Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (1/13)! In this article, I’ll outline my favorite cash game and GPP options at each of the positions. I’ll utilize our Projections Portal when making decisions about what types of leagues specific players are best suited for. You can get all of my Core Plays along with our Cheat Sheets, projections, and Premium Discord channels with our Premium NBA Package.
| Guards | Forwards |
Centers | Game Stacks |
| D. Smith | N. Little | J. Nurkic | MIN/MEM |
| J. Harden | J. Giddey | D. Sharp | OKC/BKN |
| P. Beverley | K. Anderson | I. Zubac | GS/MIL |
| C. Elleby | A. Edwards | N. Jokic | LAC/NO |
| J. Morant | G. Antetokounmpo | B. Portis | POR/DEN |
*If you don’t already play 3 max entry contests daily, try using the teams provided in the stacks above to maximize upside and correlation in your NBA lineups.
Guards
Cash
There are a few very clear spots you’re attacking tonight, specifically at guard. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (along with others) ruled out, James Harden is an elite option. He’s posted at least 25 points with 8 or more rebounds and assists in every game without Durant this season. He also comes with significantly more upside. Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Anfernee Simons, and Norman Powell have all been ruled out tonight. Dennis Smith Jr. will be locked into massive minutes, and he’s been great on a per-minute basis. He’s a lock in all leagues on this slate. Ben McLemore is also expected to play 30+ minutes tonight, and he continues to shoot the ball while on the court. He’s an elite salary relief option. Ja Morant’s found plenty of success in recent games, and he gets a great game environment against the Minnesota Wolves tonight. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can also be considered here.
GPP
With so many guys out, CJ Elleby could see extra minutes. He’s taken on a bigger role in recent games, and he’s flashed the ability to beat his price tag in a bigger role. Elleby’s still the minimum price, which puts him in play on this slate. Patrick Beverley continues to find success, but his minutes haven’t been set in recent games. Still, he’s scored 37+ DK points in three of his last four games, and Beverley’s in a great spot against the Memphis Grizzlies tonight. Reggie Jackson gets an elite matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight. They’ve struggled against point guards, and Jackson’s expected to find around 30 minutes. Stephen Curry, D’Angelo Russell, and Desmond Bane are all interesting options on this slate.
Forward
Cash
Forward is significantly more open, but there are a few great options. Josh Giddey’s taken on a massive role in the Oklahoma City Thunder rotation, consistently flashing triple-double potential. He’s scored 34+ DK points in four of his last five games, including a 67 DK point performance. Nassir Little is locked into bigger minutes with Larry Nance out, and he may be forced into a bigger offensive role. Although he isn’t a dominant offensive player, he’d flashed in the past. Little’s still far too cheap at $5.6k. If you’re looking to spend up at this position, Giannis Antetokounmpo is an interesting option. He gets a matchup against the Golden State Warriors, and Antetokounmpo is somewhat of a matchup-proof player. He’s viable in all leagues. You can also consider Kessler Edwards and Josh Hart here.
GPP
Anthony Edwards is one of the more interesting options on this slate. He’s been playing at an extremely high level, but he isn’t projecting for much ownership. He’s also in a great game environment against the Memphis Grizzlies. Edwards can be considered in all leagues, but he’s better suited for tournaments because of the way this slate is breaking down. On the other side, Kyle Anderson is a high-upside option who’s consistently seen inconsistent minutes. He’s expected to find 25-30 minutes tonight, and he’s averaging slightly under one fantasy point per minute against the Minnesota Wolves this season. Lu Dort, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Nicolas Batum can all be considered at forward tonight.
Center
Cash
There are three centers you’re considering in cash games. Day’Ron Sharp is expected to start for the Brooklyn Nets with Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Nic Claxton out. He’s played 22 and 24 minutes in his last two games, scoring 29.75 and 30.25 DK points. He’s one of the best plays on the slate. Nikola Jokic is always in play, as he’s an elite fantasy option on a nightly basis. Jokic also gets a great matchup against the Portland Blazers tonight. Finally, Jusuf Nurkic can be considered here. He didn’t look great in his last game, but he still led the team in rebound chances while ranking second in potential assists. He’s taking on a massive role with all of the guards out in Portland.
GPP
Bobby Portis is a bit of a boom or bust option for the Milwaukee Bucks. He comes with elite upside, though, and he’s expected to find big minutes. He gets an interesting matchup against the Golden State Warriors, who feature an elite defense against centers. With that being said, they’ll be without Draymond Green, who plays a massive role in that defense. Ivica Zubac is another great option here. He’s expected to return to roughly 25 minutes tonight, and he gets a plus matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s a bit too cheap for what he can do in that time. You can also consider Karl-Anthony Towns, Jonas Valanciunas, and Steven Adams in GPPs as well.
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