The NBA heads into the second week of the season with an eight-game DFS slate Friday night that tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET. It’s the first day of Group Play in the Emirates NBA Cup, which means many conference rivals will face off. As you get your roster assembled for this slate, check out these top three options to consider for NBA DFS stacks this Friday. “Stacking” is the strategy of including multiple players from the same NBA team on the roster of your fantasy team to maximize exposure to a favorable matchup or game environment
Even at this point in the season, it’s critical to watch the daily injury report throughout the day, since key players could be unavailable. No teams are playing for the second night in a row, while the Hornets, Rockets, Timberwolves and 76ers are on the front half of their back-to-back with another game on Saturday Let’s take a look at the 16 teams in Friday’s player pool and spotlight some smash spots to stack to start the weekend.
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Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bullss
The Celtics have the highest implied team total on the slate on Friday night, as they host Chicago. So far this season, the Bulls are 1-4 and have allowed the most points per game in the NBA. They have played at the fastest pace in the league and have given up an NBA-leading 130.2 points per game.
The Celtics faced the Bulls on Monday of this week, and they piled up a season-high 134 points. Most of the C’s rotation is healthy, putting them in a great spot to be a top option in Friday’s NBA DFS stacks
Core Plays: Superstar Jayson Tatum ($9,800) is an expensive piece to build around, but has proven he can go off for monster nights. He had 42.2 FPTS against the Bulls, but had 60+ FPTS both the game before against the Knicks and the game after against the Nets, when he hit the game-winner on Tuesday. Paul George ($6,800) has been a very solid complement to Tatum and had 42.2 FPTS against the Nets in his last game. Both Tatum and George were a little quieter against the Bulls, but Payton Pritchard ($6,000) carried the offense in that matchup with 28 points and 42.2 FPTS.
Value Options: Jordan Walsh ($3,600) played 24 minutes and had his best game of the season on Tuesday, totaling 27.5 FPTS. He’s a high-energy option that offers boom-or-bust upside as a bargain play. Hugo Gonzalez ($3,400) is another option off the bench who gets volatile playing time from game to game, but he did have success with 24.75 FPTS against the Bulls on Monday. Either Celtics wing can round out your Celtics stack, although there are safer value plays in other matchups.
Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards
The Hornets are also in a favorable matchup as they take on the Wizards in a rematch of another Monday matchup. The Hornets won 110-103 on Monday in Charlotte, and on Friday, they’ll travel to the Capital One Arena for the rematch. The Wizards have shown improvement this year on defense, but they’re still a favorable spot for the Hornets, especially with several key pieces still missing and opening up usage across the roster.
Coby White (calf) and Kon Knueppel (hamstring) have yet to make their season debuts, and they have already been ruled out for this matchup.
Core Plays: After a couple of slow games to start the year, Brandon Miller ($7,800) has stepped up, producing over 50 FPTS in three straight games. He had a season-high 59.5 FPTS in his matchup against the Wizards on Monday, finishing with 39 points, three steals, two blocks and six boards. Moussa Diabate ($5,300) had 11 points and 17 rebounds for 45.8 FPTS in that matchup and has shown boom-or-bust upside from his affordable salary. Dennis Schroder ($5,400) has been a little more consistent but doesn’t have as high a ceiling, if he’s available.
Value Options: Grayson Allen ($5,100) had scored double-digit points off the bench in every game this season until Wednesday, when he had nine points but still finished with 24.75 FPTS by turning in solid non-scoring numbers. Although he is coming off a one-point game in his last outing, Ryan Kalkbrenner ($3,500) has been a solid bargain play this year, averaging 15.2 FPTS per game. Sion James ($3,700) has played at least 23 minutes in every game as well and typically chips in a few counting stats.
Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers
The Heat host the Pacers in their first NBA Cup game, and both teams rank in the top 10 in pace this season, which is why this game has the highest over/under on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) and Ivica Zubac (ankle), and the Heat will look to take advantage of their absences to get a second straight win after their 0-4 start.
Core Plays: Giannis Antetokounmpo ($10,500) is the centerpiece of Miami’s offense and can be the core of your lineup if you build around this team in your NBA DFS stacks. He had 65 and 68 FPTS in two of his last four games and posted 55.5 FPTS with 24 points and 18 rebounds against the Hawks on Wednesday. Davion Mitchell ($5,500) has stepped up as his running mate so far this season with at least 29 FPTS in each of his five games and a high point of 42.2 FPTS against the Hornets. Mitchell has three double-doubles already this season and has been a very solid mid-range value.
Value Options: Bobby Portis ($4,600) has been contributing good numbers off the bench for the Heat, with 27+ FPTS in four consecutive contests. Pelle Larsson ($4,500) has also picked up his production lately with 24+ FPTS in three straight games and 38.5 FPTS in his most recent game on Wednesday. As an even cheaper value, Tim Hardaway Jr. ($3,400) played a much bigger role in their win on Wednesday, playing 22 minutes and producing 22.5 FPTS on a season-high 14 points.
