The NBA is back after the All-Star break, and after 10 games on Thursday, nine more games are on the schedule this Friday night heading into the weekend. The first seven of those nine contests are on the main DFS fantasy basketball slate on DraftKings, which tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Hawks, Nets, Hornets, Cavs, Pacers and Wizards are all playing for the second night in a row, with the Pacers and Wizards facing off in Washington for the second straight day. From the 14 teams in the player pool, a few options stand out as excellent options to consider for NBA DFS stacks this Friday. “Stacking” is the strategy of including multiple players on your fantasy roster from the same team so that they can boost each other’s fantasy production in a favorable environment.
Especially with so many teams on the second night of back-to-back games right after the All-Star break, be sure to check out the daily injury report throughout the day, where you can keep track of who is in and who is out for this slate. Many significant names are already ruled out or are questionable, which opens potential value from the rest of the team’s roster while carrying more of the workload. Be sure to check the latest injury news before tip-off and adjust your lineup if needed.
Set your DraftKings NBA DFS lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards
The Pacers lost to the Wizards on Thursday, 112-105, but they’ll look to bounce back and earn a split of the back-to-back games in Washington on Friday night. The Wizards have been one of the best fantasy matchups to attack all season long and the Pacers will have plenty of affordable options with good usage and high upside this Friday night.
On Thursday, Indiana was without Pascal Siakam (personal), and the star forward will be away from the team again on Friday. Ivica Zubac (ankle) is still not ready for his debut, and Aaron Nesmith (ankle) left Thursday’s game and won’t play Friday as well. Kam Jones (back) also left the game early, while T.J. McConnell (hamstring) was also out.
Core Plays: Without so many other offensive options, Andrew Nembhard ($7,300) will have to carry the load and will be in a smash spot against the Wizards, who have been one of the best matchups for opposing point guards this year. He was set up in the same spot on Thursday, though, and only managed five points, four assists, and 9.75 fantasy points in 22 minutes. The Pacers aren’t prioritizing winning the rest of this year, so Nembhard’s minutes don’t seem to be guaranteed. Jarace Walker ($6,400) did step up with 19 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and 50.5 fantasy points on Thursday. He has over 30 fantasy points in four of his last six games and in eight of his last 11. He’s a solid option even with Siakam available, but without Spicy P, Walker is a play with huge upside in this rematch.
Value Options: On a two-way contract, Quenton Jackson ($4,600) could get lots of work if the team opts to make him available. He has shown a very high ceiling but was not active on Thursday, so his availability will need to be confirmed before tip-off. Micah Potter ($4,400) played through a questionable tag on Thursday and had 14 points, six rebounds and 23 fantasy points. He showed even more potential with 43.5 fantasy points with a double-double right before the break. After Nesmith left, Kobe Brown ($4,300) started the second half. He came over as part of the Zubac trade and has played big minutes in the last two games. He finished with 12 points and 25.75 fantasy points, and he’ll be a solid value again Friday, especially if Jackson is not available. Taelon Peter ($3,700) has 29.5 and 28.2 fantasy points in his last two games, and has played 25-to-30 minutes in each of his last three games.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Utah Jazz
The Grizzlies have a great matchup against the Jazz as both teams return to action after the All-Star break. Memphis will host the Jazz, but they will be without many of their top players, creating excellent bargain options across the rest of their lineup. The Jazz have been a great matchup most of the season since they play fast and don’t play much defense, and they’ve also been resting starters in the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies already ruled out Ja Morant (elbow), Zach Edey (ankle), Ty Jerome (calf), Santi Aldama (knee), Cedric Coward (knee), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger). Walter Clayton Jr. (calf) is doubtful as well, so he probably won’t get a chance to take on his former team.
The Grizzlies’ starting five will definitely be something to watch, since they’ll most likely be extremely cheap across the board.
Core Plays: The Grizzlies have eight players with a salary of $4,500 or more, and six of those eight players are out for this matchup. The two remaining plays, Cam Spencer ($5,500) and GG Jackson ($5,400) should both be strong fantasy plays since they’ll get as much usage as they can handle. Spencer has flashed upside as a starter earlier this year but had been in a smaller role with Pippen and Jerome back in the mix. He had 48.2 fantasy points within the last month in a matchup against the Pelicans and could be in line for a similar workload. Jackson has over 25 fantasy points in five of his last six games and scored 21 points in the team’s last game before the break.
Value Options: Whoever the rest of the starting five is will be bargain options. Veteran Kyle Anderson ($4,200) could get a start, but since he’s only eligible at center, he’s a little trickier to build around. Taylor Hendricks ($4,000) was barely in the rotation in Utah but had 39 fantasy points with 15 rebounds and 10 points for the Grizzlies just before the break against the Warriors. He will be in a revenge spot against the Jazz and could be a value worth watching, especially if he starts. Olivier-Maxence Prosper ($3,500) is another big-man option who has been productive lately, scoring at least 13 points in three straight games. In the backcourt, Javon Small ($3,500) has over 15 fantasy points in five straight games and a pair of 30+ fantasy-point performances in his last seven games. He had 22 points and 38.5 fantasy points against Portland, and the rookie could get a lot of playing time on Friday with Jerome, Pippen and KCP all out. Small should be one of the highest value plays of the night.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks
With so much bargain value available from both the Pacers and Grizzlies, the Timberwolves seem like a good place to spend some of the savings and build around a superstar or two. The Mavericks will be without Cooper Flagg and have struggled lately on defense, setting up Minnesota for success.
The Timberwolves are heavy home favorites and have the highest implied team total of any team in action this Friday. Unlike the other teams in this stack, the Wolves are looking to make a playoff run and will try to surge to the finish line over the next few weeks. They’re also fully healthy for this contest.
Core Plays: Anthony Edwards ($9,400) is always a pay-up play worth considering since he brings such a high ceiling. He’s averaging 45.0 fantasy points per game on the season and had 52+ fantasy points in four of his last five games before the break. The Mavericks have been a great matchup for shooting guards, so Ant should be poised for another big night. Julius Randle ($8,400) had over 54 fantasy points in each of his last two games before the break and can be an elite secondary option, while Rudy Gobert ($6,400) and Naz Reid ($6,000) are consistent, steady options up front. Jaden McDaniels ($6,100) is much less consistent but has a high ceiling, which he showed with 39.75 and 45.5 fantasy points in his two most recent contests.
Value Options: The Timberwolves added Ayo Dosunmu ($5,500) at the trade deadline, and he has stepped right into a key role in the rotation. He played at least 25 minutes in each of his three games since arriving, producing a high of 31.2 fantasy points against the Hawks. He has some solid upside under $6,000, but the Wolves don’t typically run a deep rotation, so the other bargain plays are limited to garbage time for the most part. Mike Conley ($3,000) returned to Minnesota after multiple trades at the deadline and being waived by the Hornets. He doesn’t play enough minutes, though, to be much of a fantasy option. The Wolves don’t have much in terms of value options, but they can be combined with the other two NBA DFS stacks in this post since their pay-up plays should deliver against Dallas.
