The NBA has a five-game Friday night slate lined up to start the final weekend of February. All five games are on the main DFS fantasy basketball, which tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET. The first three games are all Eastern Conference matchups, before a pair of Western Conference games close things out. The Nets and Mavs are playing for the second day in a row but none of these 10 teams are on Saturday’s schedule. Even with just 10 teams in the mix, a few options stand out as top 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.
Even without back-to-backs in play, be sure to check out the daily injury report throughout the day, since some key names are uncertain. Especially at this point in the season, 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 $200K Friday 8’s [$50K to 1st]
Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are on the second night of a back-to-back as they head to Boston, so they could be at less than 100% or could opt to rest some key players. Even though the blowout potential is real, the Celtics can be a solid stack in a game where they should be able to pile up points. This will be the first home game since the All-Star break for the Celtics, who went 3-1 in four Western Conference matchups. They lost badly in Denver on Wednesdy and will be looking to get right against Brooklyn.
The Nets have played their division rivals tough this season, winning one matchup and forcing a double-overtime marathon in their last meeting on Jan. 23. If this game is another close one, the Celtics should be one of the top NBA DFS stacks to consider.
Core Plays: Jaylen Brown ($9,800) can be the core of the stack and brings an extremely high upside. He came back from the All-Star break with 64.75 FPTS points against the Warriors and 57.5 FPTS points against the Lakers. He sat on Tuesday against the Suns but posted a double-double with 47.2 DraftKings points in his return on Wednesday. Payton Pritchard ($7,200) has been boom-or-bust coming off the bench but brings a high ceiling, especially at home, where he’s a fan favorite.
Value Options: Neemias Queta ($5,300) can also be included in the stack over Nikola Vucevic ($6,300), who has struggled to settle into Boston’s rotation. Queta had 33 and 40 FPTS in LA and Phoenix, while Vucevic has had under 22 FPTS in each of his four games since the break. Baylor Scheierman ($4,200) has had a few big games while stepping into a larger role, including 30.75 FPTS against the Suns. Sam Hauser ($4,800) had a rough game against the Nuggets, but has been a solid contributor over the last few weeks. He brings a high ceiling against the Nets on the wing.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons
Being without Donovan Mitchell (groin) for a second straight game is going to be rough for the Cavs as a team on the road in Detroit. However, it sets up the players who do play to be strong fantasy basketball options, depending on who helps pick up Spida’s huge workload. In addition to Mitchell being out, James Harden, Dennis Schroeder, Dean Wade and Keon Ellis are all questionable. Depending on exactly who plays, the workload could be split very differently, but there should be usage available for the players who suit up.
Core Plays: James Harden ($9,400) seems determined to play through a fractured thumb, and if he does, he’ll have to be the focus of the offense along with Evan Mobley ($8,300) and Jarrett Allen ($7,800). Allen had 49.2 FPTS with 27 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth straight double-double on Wednesday. Mobley has a higher salary and a high ceiling, but Allen has been more productive lately. Harden will be high-risk if he plays, but he will have a high ceiling since he’ll like be in “do everything” mode, which can lead to huge statlines.
Value Options: If Harden sits, Dennis Schroder ($5,100) would be the next option to step up. He had 26 points and 38 FPTS on Wednesday without Mitchell and Harden, but he’s also questionable. If he’s out, Craig Porter Jr. ($3,500) would step into a more involved role after handing out nine assist son his way to 24.5 FPTS on Wednesday.
A key value, regardless of who else is available, will be Jaylon Tyson ($5,600), who showed a very high ceiling while filling in for Darius Garland before he was traded to the Clippers for Harden. Tyson had some huge games in an expanded role and stepped back up with 29 FPTS against the Knicks and 37 FPTS against the Bucks in his two most recent games. He’ll be a top option against the Pistons, and his high-energy, versatile game should be a huge boost however he fits Friday’s gameplan.
Memphis Grizzlies at Dallas Mavericks
The Grizzlies visit the Mavs with plenty of value plays that make a lot of sense. Dallas is on the second night of a back-to-back and may rest some players, and they’ve been a top matchup to attack for the last few weeks. This game has the highest over/under on the board this Friday night, and the two teams have the first and third-highest implied team totals. The Mavericks are tricky to figure out with so many undertainties, but the Grizzlies values are pretty apparent.
On Friday, the’yll continue to be without Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Anderson and Santi Aldama. In addition, Ty Jerome is doubtful, leaving lots of work in the backcourt available as well.
Core Plays: Gregory “GG” Jackson ($6,000) has been the team’s primary producer since they traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Jazz. The remaining Jackson had 20+ points and 33+ FPTS in three straight games coming out of the break. He slowed down with just 27.5 FPTS against the Kings but will look to bounce back in this favorable spot against Dallas. Scotty Pippen Jr. ($5,200) is still playing limited minutes but has posted at least 27 FPTS in four of his five games since making his season debut. He could also help carry the load without Jerome.
Value Options: One of the biggest values on the entire slate on Friday is Javon Small ($4,700), who has scored double-digit points in five of his last six games and is coming off a huge game on Monday, when he had 21 points, nine assists, six rebounds and 43.5 FPTS in just 25 minutes against the Kings. He has at least 38 FPTS in three of his last five. Taylor Hendricks ($4,200) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper ($4,800) are getting more work in the frontcourt, and the two young players should have more run now that the team is moving on from veteran Kyle Anderson, who is headed back to the Timberwolves after his buyout.
