The NBA starts the short week before the All-Star break with a busy Monday night that has 20 teams in action. The first seven games make up the main DFS fantasy basketball slate on DraftKings, which tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET. Only the Heat and Timberwolves are playing for the second day in a row from the 14 teams in the player pool, and there are a few options that stand out as excellent options to consider for NBA DFS stacks this Monday. “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 the All-Star break around the corner and injuries piling up, be sure to check out the daily injury report, 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 can open up value from the rest of the team’s roster while filling in. Be sure to check the latest injury news before tip-off and adjust your lineup if needed.
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Denver Nuggets
The Cavaliers’ offense has been rolling even without Evan Mobley, and they added James Harden at the trade deadline, which could make them even more effective and efficient. The Cavs have scored 129, 130, 124 and 132 points in their four wins in their last five games. They’ll stop in the Mile High City on Monday to close out their five-game road trip before coming home to face the Wizards and Nets before the break.
Recent emerging contributor Jaylon Tyson ($6,200; ankle) and Dean Wade ($4,300; ankle) are questionable, but Harden and the rest of the rotation should be ready for regular work in Denver.
Core Plays: In his Cavaliers’ debut, James Harden ($9,000) had 23 points, eight assists and two rebounds for 40.5 fantasy points. Harden has 40+ fantasy points in five straight games and just faced the Nuggets in his last game for the Clippers, producing 46.75 fantasy points on 25 points, nine assists and five rebounds. Donovan Mitchell ($9,500) had 35 points and 51 fantasy points in that game and has 50+ fantasy points in five of his last eight games.
With those guards sharing work in the backcourt, Jarrett Allen ($7,000) is a great play to build around in the frontcourt. In five games since Evan Mobley’s injury, Allen produced 44.6 DraftKings points on 21.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. He had an amazing 82.25 fantasy points last Sunday against the Blazers and had 44 fnatasy points on Saturday in Harden’s debut.
Value Options: Especially if Tyson is out, Sam Merrill ($4,400) could get enough work to produce good value. Keon Ellis ($3,900) has been a nice fit since coming over in a separate trade from the Kings and had 23.25 fantasy points on Saturday against his former team. If the Cavs go with a defense-focused win alongside Harden and Mitchell, Ellis could be a nice fit if Tyson is out.
Miami Heat vs. Utah Jazz
The Heat and Jazz rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the NBA in Pace, respectively. That means this matchup should have plenty of points, possessions and fantasy goodness. The Jazz are tricky to stack since they seem to be doing all they can to lose games, even sitting starters in comptetive games in the fourth quarter. While Isaiah Collier ($7,300) is an outstanding option, the rest of the team is tough to trust.
The Heat are playing for the second day in a row, so the injury report will be very important to watch, but on Sunday, they were without Tyler Herro and Pelle Larsson, with Norman Powell leaving early with an injury as well. The team could be cautious with Powell or get rest time for other regulars, so keep a close eye on how they decide to approach the matchup, since whoever is available should have a big night.
Core Plays: If Bam Adebayo ($8,800) plays, he’s obviously a great place to start the stack with a very high ceiling. He has 37+ fantasy points in 10 of his last 11 games and posted 46.5 fantasy points in only 28 minutes on Sunday. Powell will be a strong option if he plays, although there’s a risk that his minutes could be limited. If Powell is out or less than 100%, Jaime Jaquez Jr. ($6,800) would be an option, but he’s a little risky if Powell plays. Andrew Wiggins ($6,300) has had over 35 fantasy points in each of his last two games and is a more stable play than Jaquez if Powell is available.
Value Options: As value plays, Davion Mitchell ($5,100) and Kel’el Ware ($4,800) could be excellent plays. Ware had 19 points, 14 boards, and 42 fantasy points on Sunday against Washington, and he usually makes the most of his minutes. Mitchell is a little less consistent but he did spike for 26.5 fantasy points against the Celtics on Friday. Another sleeper who is even cheaper is Myron Gardner, who has scored double-digit points in three of his last five games, including 31.75 fantasy points on Sunday. Especially if Powell or other wings are out, Gardner is a great play under $4K.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls
The Nets and Bulls game probably won’t be one of the prettiest matchups on the board, but it’s overflowing with fantasy basketball bargain values. The Bulls overhauled their team at the trade deadline and have given up 123 points to the Raptors and 136 points to the Nuggets in the two games since then.
The Nets will be without Michael Porter Jr. (knee) and Egor Demin (rest) on what is the front half of a back-to-back, which opens a ton of usage and potential production for the rest of their roster.
Core Plays: Nic Claxton ($6,500) could be the focus of the offense, and he has shown a high ceiling in that scenario. He hasn’t been playing huge minutes lately, but he can stuff the stat sheet when he’s at his best. Day’Ron Sharpe ($5,500) is getting a lot of Claxton’s minutes and went off for 51 fantasy points and 38.75 fantasy points in two of his last three games. Without MPJ, Danny Wolf ($4,900) will also get more work and has 24+ fantasy points in four of his last five.
Value Options: Without Demin, rookie Noah Traore ($4,500) could be in for a heavy workload, while Ben Saraf ($3,700) could also get more work. Traore had 36.75 and 25.2 fantasy points in his last two games and could be one of the best values on the board, depending on his workload. Terance Mann ($4,000) and Drake Powell ($3,900) should also get more work and have boom-or-bust upside to round out your roster and complete the bargain basement Nets stack.
