Friday night brings a solid seven-game fantasy basketball slate. Only the Thunder are on the second game of a back-to-back, although there are still several key injuries to keep track of throughout the day. With 14 teams to choose from, there are several strong plays to consider, but a few teams stand out as top DFS stacks for this Friday, January 17.
Make sure to watch today’s injury report for the latest news as we approach tip-off. Value and usage are still uncertain in some situations with big names like Nikola Jokic and Kyrie Irving questionable. With the information available going into the afternoon, these are my top three DFS stacks to target.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Friday 8’s [$100K to 1st]
Charlotte Hornets at Chicago Bulls
The Bulls rank second in the NBA in pace and in the bottom-ten in defensive efficiency. They have allowed the second-most points per game as a result and have been a great matchup to stack against over the past few weeks. The Hornets are mostly healthy, so there’s not a ton of value plays in this stack, but there is a lot of upside from top contributors.
Core Plays: If we’re talking about the Hornets as a good stack, LaMelo Ball ($10,400) is the place to start. He leads the NBA in usage and has at least 52 fantasy points in three straight games even though he hasn’t been lighting things up from long-range. If his outside shot starts clicking, he could easily take it to another level and will get great opportunties against the Bulls, who give up the third-most fantasy points per game to point guards. Mark Williams ($6,800) has also been on a tear on the blocks, posting 52 and 57.75 fantasy points in his last two games. He is probable with knee soreness, and given his injury history that’s cause for concern. However, if he plays through the tag and can take his usual minutes, he’s a great stacking option under $7,000.
Value Options: With so much. usage going to Ball, Williams, Miles Bridges ($7,300) and Brandon Miller ($7,700; wrist, questionable) there may not be a ton of cheap options. However, if Miller ends up sitting out, there will be more time on the wing for Cody Martin ($4,000) and Josh Green ($3,500), who have both been strong value plays at times this season. It will aslo be interesting to see where the Hornets fit Josh Okogie ($3,000) into the mix once he’s ready to join the team after arriving in the trade with the Suns earlier this week.
Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks
Even though the Thunder are finishing a back-to-back, they have plenty of good plays to consider as they head on the road to Dallas. The starters weren’t forced to carry an extremely heavy workload in Thursday’s comfortable revenge win over the Cavs, and the absence of Isaiah Hartenstein (calf) opens interesting possibilities.
Core Plays: Like with the Hornets stack, the Thunder stack starts with their super-productive point guard. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,200) had 40 points and 59.25 fantasy points against the Cavs even though he only played 29 minutes. He has over 51 fantasy points in six of his last seven games, highlighted by a game with 67.25 fantasy points against the Celtics. Jalen Williams ($8,000) stepped up earlier this season when the Thunder were shorthanded at center, and he delivered 44.5 fantasy points on Thursday in just 30 minutes. With Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren (hip) out, Williams has averaged 49.5 fantasy points on 24.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game in six contests. He’s a great option at $8,000.
Value Options: The Thunder have a deep rotation behind those two stars so the role players are affordable but also can be inconsistent. Jaylin Williams ($3,800) started in place of Hartenstein on Thursday and had 13.25 fantasy points in 14 minutes while Branden Carlson ($3,500) had 19.5 fantasy points in 17 minutes off the bench. Cason Wallace ($4,200) and Aaron Wiggins ($4,400) have been solid value plays lately, and it was Luguentz Dort ($4,000) who stepped up on Thursday with 22 points and 34 fantasy points in just 20 minutes. His scoring isn’t usually that high, but he almost always finds ways to contribute.
Utah Jazz at New Orleans Pelicans
The Jazz remain very short-handed as they go on the road this Friday, but there’s actually a lot of strong value available with the remaining parts of their roster. Since these plays are so cheap, the can be combined with a more expensive secondary stack or just with other big-salary stars independently. The Jazz ruled out Lauri Markkanen (back), Walker Kessler (rest), John Collins (hip), Jordan Clarkson (foot) and Micah Potter (illness), but they will get back Collin Sexton ($7,500) who rested on Wednesday.
Core Plays: Sexton is a solid option since so much usage will be available, but Keyonte George ($6,000) could be an even better value. He returned after a five-game absence with a heel injury and looked very strong with 26 points, six assists, four rebounds and 46 fantasy points in 31 minutes against the Hornets on Wednesday. His return pushed Isaiah Collier ($4,900) aside but the rookie still had 29.25 fantasy points in a supporting role. With Sexton and George, Collier’s role could be reduced further once everyone is healthy. The other part of the core for the Jazz is Brice Sensabaugh ($4,800) who is very cheap but brings good upside. He has scored at least 16 points in four straight games and averaged over 31 fantasy points per game over that stretch.
Value Options: With Kessler taking the night off, the frontcourt will be wide open from Drew Eubanks ($4,100) and Kyle Filipowski ($4,200) to get as much usage as possible. Eubanks had 11 points, eight rebounds and 29.5 fantasy points in just 20 minutes against the Hornets and is an outstanding value against the Pelicans at only $4,100. Cody Williams ($4,000) and Svi Mykhailiuk ($3,800) will also be in the mix, but Eubanks and Flipowski will have to play big minutes while trying to slow down Zion Williamson ($8,600) and the Pelicans other big men.
