Saturday’s NBA schedule was shaken up by three postponements. The Clippers and Lakers games were postponed due to the fires in Los Angeles, while the Hawks had to move their game due to a winter storm in Atlanta. Originally, there were five games on the main slate on DraftKings for Saturday night, but now there are three matchups to consider as you get your lineups ready for DraftKings contests, including the NBA $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] which offers a $25,000 top prize for just a $15 entry. Even with just six teams on the board, there are a few good options to consider using as top DFS stacks for this Saturday, January 11.
Make sure to keep a close eye on today’s Injury Report for the latest news as we approach tip-off. With what we know going into the afternoon, here are my top three teams to target for stacking:
Detroit Pistons vs. Toronto Raptors
The Pistons are favored at home against the Raptors and have the second-highest implied team total on the slate. The Raptors have allowed the fourth-most points per game to their opponents this season and have been especially vulnerable against centers, who have scored more fantasy points against them per game than any other team in the NBA. The Pistons are showing huge improvement this season and are 19-19, currently eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Core Plays: The key to the Pistons’ turnaround has been Cade Cunningham ($10,400) emerging as a true stud. He is averaging over 50 fantasy points per game and has at least 57 fantasy points in three of his last four games. He has been getting even more usage after the injury to Jaden Ivey (fibula), which has also opened up playing time for other parts of the rotation as well. Based on the matchup against the Raptors, Jalen Duren ($5,500) can be a key part of the stack as well. He has over 31 fantasy points in three straight games and five of his last six, coming into this smash spot against the Raptors.
Value Options: Ausar Thompson ($4,800) has been boom-or-bust since moving into Ivey’s starting spot but does bring a high ceiling and good hustle on both ends of the floor. If Tim Hardaway Jr. ($4,000; back, questionable) is forced to miss a second straight game, Simone Fontecchio ($3,100) could continue to get more minutes and offer big upside as well. Another ultra-cheap play who can return value is Isaiah Stewart ($3,300), who has 20+ fantasy points in four of his last six games and is averaging 20.4 DraftKings points in his 17 home games.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Miami Heat
In the late game, the Trail Blazers host the Heat. It’ll be Portland’s first home game in 2025 after it opened the year with a five-game road trip. On the trip, the Blazers went 2-3 but were competitive in every game they lost. Deandre Ayton ($6,200; calf, questionable) is uncertain and Jerami Grant (face) remains out, so there should continue to be usage available for many players to produce value.
Core Plays: While Grant has been out, Deni Avdija ($7,100) has been excellent, although his salary has caught up to his recent production. Anfernee Simons ($6,800) always gets plenty of usage and has scored at least 22 points in six of his last seven games. On Wednesday in his most recent contest, Simons had 22 points and 32.75 fantasy points, but he has a much higher ceiling as he showed with 36 points and 54 fantasy points against the Pistons on the trip last week. Shaedon Sharpe ($5,900) has also been a good scoring option lately with 20+ points in three straight and over 40 fantasy points in two of those contests. Since he’s a little cheaper than Simons, he’s actually my favorite core piece even though Simons’ ceiling is slightly higher.
Value Options: If Ayton is out, both Donovan Clingan ($3,100) and Robert Williams ($3,300) would be awesome value plays. Clingan has elite value potential either way after the rookie had 11 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and 32.25 fantasy points against the Mavericks on Thursday. In the backcourt, Scoot Henderson ($4,300) has seen his salary drop over $500 in the last week even though his production has been good. He had 20 points and 30.5 fantasy points against Dallas and has at least 23 fantasy points in four of his last five and seven of his last nine.
Miami Heat at Portland Trail Blazers
On the other side of that matchup, the Heat have some great options as well as they continue to adjust to the absence of Jimmy Butler (suspension). They lost a double-overtime heartbreaker to the Kings to start their current road trip but picked up road wins in Golden State and Utah in their last two games.
Core Plays: It actually hasn’t been Tyler Herro ($8,800) who has stepped up, although he always brings a high ceiling. Instead, Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($5,900) has starred from a fantasy perspective alongside consistent production from Bam Adebayo ($8,400). Jaquez had a massive triple-double in his first start on this trip, posting 61 fantasy points on 16 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and five steals. He had a down game in Golden State with “just” 24.75 fantasy points, but he was back in his multi-category bag with 43.25 fantasy points against the Jazz on Thursday. Jaquez and Bam are a very solid core to build around, especially if Ayton is out, leaving the Blazers thin up front.
Value Options: The Heat rotation varies from game to game based on their opponent, but a few value options usually make sense. Duncan Robinson ($3,900) always has a high ceiling if he hits his shots, but he has struggled with a low shooting percentage overall this season, and particularly on this trip. Instead, Haywood Highsmith ($3,500) makes sense as a value play who can get production in multiple categories and return good value even if he doesn’t score many points. Alec Burks ($3,200) has continued to play big minutes off the bench as a backup guard and has 18.25 and 19.5 fantasy points in his last two games. Josh Richardson ($3,000) could also be nearing a return, but his run is still very undefined even when he does get back on the court.
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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.
