The NBA has a five-game DFS fantasy basketball slate this Saturday night with some very entertaining matchups on the board, headlined by a big matchup in South Beach between the Pistons and Heat on NBA TV. Five of the 10 teams are on the second night of a back-to-back, with the Bulls, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Heat and Pelicans all playing for the second night in a row. The highest point total on the board is from the Nuggets-Pelicans matchup, while the Timberwolves have the highest implied team total.
As you get your roster assembled for this slate, check out these top three options to consider for NBA DFS stacks this Saturday. “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 early point in the season, it’s critical to watch the daily injury report throughout the day, since key players could be unavailable, especially on the second night of back-to-backs. Let’s take a look at the 10 teams in Saturday’s player pool and spotlight some strong options for NBA DFS stacks on this Saturday slate.
Set your DraftKings NBA DFS lineups here: NBA $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st]
Denver Nuggets at New Orleans Pelicans
The Nuggets are heading to New Orleans, and the Pelicans have been one of the best matchups for stacking against all season. The Pelicans play at the fourth-fastest Pace in the NBA and have the second-worst Defensive Rating in the league, according to the official NBA.com metrics.
The Nuggets beat the Pelicans twice already this season, scoring 141 points in their first meeting and 104 points in the rematch. New Orleans has allowed at least 138 points in four straight games and allowed 142 points on Friday to the Grizzlies. The Nuggets also have a rest advantage since they haven’t played since Wednesday.
Core Plays: Nikola Jokic ($11,700) is a huge pay-up piece, but he’s in a smash spot against the Pelicans, who give up the most FPTS per game to opposing centers. Jokic had an impressive 81.8 FPTS in their first meeting and 55.2 FPTS in the rematch, with a triple-double in each matchup. Jamal Murray ($8,500) is the other pay-up Nugget to consider with at least 30 points and over 50 FPTS in four of his last six games.
Value Options: Aaron Gordon ($5,500) hasn’t been great lately but did have his best game of the season with a double-double against the Pelicans in one of their earlier matchups. DeMar DeRozan ($4,400) is also in the mix for the Nuggets and has shown good upside if he’s involved. Spencer Jones ($3,300) is an even cheaper option to mix into the stack now that he’s back after missing the first several weeks with a hamstring injury. Jones had 13 points and 24 FPTS in his return, but only managed three points on Wednesday.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are the only team with a worse Defensive Rating than the Pelicans this season. They have allowed an average of 127.7 points per game, the most in the NBA. The Bulls are also on the second night of a back-to-back, so they may not have all their regulars available.
The Timberwolves have won five straight and are coming off 133 points in their win on Thursday over the Mavs. Even without Anthony Edwards, the Wolves are 9-3 and have been a lot of fun to watch and have plenty of fantasy players to choose from.
Core Plays: LaMelo Ball ($8,400) had 22 points and nine assists in only 25 minutes on Thursday, totaling 44.2 FPTS. He has over 35 FPTS in five straight and has the potential to go off, especially since the Bulls have allowed the most FPTS to point guards. Former Bull Ayo Dosunmu ($7,200) could also take it to his former team. He had 19 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for 51 FPTS against the Bucks at the start of the team’s winning streak and had over 35 DraftKings points in five straight before a quieter game on Thursday. In the frontcourt, Jonathan Kuminga ($6,100) can also be part of the stack after earning 32+ FPTS in five of his last six games. The Bulls have also allowed the most FPTS to power forwards, which could set Kuminga up for a big night.
Value Options: Bones Hyland ($4,300) went off for 24 points and eight assists for 45.75 FPTS in 23 minutes off the bench against the Mavs. He has chipped in at least 10 points in six of his last eight games and is producing off the bench. Terrence Shannon Jr. ($4,200) and Trey Lyles ($3,500) are also very affordable players who should get extra playing time and bring good upside in Saturday’s matchup with the Bulls.
Detroit Pistons at Miami Heat
The Pistons face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Heat, who are playing the second night of a back-to-back in Miami. The Heat knocked off the Cavs, 133-121, on Friday, and there could definitely be some fatigue factor after playing that NBA Cup game, allowing for a possible letdown against the Pistons.
Detroit beat Miami 128-111 early in the season in Miami, and it’ll look to get another win in South Beach on Saturday night. Detroit didn’t play last night, but it did get a big win in Washington on Thursday, scoring 144 points in that double-overtime thriller.
Core Plays: Cade Cunningham ($9,800) had 52 points and 81.75 DraftKings points in that game, playing a massive 48 minutes. The Heat have allowed the second-most FPTS to point guards this season. Ausar Thompson ($6,600) had a triple-double and 62.2 FPTS in that contest, and both of those players will look to follow up their ceiling games with another big game in Miami.
Value Options: The Pistons have gotten great work from Daniss Jenkins ($5,700) in the last three games, moving into the starting lineup for the last two games. He finished with 48.8, 49.5 and 34 DraftKings points with over 20 points in each of those three contests. Duncan Robinson ($5,600) is getting plenty of shots and has a high ceiling as well, even though his reliance on long-distance shooting makes him volatile. On the cheap end, Kevin Huerter ($4,200) has scored at least eight points in five straight games and went off for 24 points and 53.2 FPTS against the Lakers coming off the bench. He is getting more work while Isaiah Joe (hip) is out.
