There will be some early basketball on Sunday, but the main NBA slate on DraftKings won’t start until 7 p.m. ET. The seven-game slate’s final tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET, and we’ve identified some plays worth keeping an eye on in this smaller field.
Sometimes with a plus-matchup on the NBA game slate, we get an opportunity to slot multiple players from the same team into our DFS lineups. You can read more about the concept of stacking here, but the main goal is to take advantage of this plus-matchup and use the salary cap to your advantage.
Here, we’ll break down three of the best team stacks for the NBA slate on Sunday, March 14th.
Miami Heat vs. Orlando Magic, 7:00 p.m. ET
Nikola Vucevic ($9,900)
Jimmy Butler ($9,400)
Kelly Olynkyk ($6,100)
Michael Carter-Williams ($5,900)
Bam Adebayo (knee) has been ruled out with a knee injury, and that gives Vuc a tremendous advantage on the glass. The Magic big man is the second-highest scorer on the slate and won’t have to face an elite defender and has a chance to put up monster numbers. He tallied 51.25 DKFP with Adebayo available just two games ago. MCW has complete control of the point guard spot, with Chasson Randle as his primary backup. He usually doesn’t have a high ceiling but has tallied at least 31 DKFP in three of his last five games. Less playmaking for Miami means more opportunities for Butler, who has scored more than 51 DKFP in five straight contests. Olynkyk should get a ton of minutes at power forward and center.
Boston Celtics vs. Houston Rockets, 8:00 p.m. ET
Jayson Tatum ($9,500)
Jaylen Brown ($8,200)
Victor Oladipo ($8,400)
Kevin Porter Jr ($5,000)
Some people might be wary of the Rockets because of their slew of injuries, but their limited roster lets us know where the fantasy points will come from. John Wall, Christian Wood, and Eric Gordon are out, so Houston should lean heavily on Oladipo and Porter offensively. The pricing algorithm hasn’t come around on Porter, who is averaging 45 DKFP per game as a Rocket. He posted a season-high 47.75 DKFP against the Utah Jazz, and the Celtics are several steps back defensively. Brown and Tatum will get you 25-5-5, and this stack would leave you with plenty of space for players between $4K and $5K. If you don’t feel like paying up for Tatum, subbing him out for Marcus Smart ($6,000) or Robert Williams ($5,000) could be a quality pivot.
Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls, 9:00 p.m. ET
Zach LaVine ($9,200)
Kyle Lowry ($8,600)
Norman Powell ($7,400)
Thaddeus Young ($5,700)
LaVine has the seventh-highest DKFP average and will be up against a Raptors backcourt that’s missing a top-notch perimeter defender in Fred VanVleet. All four of the guards in the Charlotte Hornets’ rotation scored at least 16 points against Toronto on Saturday, so one of the NBA’s top scorers shouldn’t have a problem getting to his spots. Young’s streak of eight straight games with at least 30 DKFP doesn’t appear to be in danger following the return of Lauri Markkanen ($6,200), and he’s one of the best mid-tier plays in the classic slate. Lowry’s has tallied at least 40 DKFP in six straight games, while Powell has scored at least 39 in four of his last five games. The offensive talents of both guards are likely to shine against Chicago’s backcourt.