Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (1/3)! 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 |
| J. Harden | N. Reid | N. Jokic | CHA/WAS |
| A. Simons | D. Theis | D. Gafford | MEM/BKN |
| N. Alexander-Walker | B. Clarke | N. Vucevic | UTA/NO |
| T. Frazier | M. Bridges | O. Yurtseven | ATL/POR |
| B. Beal | G. Antetokounmpo | K. Martin | DET/MIL |
*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
James Harden’s figured out his role for Brooklyn at the moment, and he’s finally getting his free throws. He’s posted 70+ DK points in each of his last four games, and the return of Kevin Durant hasn’t stalled his success. Harden isn’t going to come cheap tonight, but the Memphis Grizzlies have struggled against point guards, and he’s an elite option on this slate. Patrick Beverley’s been playing big minutes for the Minnesota Wolves, and he’s scored 28+ DK points in six of his last seven games. The Wolves will be without D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns tonight, leaving Beverley as an elite option for his current price tag. Trae Young, Ja Morant, and Tyus Jones are three more options at point guard that can be considered.
Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have already been ruled out for tonight. Anfernee Simons will play minutes in the high-20s, as he continues to find time after returning from Covid protocols. He hasn’t shot well, but Simons is entirely too cheap on this slate, as there are several solid expensive options. Speaking of which, Bradley Beal’s taken over the Washington Wizards offense with Spencer Dinwiddie, Aaron Holiday, and Raul Neto all ruled out. He’s scored 55+ DK points in three consecutive games, including 63.5 DK points in his last game. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Desmond Bane are two more interesting options in cash games on this slate.
GPP
Tim Frazier’s an interesting option for the Orlando Magic. He’s played 30+ minutes in their last two games, and he could find plenty of minutes with Cole Anthony out once again. Frazier’s scored 25.75 and 22.75 DK points in his last two games, and he’s still under $4k. He’s cash game eligible if you need him, but I prefer him in GPPs the way this slate is breaking down. Tyrese Maxey is the definition of a boom or bust option on this slate. He gets an elite matchup against the Houston Rockets, and he’s coming off of a 42.25 DK point performance against the Brooklyn Nets. Maxey comes with elite upside in his matchup, but if his shot isn’t falling, he comes with terrible downside. Dennis Smith Jr., LaMelo Ball, and Mike Conley are other high-upside tournament options.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker isn’t a consistent option, but those inconsistencies have kept his price tag low. He quietly gets a good matchup against the Utah Jazz, and he posted 37.75 DK points two games ago. Alexander-Walker will go overlooked because of the matchup, but he’s a great salary relief option in GPPs. In a similar spot, Jordan Poole gets a matchup against a solid defense that struggles against a particular position. Shooting guards have performed well against the Miami Heat, and Poole comes with tremendous scoring potential. You can also consider Terry Rozier, Jalen Green, and Zach LaVine at this position.
Forward
Cash
As always small forward is a relatively weak position. Marcus Morris continues to be too cheap, as he’s scored 35+ DK points in each of his last 5 games, including a trio of contests with 40+ DK points. With that being said, Morris gets a tough matchup against the Minnesota Wolves, who’ve performed well against power forwards. Terrance Ross is also far too cheap, as he played 35 minutes, scoring 46.75 DK points in his first game back. He’s expected to find plenty of minutes tonight, and Ross comes with elite upside because of his scoring potential. Kevin Durant, Terance Mann, and Norman Powell are in a tier believe the guys above (and KCP), but they can be considered tonight.
There are several elite power forward options tonight. Naz Reid played 30 minutes in his last game, scoring 39.75 DK points. He’s always performed well on a per-minute basis, and he’s expected to play around 30 minutes again tonight. Reid’s still only $4.8k tonight. With Christian Wood suspended, Daniel Theis is expected to play bigger minutes. He’s only slightly above the minimum price, making him far too cheap for someone playing roughly 30 minutes. Giannis Antetokounmpo is always a great option. He’s scored 60+ DK points in three of his last four games, and he gets a great matchup against the Detroit Pistons. Antetokounmpo is one of several elite expensive options tonight.
GPP
Miles Bridges returned in the Charlotte Hornets last game, playing 26 minutes against the Phoenix Suns. That game was a blowout, though, and Bridges could see 30+ minutes tonight. He gets an elite matchup against the Washington Wizards in a game that is designed for his skillset. Eric Gordon is questionable tonight, but he could take on a larger offensive role with Kevin Porter and Christian Wood out. Assuming he’s starting, he’s a high-upside option. If Gordon is also out, Josh Christopher will make a great option. Christopher can be considered in GPPs even if Gordon is playing. Deni Avdija, Josh Hart, and Anthony Edwards can all be used here as well.
Brandon Clarke is far too cheap on this slate. He’s extremely inconsistent, but he scored 35.25 DK points in 23 minutes in his last game. Clarke’s always boasted elite upside when on the floor, and he could find 20-25 minutes once again tonight. He’s extremely risky, but he boasts tremendous upside for his price tag. Serge Ibaka is another cheap option that can be considered here. Similar to Clarke, he’s flashed in limited minutes for the Los Angeles Clippers. He could also see 20-25 minutes tonight, although I slightly prefer Clarke out of this duo. You can also consider Wendell Carter, Maxi Kleber, Jae’Sean Tate, and Kyle Kuzma at this point.
Center
Cash
Once again, there are two centers (that haven’t been listed already) that I’m considering in cash games. Nikola Jokic is arguably the best fantasy player in the NBA, and he’s taking on a massive role for the Denver Nuggets. He should return to big minutes, and Jokic is my favorite spend-up option on this slate. The other player that can be considered is Daniel Gafford. He’s playing bigger minutes with Montrezl Harrell out in Covid protocols. Gafford’s posted 33+ DK points in each of his last three games, and he gets an elite matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. He’s averaging 1.37 DK points per minute against the Hornets this season, and Gafford is an elite option on this slate.
GPP
KJ Martin is one of the more peculiar options on this slate. I’m considering him in cash games, although I’m listing him in GPP for now. He’s still extremely cheap, but he posted 32.25 DK points in 31 minutes in his last game. He could see a similar role with Christian Wood out, and Martin is a solid salary relief option tonight. Nikola Vucevic gets a matchup against his former team, and he’s an extremely interesting option. He’s versatile, but he’s risky because the Chicago Bulls are getting healthier. Omer Yurtseven’s been playing at a high level, but it looks as if PJ Tucker is flying to the arena right now. If he’s active, Yurtseven will lose plenty of value, but if Tucker happens to be out, the big man can be considered in GPPs. Joel Embiid, Steven Adams, and Rudy Gobert are three solid options in tournaments as well.
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