Thursday delivers a five-game slate. Just like with NFL DFS, stacking games for NBA DFS is a strategy that can really pay off. Embracing correlation with multiple players from the same game can be the key to climbing the leaderboard in GPPs.
Below, I have featured two of my favorite games to stack on Thursday night.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
This matchup is extremely important for both clubs and should be a playoff like atmosphere. The Grizzlies are currently the No.6 seed in the Western Conference, but they are only one game ahead of the Timberwolves, who currently are the No.8 seed. Finishing inside the top-six is vital, as those team avoid the Play-In Tournament, and this matchup is expected to be a high scoring nail biter. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Minnesota is only favored by 1.5 points and this game carries a total of 232 points.
For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant ($9,000) is one of the best spends on the slate. After some lackluster play, the guard has been flourishing, scoring 49.1 FPTS per game in his last 10 starts with a huge 33.8% usage rate during this time. With Taylor Jenkins no longer running the show, we have see Morant approach 35 minutes recently, after he was held to around 30 minutes for most the season. With tonight’s game pivotal, Morant should see 35-40 minutes and possibly score over 50 FPTS. While far less safer, Desmond Bane ($8,300) and Jaren Jackson Jr. ($7,900) both are viable for GPPs tonight. Lastly, Zach Edey ($5,500) is an awesome target. With Jenkins no longer calling the shots, Edey has been unleashed. In his last four, the rookie has seen 30 minutes per game, resulting in 39.2 FPTS per game for the center. Facing Rudy Gobert ($6,700), Edey should continue to see heavy volume and is a threat for over 40 FPTS.
Speaking of Gobert, he is a strong option facing this Grizzlies team that leads the league in pace. Gobert has scored at least 39 FPTS in seven of his past eight and he has peaked at 60.75 FPTS during this stretch. The Timberwolves’ coaching staff has been relying on Gobert more as the team looks to improve their seed – he has seen 33.9 minutes per game in his last 10 – and Gobert should surpass five-times value tonight. Gobert playing big minutes has hurt Julius Randle’s ($7,200) fantasy stock, but Anthony Edwards ($9,500) continues to thrive and is an obvious lucrative option to attack when stacking this game. The guard is amassing 48.6 FPTS per game in his last five and he has erupted for over 60 FPTS in two of the last three games he has played in that have presented a spread under five points.
Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks
The Pistons are still chasing the Bucks for the No.5 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Knicks can clinch the No.3 seed with a win, so this is an important game for both sides. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Detroit is favored by 3.5 points and this game sports a total of 228.5 points.
Beginning with the hosting Pistons, Cade Cunningham ($10,500) brings one of the highest ceilings on the slate. The guard is coming off a 50.75 FPTS in 32.5 minutes outing vs. the Kings, which was an encouraging sign, as it was just Cunningham’s second game back after missing six in a row with a calf injury. This season, the guard is scoring 1.5 FPTS per minute with a 33.5% usage rate and he has a 71.5 FPTS performance vs. the Knicks on his resume. Jalen Duren ($7,300) also has a ton of merit, as the center has been great since the All-Star break, supplying 36.2 FPTS per game, including 15 double-doubles.
The Knicks will be understaffed tonight, with OG Anunoby (thumb) and Josh Hart (knee) out. With these two starter missing, New York should use a very tight rotation and Karl-Anthony Towns ($9,700), Jalen Brunson ($8,800) and Mikal Bridges ($5,700) all are excellent options. The Knicks have played one game without Anunoby and Hart this season and in that overtime thriller vs. the Bulls, Towns, Brunson and Bridges all saw over 40 minutes and finished with 62.5, 49.3 and 37 FPTS, respectively. With Anunoby and Hart off the floor this season, Towns sees the biggest usage bump at 6.2 percentage points and he leads New York with 1.6 FPTS per minute. Miles McBride ($5,000) also should start and is extremely underpriced for this situation. In that lone game without Anunoby and Hart, McBride started and had his best outing of the season, finishing with 49.5 FPTS in 42.2 minutes vs. the Bulls.
