the Sixers and also had 39 DraftKings points in the Nets’ previous home game against the Spurs. Ziaire Williams ($5,200) has also been good but isn’t up to a full workload after an extended absence.
Value Options: The value options are plentiful from the Nets’ roster and if Russell is out, someone has to take the shots. Tyrese Martin ($4,000) took 18 shots in his 29 minutes on Saturday and poured in 27.25 fantasy points. Jalen Wilson ($4,500) has scored double-digit points in five straight games but doesn’t typically add many non-scoring stats. Reece Beekman ($3,100) had seven points and 10.25 DraftKings points in a season-high 18 minutes on Saturday while Day’Ron Sharpe ($3,800) is another play worth a look under $4,000 after playing a season-high 25 minutes on Saturday. Sharpe is always a threat for a low-grade double-double if he gets those kind of minutes. Even if they don’t score many points as a team against the Pacers, there should be value you can build around from these cheap options who should bring a good amount of fantasy points per dollar.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
