Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (1/7)! 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. Clarkson | R. Gay | N. Jokic | MIL/BKN |
| J. Brunson | G. Antetokounmpo | H. Whiteside | UTA/TOR |
| T. Young | N. Little | J. Allen | ATL/LAL |
| M. Morris | J. Nwora | J. Embiid | WAS/CHI |
| J. Harden | L. James | P. Siakam | SAC/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 cash game options on this slate. You’re starting point guard with Jalen Brunson, who will take on a massive role in the Dallas Mavericks offense with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis out. Brunson also gets an elite matchup against the Houston Rockets, who’ve struggled against point guards throughout the season. James Harden’s struggled in his last two games, but he scored 70+ DK points in four consecutive games before that. Kyrie Irving’s been ruled out tonight, and this is a major game for the Brooklyn Nets. Harden’s price is a bit depleted, but he comes with tremendous upside in this matchup.
There’s one clear option at shooting guard on this slate. Jordan Clarkson will be one of the highest-owned players on the slate. The Utah Jazz will be without the majority of their roster tonight, and Clarkson will take over as the primary ball-handler and scorer. He’s entirely too cheap tonight. Anfernee Simons is playing a massive role in the Portland Blazers offense with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum out. His price is on the rise, but he’s scored 45.75 and 60.75 DK points in his last two games. Although I don’t love the matchup, Simons is an interesting option for $6.2k tonight. If you need to save a bit of salary here, Tim Hardaway Jr. is a great option. He’ll be forced into a bigger offensive role, similar to Brunson. He’s a volume scorer for a cheap price tag.
GPP
With so much ownership projecting to a few players, there are a variety of elite tournament options tonight. Assuming he plays, Trae Young gets an elite matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve struggled against point guards throughout the season, and Young’s posted 62 and 85 DK points in his last two games. Monte Morris returned in the Denver Nuggets’ last game, and he gets an elite matchup against the Sacramento Kings tonight. Morris generally doesn’t boast elite upside, but he’s far too cheap for the upside he does possess. De’Aaron Fox, Dejounte Murray, Fred VanVleet, and Javonte Smart can all be considered here as well.
Similar to Morris, Will Barton gets an elite matchup against the Sacramento Kings, who’ve struggled against guards throughout the season. He’s surprisingly cheap for his recent production and price tag. If this were a different slate, Barton would likely be chalky. Lonnie Walker and Bryn Forbes will likely be locked into bigger minutes for the San Antonio Spurs because of injuries and Covid issues tonight. Of the two, I prefer Walker for upside, but they each can be considered as salary relief options. Seth Curry is running point for the Philadelphia 76ers with Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton out, and he’s coming off of a near triple-double. He’s a great option again tonight, although the matchup isn’t ideal. You can also consider Anthony Edwards, Malik Monk, Trent Forrest, and Darius Garland at this position.
Forward
Cash
Similar to the guard positions, we have one clear-cut cash game option at forward. Rudy Gay is expected to play 30+ minutes tonight, making him an easy play. He’s coming off of a 36.25 DK point performance in 29 minutes, and he’s still only $4k. The Utah Jazz need bodies tonight, and he’s going to take on a larger offensive role. LeBron James has finally come back down to Earth over his last couple of games, but he gets a plus matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. This could quickly turn into a game between James and Trae Young, giving the former tremendous upside. He’s one of many elite spend-ups on this slate. Small forward is also one of the worst positions on this slate, adding to James’ value.
You’re likely looking to spend up here if you use Gay at small forward. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant will face off against each other in a battle between two of the best players in the NBA. Of the duo, I prefer Antetokounmpo, who is a bit safer. With that being said, Durant’s been playing well, and he’s roughly $1k cheaper. Either of these two players can be considered in all leagues. Dorian Finney-Smith and Maxi Kleber are two cheap options for the Dallas Mavericks with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis out (Doncic is doubtful). They should only be considered if you need a bit of salary relief at this position, though.
GPP
Nassir Little’s coming off of a bad game, but he played big minutes once again. He’s flashed tremendous upside when given the minutes, specifically for his price tag. Little should be locked into big minutes with Larry Nance Jr. out tonight. He gets a tougher matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but Little comes with tremendous upside. Keita Bates-Diop is an interesting option for a low price tag. He doesn’t always produce while on the floor, but he’s scored 30.75 and 41.75 DK points in two of his last six games. The San Antonio Spurs will be without several players in their rotation tonight, giving Bates-Diop bigger minutes. He’s somewhat of a boom or bust salary relief option, which is relatively rare. Other players to consider at small forward include Aaron Gordon, Khris Middleton, and OG Anunoby.
Jordan Nwora makes an outstanding option on this slate. He should be locked into bigger minutes with Jrue Holiday, Pat Connaughton, and Grayson Allen out. Nwora’s flashed elite upside when given time on the court, and he gets a plus matchup against the Brooklyn Nets tonight. Tobias Harris is another solid play. He’s coming off of a big game against the Orlando Magic, and he should continue to see a massive role with Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey out of the lineup. Harris also gets a good matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, who will be without several key players tonight. Royce O’Neale, Jarred Vanderbilt, and DeMar DeRozan can be used at power forward in GPPs as well.
Center
Cash
Once again, we’re starting a position out with a Utah Jazz player. Hassan Whiteside is expected to be locked into big minutes tonight, and he’s only $3.5k. He’s averaging well over 1 fantasy point per minute on the season, and Whiteside will likely be the highest owned player on this slate. There isn’t truly any real reason to avoid him in cash games or GPPs. You’re likely going to pair him with Nikola Jokic, who is the best fantasy option in the NBA. Jokic gets an outstanding matchup against the Sacramento Kings, and he’s coming off of a 75.25 DK point performance. He’s likely my favorite expensive option tonight, and he’s the perfect pair with Whiteside.
GPP
Since I’m locked in on only two centers in cash games, every other option is a GPP play. Joel Embiid comes with elite upside, and he gets a good matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, who’ve struggled against centers throughout the season. Pascal Siakam is likely to go completely overlooked, but he’s playing at an elite level. He gets an interesting matchup against the Utah Jazz. I don’t expect Whiteside to be able to stick with him, giving Siakam tremendous offensive upside. Jarrett Allen gets an elite matchup against the Portland Blazers, who’ve been struggling mightily in recent games. Although I don’t fully trust Allen offensively, he comes with elite potential in this matchup. Christian Wood, Jusuf Nurkic, and Nikola Vucevic can all be considered here as well.
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