Monday’s main NBA slate on DraftKings will consist of nine games and tip-off times range from 7:00 p.m. ET to 10:00 p.m. ET. There’s a lot to sort through with so many matchups on the docket, but several stand out as ideal fantasy targets.
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 April 19th.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m. ET
Saddiq Bey ($5,300)
Isaiah Stewart ($5,200)
Josh Jackson ($5,100)
Killian Hayes ($3,700)
The Pistons will be without Jerami Grant (quad), Cory Joseph (Illness), Mason Plumlee (rest), and Wayne Ellington (rest) for Monday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, so their young core will get to run wild. Stewart is sure to be chalk after tallying more than 40 DKFP in each of his last two games, but the players around him can also be highly productive.
Hayes put together one of his better fantasy performances of the year in his last game thanks to the five steals he tallied and will only be competing with Saben Lee ($3,500) at point guard. Bey plays 35 minutes when Detroit is completely healthy and should get a significant bump in shot volume with the team’s top wing scorer out. Jackson has scored 20 or more points in three of his last five games and will also need to help fill in for Grant. He can be a bit streaky, but his ceiling games have broken more than one slate this year. All these players have a shot at playing 30 or more minutes in a close game, and there’s great value with each one under $6K.
Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
Jayson Tatum ($10,000)
Jaylen Brown ($8,400)
Kemba Walker ($7,300) Q
Marcus Smart ($6,700) Q
Payton Pritchard ($3,400)
Brown is back in business after missing Saturday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors because of an Illness, but he should be ready to form a dynamic duo with Tatum on Monday. The duo has combined for more than 80 DKFP in four of their last five games and could need to do a little extra with multiple guards questionable.
Walker and Smart are both dealing with non-COVID-19 related illnesses. If only one is ruled out, the available guard will take on a heavy workload against the Bulls’ weak defensive backcourt. If both are ruled out, Pritchard stands out as an excellent value play. The rookie guard out of Oregon has scored 19 or more DKFP with Walker and Smart active in his last two games. If neither takes the court, Pritchard could easily get 25 to 30 minutes and provide a solid scoring floor.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Washington Wizards, 8:30 p.m. ET
Russell Westbrook ($11,000)
Bradley Beal ($9,200)
Daniel Gafford ($4,000)
The Wizards blew out the Pistons by 21 points on Saturday, and this trio combined for 132.76 DKFP. It seems like the Thunder’s entire team has been hurt this season, and Monday is no expectation. The piping-hot Luguentz Dort ($7,000) has been ruled out with a hip injury, and he’s Oklahoma City’s best scorer and perimeter defender at this point. OKC isn’t much to look at on paper, and that’s why Washington’s core has a good chance to light it up.
Mr. triple-double needs no introduction. Westbrook has gone over 50 DKFP in each of his last 10 games and tallied a triple-double in eight of those contests, It’s unclear whether he’ll have a chip on his shoulder going up against his old team, but he’s been the most dependable play above $10K on DraftKings for weeks.
The Thunder defense ranks 29th against shooting guards on DraftKings and Beal is doing everything he can to hold off the surging Stephen Curry. Beal has rediscovered his shooting touch since missing time with a hip injury and has scored 30 or more points in four straight games.
Then there’s Gafford, who’s threatening to claim the Wizards’ top center spot. Alex Len ($3,300) is questionable with an ankle injury he suffered over the weekend and Gafford has scored 21 or more DKFP in six of the seven games he’s spent with the Wizards. OKC ranks last defensively against centers on DraftKings. This game is set up for Gafford to thrive. While he might not be the best value play on the slate, he has one of the higher floors among sub-$5K options.