As the trade deadline settles, 12 NBA teams will take the court. Most of the newly-acquired players won’t suit up yet, as Luka Dončić and Mark Williams won’t be ready to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, and Anthony Davis is unlikely to be available against the Boston Celtics.
The Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets are on the second night of a back-to-back, so watch out for those teams’ injury reports. DraftKings Network will have you covered with today’s injury report, which will be updated as teams release player status updates.
Here are my top three DFS stacks to target for tonight’s six-game featured slate on DraftKings.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics
At 229.5 points, this game has the second-highest implied point total, and it’s probably the most star-studded game on tonight’s slate, since Dončić ($11,000) and Jimmy Butler won’t be suiting up for the Lakers and Warriors tonight. This game hinges heavily on the health of Davis ($10,500), who has missed the last four-plus games with an abdominal strain and is officially listed as questionable for tonight. Boston appears to have moved past its recent slump, picking up an impressive win on Tuesday over the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Mavericks were competitive without Davis against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.
Core Plays: Because Davis might not play, I’m going to focus on the Celtics’ core here. Boston’s chances start and end with Jayson Tatum ($9,800), who has been fairly consistent, averaging 23.8 points (47.0 FPTS) per game over his last five games, and he’s scored at least 46 FPTS in each of his last three. Dallas has been in the middle of the pack against opposing wings, allowing the 17th-most fantasy points to small forwards. I’m also expecting solid production out of Jaylen Brown ($8,000), who had scored at least 20 points in five consecutive games before a 16-point outing against the Cavaliers. The final member of the Celtics’ star core is Kristaps Porzingis ($7,500), since Jrue Holiday ($4,500) is questionable; Porzingis has been fairly steady as a knockdown shooter and shot-blocker, and the Mavericks have conceded the third-most points to opposing centers, although his ceiling would be diminished if Davis plays.
Value Options: I’m high on Dallas’ newest acquisition, shooting guard Max Christie ($5,000), who turned in a stellar performance in his team debut on Tuesday, dropping 15 points, nine rebounds, and three assists (33.75 FPTS) and should see extended run tonight with P.J. Washington ($7,000) sidelined. Also, even though the Mavericks don’t give up a ton of threes, Payton Pritchard ($4,800) would still be worth a look if Holiday can’t play, especially since he has shot a blistering 57.9% from beyond the arc in his last four games.
Orlando Magic at Denver Nuggets
Orlando has been a disaster in recent weeks, dropping eight of its last 10 games and posting a negative-11.7 net rating over that span, even after accounting for a 130-111 victory last night over the Sacramento Kings. Meanwhile, Denver has been chugging along, with a plus-6.1 net rating that ranks ninth in the NBA over that span. The Nuggets remain one and a half games ahead of Los Angeles for the West’s fourth seed and will have to keep winning to maintain home court advantage, given the Lakers’ hot form and recent acquisitions.
Core Plays: It’s Nikola Jokić ($12,800)‘s world, and we’re all living in it. There’s no salary that would possibly be too high for the three-time MVP who has been responsible for the two best single-season performances in NBA history, according to Player Efficiency Rating. In his last six games, Jokić is averaging 28.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 11.7 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks (67.0 FPTS) per game, which is actually below his season-long fantasy average. Even though Orlando has allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing centers, it has had just the 20th-best defense over the past 10 games, so Jokić should be just fine. Michael Porter Jr. ($6,400) has commanded a larger share of the offense in the three games since Russell Westbrook ($6,200) went out, recording two consecutive 30-point games. Jamal Murray ($7,800), theoretically, should also benefit from Westbrook’s absence, but he has struggled mightily over his last three games.
Value Options: Cole Anthony ($6,000) has provided strong value in the last five games with Jalen Suggs ($7,400) out with a quad injury, and he should do so again tonight, given that Suggs is doubtful for the contest. Across his last five contests, Anthony has averaged 15.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals (30.3 FPTS) per game, including a pair of 20-point performances against the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz, and Denver allows the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing point guards. For a true budget option, how about the Magic’s Tristan Da Silva ($3,800), who could see some run if Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($4,000) is out, especially since the Nuggets have allowed the ninth-most points to opposing small forwards.
Indiana Pacers at LA Clippers
I’m staying away from the star-studded Lakers-Warriors game, because both teams are pretty thin after making blockbuster trades this week. I’m sure it’ll be yet another classic between LeBron James ($10,800) and Stephen Curry ($8,200), but instead, I’d rather focus on the Lakers’ cross-town rivals. After an extremely few weeks, the Clippers have cooled off, getting blown out by the Lakers in their most recent game, while the Pacers have remained in the East’s top four.
Core Plays: Even after losing Paul George in free agency, LA still has a pretty star-studded roster. James Harden ($9,000) was named an All-Star for the 11th time, Norman Powell ($6,900) and Ivica Zubac ($7,200) should both receive Most Improved Player consideration, and Kawhi Leonard ($6,800) is starting to round into form. Leonard had a rough game against the Lakers, but before that, he had strung together two consecutive 20-point performances, and the Clippers are outscoring opponents by 17.2 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. He and Powell — who has scored fewer than 20 points only twice in 2025 — should cook against an Indiana defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards. Harden and Zubac have more difficult matchups, since the Pacers are better against opposing point guards and centers, and of the two, I like Zubac more, given that Harden has struggled with his shot in recent weeks.
Value Options: Derrick Jones Jr. ($4,300) has earned his place in LA’s starting lineup, usurping that role from Kris Dunn ($3,300) while he was out with a knee injury, and in his last five games, Jones has averaged 11.2 points and 5.0 rebounds (24.1 FPTS), producing great value for his cheap salary. I’m also a fan of one of the league’s premier ball hawks, reserve point guard T.J. McConnell ($4,300). Rick Carlisle has utilized his bench infrequently as of late, choosing to play McConnell no more than 21 minutes in each game since December 22, but he has still recorded a steal in eight of his last nine games. The Clippers allow the fourth-most steals per game to opposing players.
