The NBA wraps up January with a six-game main fantasy basketball slate on DraftKings, which begins at 7:00 p.m. ET. None of the 12 teams are playing for a second day in a row, so teams should be able to have fairly regular rotations, although the Spurs, Hornets and Nuggets do play again on Saturday. As we look at the 12 teams in action, several strong options jump out as the top NBA DFS stacks to consider for Friday, January 31.
Even with no back-to-back sets, it’s vital to keep a close eye on today’s injury article for the latest availability updates as we approach tip-off. With what we know going into the day, here are my top NBA DFS Stacks:
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Friday 8’s [$100K to 1st]
Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors
Both these teams rank in the top-ten in the NBA in pace, so there should be plenty of fantasy points coming out of this matchup. While the Raptors could get back Immanuel Quickley ($6,700; hip) and have a crowded rotation, the Bulls are in the opposite situation with Zach LaVine (personal) away from the team, opening up playing time and usage. The extra available usage makes Chicago a slightly better stacking advantage for NBA DFS.
Core Plays: Coby White ($5,900) returned from an ankle injury and played 30 minutes on Wednesday, even though he was going to be limited to 25-to-28 minutes, according to coach Billy Donovan. White had 16 points and 22 fantasy points while knocking off the rust, but he should be in a better spot on Friday. He leads the team with 27.4% usage in games without LaVine this season, averaging 34.1 fantasy points in those six games. Nikola Vucevic ($8,000) leads the team with 38.6 fantasy points per game in those contests and is in a good matchup against the Raptors, who allow the third-most fantasy points per game to centers. Ayo Dosunmu ($5,700) is another core play after returning to the starting lineup for the last two games and posting over 25 fantasy points in each contest.
Value Options: While his minutes are still limited, Lonzo Ball ($4,700) has been productive when on the floor and steadily outproduces his price point. Patrick Williams ($4,200) typically gets plenty of minutes, but his production is a little more volatile. He had 16 points and 33.25 fantasy points on Wednesday without LaVine against Boston, and he’s a solid value forward against the Raptors as well.
Milwaukee Bucks at San Antonio Spurs
The Bucks lost in Portland on Tuesday, but they’ll look to get back on track as they visit San Antonio to take on the Spurs. Earlier this month, Milwaukee won the first game in this series, 121-105.
Core Plays: While Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,500) is an expensive option, he also makes a lot of sense as he goes head-to-head with Victor Wembanyama ($11,000). Giannis had 58.5 fantasy points in their first meeting and has 55+ fantasy points in five of his last six contests overall. Damian Lillard ($9,000) has also been hot, although he did have a down game in Portland. Since he won’t have the same level of distractions in San Antonio, he should be able to get back on track.
Value Options: Building around both Bucks’ superstars is an expensive strategy, but one that can definitely work. Ryan Rollins ($3,200) and Andre Jackson ($3,600) are a couple of values in the rotation that can help balance out that spending. Jackson has 18.75 and 26.25 fantasy points in his last two games, while Rollins had nine points in 15 minutes on Tuesday. Gary Trent Jr. ($4,100) is a little more expensive but his role is a little more stable, and he has produced 20+ points in four of his last six contests. He had 26.75 fantasy points in his first matchup with the Spurs.
Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Clippers
As they have been over the last few games, the Hornets are lined up to be a great source of value again on Friday. The absences of LaMelo Ball (ankle), Mark Williams (foot) and Cody Martin (abdomen) vacate plenty of usage, leaving the rest of the roster to step up in this home game against the Clippers.
Core Plays: As he did on Wednesday, Miles Bridges ($8,500) will have to carry the offense. Bridges had a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds for 49.75 fantasy points on Wednesday and is averaging 45.65 fantasy points in his five games without Ball and Brandon Miller (wrist), who is out for the season. Vasilije Micic ($5,500) will likely start again for Ball after posting 32.75 fantasy points on Wednesday. Micic has double-digit points in four straight games.
Value Options: Without Williams, Moussa Diabate ($4,200) has been very busy, producing 33.25 fantasy points on nine points and 13 rebounds on Saturday when Williams was out and following that up with 13 points, eight rebounds and 26 fantasy points Wednesday. Even with Taj Gibson ($3,300) starting, “the moose is loose” and especially affordable. Josh Green ($4,400; foot) is probable and should get plenty of work on the wing along with Josh Okogie ($4,800) and Nick Smith Jr. ($5,000).
