After a whirlwind weekend of off-court activity, the NBA is back in action Monday night with an eight-game slate that gets underway at 7:00 p.m. ET. Of the 16 teams in action, the Pistons Grizzlies and Bucks are playing for the second day in a row, while the Rockets, Pacers and Knicks are on the front half of their back-to-back and will turn around and play again on Tuesday. With some very interesting matchups on tap, many different strategies can make sense this Monday. One effective way to attack DFS fantasy basketball is to stack multiple options from a team in a good fantasy production spot, so let’s take a look at the top NBA DFS stacks for Monday, February 3.
Check out today’s injury report for the latest availability updates as we approach game time, and be sure to adjust your roster where needed. With what we know going into the day, here are my top NBA DFS Stacks for Monday’s DFS fantasy basketball contests on DraftKings, headlined by the NBA $300K Zone Special [$100K to 1st].
Denver Nuggets vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Over the last 10 games, both the Pelicans and Nuggets rank in the top six in the NBA in most points allowed, and the Nuggets have the highest implied team total on the day, based on the odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Denver started their five-game road trip 0-3 but beat the Sixers and Hornets in their last two games before returning home to face the Pelicans, who will play their first game since losing Dejounte Murray (Achilles) for the season. Meanwhile, the Nuggets will be without Russell Westbrook (hamstring) and Peyton Watson (knee).
Core Plays: Nikola Jokic ($12,300) is the most expensive player on the slate with very good reason after he went off for 28 points, 17 assists, 13 rebounds and 83.25 fantasy points on Saturday. He has put up over 60 fantasy points in seven of his last nine games, averaging 66.7 fantasy points per game and 1.96 fantasy points per minute. Jamal Murray ($7,400) could be more active without Westbrook, and Michael Porter Jr. ($5,900) always plays heavy minutes and can help carry the workload as well, as he showed with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 35 fantasy points on Saturday.
Value Options: Christian Bruan ($5,200) was also excellent without Russ on Saturday, posting a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds for 47.25 fantasy points. He has double-digit points in ten straight games and over 25 fantasy points in six of his last eight. Without Westbrook and Watson, Julian Strawther ($3,400) could get more playing time while Aaron Gordon ($4,500) is still very affordable while working back to full speed after injury. Zeke Nnaji ($3,300) also re-entered the mix with Watson out on Saturday.
Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards
The Wizards have been a great option to stack against all season due to their fast pace and inconsistent defensive effort. They play fast and give up plenty of points, and since Charlotte will be short-handed, there will be great value available from the Hornets’ side of this matchup.
Core Plays: With LaMelo Ball (ankle) still out and Brandon Miller (wrist) done for the season, the frontcourt of Mark Williams ($8,400) and Miles Bridges ($9,000) will have to carry the offense. Williams has been excellent with five double-doubles in his last eight games while averaging 21.4 points and 12.8 rebounds. He missed some games for foot injury management but came back from a two-game absence on Saturday to smash the Nuggets for 20 points, 15 rebounds and 50.25 fantasy points. The Wizards have given up the most fantasy points per game to centers this season, so Williams is a great core piece to build around.
Value Options: The value in this stack is in the backcourt and on the wings. Vasilije Micic ($5,000; ankle) has been fine filling in for Ball but sprained his ankle Saturday and is questionable. If he is ruled out or limited, K.J. Simpson ($4,400) would be one of the best values on the entire slate. He had eight points, eight assists, six rebounds and 26.5 fantasy points on Saturday in an expanded role and has over 16 fantasy points in four straight games despite some poor shooting. With Josh Okogie (hamstring) and Cody Bartin (abdomen) out, Josh Green ($4,500) and Nick Smith Jr. ($4,900) are set up for plenty of usage.
Detroit Pistons vs. Atlanta Hawks
This matchup in the Motor City should have plenty of high-octane pace in it since the Hawks have played at the fastest pace in the NBA over the last 10 games and the Pistons rank No. 6 over that span. Detroit has scored over 112 points in five of their last six games, including their 114-104 win over the Hawks in Atlanta in January. The Pistons have not yet submitted their injury report, since they played Sunday, beating the Bulls, 127-119.
Core Plays: The pay-up option to build around with the Pistons is Cade Cunningham ($10,300), who has been excellent all season long, averaging over 50 fantasy points per game. He had 53.25 fantasy points on 22 points and 15 assists on Sunday and 56 fantasy points against the Hawks when the met in January, scoring 29 points to go with 11 assists and six boards. Jalen Duren ($6,400) has also been outstanding lately with double-doubles in eight of his last nine games including each of his last four. He has over 40 fantasy points in three of his last four games after finishing with 21 points, 13 rebounds and 46.25 fantasy points against Chicago.
Value Options: Tobias Harris ($5,800) has over 30 fantasy points in three straight games and Malik Beasley ($5,100) has over 30 fantasy points in four of his last five. After his one-game suspension, Isaiah Stwart ($3,000) returned on Sunday with 12 fantasy points. He usually provides 15-to-20 high-energy minutes off the bench and ofter is a great value at the minimum salary. Ausar Thompson ($4,600) has shown multi-category potential, but his playing time is inconsistent.
