Welcome to Bales’ Stacks and Hidden Gems! Below I will discuss my NBA favorite plays for tonight’s slate!
Easy Breezy: Chalk Stack
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks rank first and eighth in the NBA in pace, respectively. Milwaukee also ranks second in the league in offensive rating, while Atlanta ranks only 28th in defensive rating. The Bucks are currently -11.5 point favorites in a game set at 237 points tonight. They feature the highest implied team total on the slate at 124.3 points.
Eric Bledsoe is out for the time being, forcing George Hill into bigger minutes. The latter is averaging 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists (25.0 DK points) in 22.3 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Hill has scored 20+ DK points in 8 of his last 10 games. Over that span, he has flashed near 40+ DK point upside, as well. Hill is expected to play minutes in the mid-20s tonight. He’s an extremely safe option for a cheap price tag, who comes with tremendous upside, as well.
Khris Middleton is only averaging 28.4 minutes per game over the last 10 days. In that time, he’s averaging 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.2 steals (34.9 DK points) per game. Middleton played 33 minutes in his last game, scoring 51 DK points against the Philadelphia 76ers. He needed only 19.3 minutes to score 28.75 DK points against Atlanta earlier this season. Middleton will be forced into 30+ minutes tonight, and he is expected to see a small uptick in usage, as well. Similarly to Hill, he’s a safe option, who comes with tremendous upside.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the final piece of the puzzle. He’s averaging 28.0 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.0 block, and 1.4 steals (62.5 DK points) in 30.5 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Antetokounmpo will be locked into 30+ minutes tonight, and he’s a player that will benefit from the pace of this game. He comes with triple-double potential, while possessing the ability to contribute in each of the five categories. Similarly to Middleton, Antetokounmpo is expected to see a bump in usage tonight. He’s the top overall play on this slate.
You must be logged in to view the content below. Click HERE to log in.[restrict]
Important Odds: Vegas Stack
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns rank ninth in the NBA in pace, while the Golden State Warriors rank 15th in the same category. Phoenix ranks ninth in the league in offensive rating, as well. Golden State ranks only 23rd in defensive rating. The Suns are -3 point favorites in a game set at 224.5 points, giving them an implied team total of 113.8 points tonight.
Ricky Rubio has caught fire recently. Over the last 10 days, he’s averaging 14.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1.0 steal (38.9 DK points) in 30.1 minutes per game. Rubio has scored 40+ DK points in 4 of his last 5 games, including a pair of games with 50+ DK points. Rubio is a player that comes with quiet triple-double upside, and he has been shooting a high percentage from the field recently. Rubio is surprisingly cheap on this slate, and he comes with tremendous upside for his price tag.
Devin Booker has struggled a bit recently, but he comes with tremendous upside. He has scored 37+ DK points in 5 of his last 7 games. Over that span, he posted 71.5 DK points against the New Orleans Pelicans, flashing elite upside. Booker scored 47 DK points in his only matchup against Golden State this season, and he could find similar success in this game.
Kelly Oubre Jr. isn’t overly consistent, but he boasts upside. He’s averaging 19.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.8 steals (31.4 DK points) in 35.0 minutes per game over the last 10 days. He has recently flashed 50 DK point upside, as well. He’s a scorer, who will benefit from this matchup, but should only be considered in tournaments.
Hidden Gem: Value Guard
Wesley Matthews
Wesley Matthews is far from a dominant fantasy option while on the court. He’s averaging 10.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 steals (20.3 DK points) in 27.0 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Matthews has scored 29+ DK points in 2 of his last 3 games, though. He could also see a few extra shot opportunities with Eric Bledsoe injured.
Matthews gets an elite matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, which is outlined above. In 2 games against them this season, he’s averaging 18.1 DK points in 27.1 minutes per game. Matthews is expected to see around 30 minutes tonight, and he comes with an extremely low price tag. He is a player that is best suited for tournaments on this slate, though.
Hidden Gem: Value Big
Frank Kaminsky
Frank Kaminsky is far from consistent, but he does boast upside. Over the last 10 days, he’s averaging 11.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists (22.0 DK points) in 18.5 minutes per game. Kaminsky has played fewer than 20 minutes in each of his last 3 games, limiting his upside. In his last game with 20+ minutes, though, he posted 35.25 DK points against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kaminsky gets a matchup against the Golden State Warriors. They rank 15th in the NBA in pace and 23rd in defensive rating. Kaminsky is expected to see 20-25 minutes tonight. He comes with quite a bit of risk, but also comes with tremendous upside for his price tag. Kaminsky is a player that should strictly be considered in tournaments tonight.
Follow Justin Bales on Twitter (@BalesSJustin)
[/restrict]
DFS Karma is partnered with DraftKings and are also avid fans and users and may sometimes play on our personal accounts in the games that we offer advice on. Although we have expressed our personal view on games and strategies, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and we may deploy different players and strategies than what we recommended in this article. We are not employees of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
