The NBA starts another work week with a nice five-game main DFS fantasy basketball slate on Monday night to start the week. The Cavs and Knicks are finishing back-to-back games, while the Nets, Warriors, Grizzlies and 76ers are starting their week with games on both Monday and Tuesday. With 10 teams in the player pool, there are plenty of ways to go about building your roster from top to bottom this Monday. A few options stand out as strong options for NBA DFS stacks for this Friday. “Stacking” is the strategy of including multiple players from the same NBA team on the roster of your fantasy team to take maximum advantage of a favorable matchup or game environment.
At this point in the season, it’s critical to watch the daily injury report throughout the day, since key players could be unavailable. Since a player’s absence can shift the usage for his whole team, be sure to adjust your roster as needed leading up to tip-off.
Set your DraftKings NBA DFS lineups here: NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]
Golden State Warriors at Utah Jazz
The Warriors get the great matchup of facing the Jazz in Utah to start their week. Utah has been one of the best matchups in the entire league for NBA DFS stacks lately, since they are giving up more points per game than any other team for the entire season (125 points per game). They have allowed the most fantasy points per game to point guards and the second-most to both shooting guards and small forwards.
The Warriors ruled out Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Moses Moody, and Steph Curry for this matchup, but De’Anthony Melton ($5,900) will return from his one-game absence.
Core Plays: With Curry out, Brandin Podziemski ($7,400) has stepped up for the Warriors lately, with over 35 FPTS in six of his last seven games and an average of 39.7 FPTS per game over that span. He has been very active in non-scoring categories and also shown a high ceiling when his outside shot starts dropping. Gui Santos ($6,500) has been the other primary scorer with at least 14 points in seven of his eight games since the All-Star break. Melton can also be a solid core play in his return after posting 23 points and 43.5 FPTS in a big win over the Rockets last week.
Value Options: Melton’s return will likely push Pat Spencer ($4,700) back to the bench in a reduced role, and most of the value options for this stack will likely be in the frontcourt. Quinten Post ($3,500) will have to play more minutes and brings good bargain upside with a high ceiling and Malevy Leons ($3,000) could also get many more minutes, especially if the game turns into a blowout. The versatile Gary Payton II ($4,400) will also likely have to play bigger in the lineup, and he had 12 rebounds against the Thunder on Saturday, posting over 20 FPTS for the ninth time in his last 10 games.
Philadelphia 76ers at Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs are finishing their back-to-back after losing to Boston on Sunday, and they’ll take on a short-handed Sixers team. While the Cavs have the highest implied team total on the board, it’s actually the Sixers who bring plenty of extreme value for NBA DFS stacks since so much usage will be available.
Joel Embiid and Paul George remain out, and for at least the next two games, they’ll be joined by Tyrese Maxey, who suffered a right finger sprain on Saturday. Rookie standout VJ Edgecombe ($7,100) is also questionable, leaving lots of usage unaccounted for and available for other players to snag.
Core Plays: The two players most likely to carry the load are Kelly Oubre Jr. ($6,400) and Quentin Grimes ($6,000). Grimes not only makes a Quinten/Quentin stack a viable option if you team him with Post, but he also, more importantly, has flashed a high ceiling when stepping in as the primary scorer in the past. On Saturday, he had 26 points and 39.5 FPTS in 41 minutes against the Hawks, and he’s one of the most important players to consider for Monday’s slate. He’s likely to be very popular, but fading him is high-risk due to his high ceiling. Oubre also has huge upside and has at least 18 points and 35 FPTS in four of his last six games, even with Maxey in the mix. Without Maxey, he’ll get even more work on Monday.
Value Options: Cameron Payne ($4,500) has been useful since his return to the NBA and had six points, six assists and 22.2 FPTS in his 15 minutes on Saturday. Dominick Barlow ($4,400) has been getting big minutes, but Jabari Walker ($4,400) has been more productive over his last three games. He had 29.2 and 42.5 FPTS in two games last week before only posting 18.2 FPTS against Atlanta. Adem Bona ($4,200) has also been pitching in up front along with Trendon Watford ($4,000). As a bargain play, Tyrese Martin ($3,400) is also a very interesting option since he has played just under 20 minutes in each of the last two games for Philly and produced 12.5 FPTS. He’s on a two-way contract but could pick up a lot more work while Maxey is out.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets
The Thunder and Nuggets meet in one of the biggest matchups of the night, and the Thunder should be a strong option for NBA DFS stacks. They continue to reel off wins, especially at home, and they beat the Nuggets 121-111, and 127-121 over the last several weeks. Denver has allowed the second-most points per game over their last five contests, giving up 124.8 points per game.
The Thunder beat the Warriors on Saturday without Isaiah Hartenstein, Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, and Chet Holmgren. Holmgren and Caruso are questionable for this game, while IHart and Williams remain out.
Core Plays: Any Thunder stack, though, has to start with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,700), who had 27 points and 43.2 FPTS in the team’s win on Saturday. He has 25+ points in four straight games and went off for 60.8 FPTS in his last meeting against the Nuggets. Even though he is still ramping up and hasn’t reached his full workload, he’s getting enough work to be a strong pay-up consideration if you have the salary available from your savings everywhere else. If Holmgren returns, he can also be a strong part of the stack after putting up at least 39 FPTS in three of his last four games. He had 55.2 FPTS in his last meeting with Denver.
Value Options: Isaiah Joe ($4,700) has stepped up in a larger role while OKC has dealt with injuries and has 21+ FPTS in four of his last five after producing 28.5 FPTS against the Warriors. Ajay Mitchell ($4,600) is ready to return after missing 20 games but may play fewer minutes on Monday. Jared McCain ($4,000) is also contributing off the bench in a meaningful role as well. Cason Wallace ($5,500) and Jaylin Williams ($5,700) are solid mid-range options to add to the stack, and Williams will be a must-start play if Chet misses a second straight game.
