Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (10/19 – Opening Day)! 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 | K. Middleton | G. Antetokounmpo | BKN/MIL |
| J. Poole | P. Millsap | L. Aldridge | – |
| J. Holiday | K. Durant | D. Green | GS/LAL |
| G. Allen | K. Bazemore | A. Davis | – |
| R. Westbrook | C. Anthony | B. Lopez | – |
*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 only two games tonight, so there is only so much to go over in this article. James Harden is locked into major minutes, and he’ll be the primary ball-handler with Kyrie Irving out. He’s a triple-double option with tremendous scoring potential. Jordan Poole is another cash option, although he’s a bit cheaper than Harden. Poole performed well in somewhat of a limited role, and he flashed elite upside when given the minutes. He’s expected to see a massive role for the Golden State Warriors, making him one of the best salary relief options on this slate.
Jrue Holiday is coming off of an outstanding playoff run, and he’ll be locked and loaded as the Milwaukee Bucks point guard once again. He boasts quiet triple-double upside, and he can take over the scoring if Giannis Antetokounmpo or Khris Middleton are struggling. Holiday should be locked into big minutes, and he’s a slightly cheaper route off of the high-priced options. Grayson Allen can be considered in his first game for Milwaukee, as well. He’s expected to see minutes in the high-20s with Rodney Hood and Donte DiVincenzo out tonight. Allen comes with some risk, as he won’t be a focal point of the offense, but he relies heavily on scoring. With that being said, he should see plenty of opportunities with others dealing with double-teams. Allen’s cheap enough to be considered in all leagues on a two-game slate. Bruce Brown is another salary relief option I’d consider in cash games tonight.
GPP
Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook are two more high-priced options I’m considering on this slate. I’m adding them to the GPP section because I prefer Harden and Poole in cash, although I believe either of these two is worthy in cash games on this slate. Regardless, Curry and Westbrook boast elite upside with the former being slightly safer. Westbrook boasts elite upside, though, and he’ll likely be under-owned because of the questions surrounding his role in the Los Angeles Lakers offense. He currently ranks fifth in projected points on our Projections Portal for this slate.
There are a few other guards I’d consider on this slate because of the size. Austin Reaves and Malik Monk could find minutes off of the bench for Los Angeles. Their value will increase if Kendrick Nunn is forced to miss this game. Of the duo, I prefer Monk, who’s flashed plenty of upside throughout his career. Any of these three are risky, as we don’t necessarily know which secondary pieces will see bigger roles at this point in the season. You can join our free Discord as we break down potential roles closer to lock when we have more information.
Forward
Cash
There are several outstanding options for cash games at forward tonight. Khris Middleton is a higher-priced option that can be considered. Similar to a secondary player like Holiday, Middleton saw his price drop far too low for the game tonight. He’s the second scoring option on the team, and he’s coming off of an outstanding playoff series. He has the potential to contribute in multiple categories, while also boasting 40 point upside on a nightly basis. If Brooklyn opts to focus heavily on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton could be in line for a massive role.
The other plays are if you need salary relief here. Paul Millsap is expected to have a solid role for the Brooklyn Nets, although he’s only expected to find minutes in the high-teens or low-20s. With that being said, he’s flashed the ability to beat his price tag in limited minutes throughout his career. Kent Bazemore and Carmelo Anthony are two salary relief options for the Los Angeles Lakers. They’re both expected to have a role in the rotation, and they are far too cheap for this game. I’m not necessarily leaning one way or the other at the moment, as they feature similar upside and risks. Jordan Nwora flashed whenever given the opportunity last season. He’s expected to see a small role with Bobby Portis out tonight. Although the role is limited, Nwora can easily exceed value at his current price tag if he gets 15-20 minutes.
GPP
With Antetokounmpo (listed at center) so obvious at forward, I’m listed LeBron James and Kevin Durant as GPP plays. I don’t have any major issues with Durant in cash games, although he’s clearly behind Harden and Antetokounmpo for me tonight. James doesn’t necessarily have a defined role for Los Angeles. Obviously, he’ll be a focal point of the offense, but Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis will see plenty of usage and peripheral stats, as well. The Los Angeles rotation is one of the hardest to figure out, especially early in the season. For now, James is best suited for tournaments.
Andrew Wiggins is locked into a major role for the Golden State Warriors, but it’ll be interesting to see how large of an offensive role he takes on. If Jordan Poole takes the step many are suggesting, Wiggins could turn into the third scoring option. Keep in mind, Wiggins is significantly more proven and that may take a bit into this season if it even does happen. With that being said, it adds volatility to Wiggins, who is already an extremely volatile player. He’s a great tournament option on this slate, though. Otto Porter Jr. can also be used in tournaments for Golden State, as he’s a versatile option with the ability to play multiple positions. His minutes will be far from locked in, though, adding to risk to him as a fantasy asset.
Center
Cash
Center’s extremely limited on this slate, but there are still a few options. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s the most obvious option, as he boasts center eligibility on DraftKings. He dominated the Brooklyn Nets last season, and they don’t boast anyone that has the potential to slow him down defensively. Antetokounmpo should be one of the highest owned players on this slate, and he’s an elite option to pair with Harden.
If you want to save a bit of salary at this position, LaMarcus Aldridge is a great option. He’s expected to start at center, although he’s only expected to play around 20 minutes. Aldridge boasts the ability to average over 1 DK point per minute this season, and he should see some easy looks with Harden and Durant on the court. He’s far too cheap on both sites, and Aldridge can be considered in all leagues if you need to save a bit of salary somewhere. Draymond Green can also be considered here, although I prefer getting up to Antetokounmpo or going down to Aldridge.
GPP
Anthony Davis is in a similar spot as Westbrook. He boasts elite potential, although his role in the offense is unknown at this point. Westbrook could take over rebounding duties, limiting Davis’ upside. With that being said, the Lakers big man has the potential to contribute in each of the five categories, and he’s a great tournament option, as most aren’t likely to go this route when spending up. Brook Lopez is another boom or bust option for Milwaukee. He can score while adding rebounds and blocks, flashing 50+ DK point upside in the playoffs. Lopez is extremely risky and isn’t as discounted as some of the other options on this slate. That will keep his ownership down, making him an interesting tournament option.
