Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (1/6)! 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 |
| C. Paul | M. Morris | B. Clarke | MEM/DET |
| J. Morant | T. Lyles | S. Adams | LAC/PHX |
| G. Payton | B. Boston | K. Looney | GS/NO |
| N. Alexander-Walker | M. Bridges | J. Jackson | BOS/NY |
| D. Booker | J. Smith | D. Green | – |
*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 three somewhat obvious options in cash games at guard. Chris Paul is one of the most mispriced players on this slate. He gets a good matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, and he continues to find success without DeAndre Ayton in the lineup. He’s scored 40+ DK points in four of his last six games. Devin Booker is also a bit cheap on this slate. He’s been a bit more inconsistent, but he boasts 60+ DK points upside and this is still a four-game slate. The other option is Ja Morant. He’s posted 48+ DK points in each of his last five games, including a 66 DK point performance. He’s attacking the rim quite a bit, and the Detroit Pistons don’t have the rim projection to slow him down. Jordan Poole and Alec Burks are two more solid options at guard tonight.
GPP
Gary Payton jumps off as an outstanding tournament option tonight. He’s been playing bigger minutes, and the Golden State Warriors could rest some players tonight. If that’s the case, Payton can be considered in cash games, but he’s still in play if the normal options are starting. He’s posted 24+ DK points in eight consecutive games, and he’s still under $5k tonight. Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s seeing inconsistent minutes with Brandon Ingram back, but he does come with plenty of upside when on the floor. Alexander-Walker’s also played better in New Orleans this season, and he gets a home matchup against the Golden State Warriors. He’s risky, but he’s a solid salary relief option. You can also consider Cameron Payton, Cade Cunningham, and Reggie Jackson here.
Forward
Cash
You’re likely starting cash games at forward with Marcus Morris. He’s taken on a larger role in the Los Angeles offense with Paul George out. That should continue tonight, and he continues to be underpriced. Morris’ scored 29+ DK points in 8 of his last 10 games, including several games with 40+ DK points. If Isaiah Stewart is out or limited, Trey Lyles will make an elite option once again. He’s playing bigger minutes since returning from the Covid list, and he’s scored 26+ DK points in three consecutive games, including a 50 DK point performance against the Miami Heat. Jalen Smith only saw 16 minutes because of foul troubles in his last game, but I’m expecting him to return to a full role. He’s a safe option with elite upside if he gets 25+ minutes, and I don’t expect him to struggle with fouls against Los Angeles. Cameron Johnson, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart are all reasonable plays in cash games at forward tonight.
GPP
There are a few interesting options for the Clippers at forward in GPPs tonight. Brandon Boston and Terence Mann are both interesting options. Mann’s the safer option, but Boston is cheaper. They both come with plenty of upside for their price tags, and either can be considered in GPPs on this slate. They’ll get a bump if Nic Batum is out. Mikal Bridges is another solid option here. He isn’t an elite fantasy player while on the floor, but he’s locked into massive minutes for the Phoenix Suns. Bridges does also have the scoring and defensive potential to hit an elite ceiling, he just doesn’t reach it all that often. Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Herbert Jones, and Dillon Brooks can all be considered in GPPs at forward tonight.
Center
Cash
I’m likely looking at the Memphis Grizzlies players in cash games at center. Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke are far too cheap. They’re both playing solid minutes, and they have the capability of scoring well on a per-minute basis, specifically Clarke. Jaren Jackson Jr. is another high-upside option for Memphis. He’ll benefit from the matchup against the Detroit Pistons tonight. The only option I’m considering here is Draymond Green, who’s an extremely versatile player. He’s coming off of a bad game, but his ability to contribute in each of the four categories at a high level makes him an outstanding option on this slate.
GPP
I absolutely hate center tonight, and there aren’t many other options even worth considering. Jonas Valanciunas for his pure upside, but I don’t love him tonight. Kevon Looney and Bismack Biyombo at least come with ceilings for their price tags, but neither of them is a great option on this slate. They’re more of GPP darts if you’re playing multiple lineups. Robert Williams continues to play well, but he’s extremely risky and is more or less a boom or bust option tonight. It’s an ugly position overall on this slate.
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