Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (10/21)! 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 |
| S. Curry | G. Allen | G. Antetokounmpo | LAC/GS |
| G. Hill | J. Nwora | I. Zubac | ATL/DAL |
| L. Doncic | J. Butler | B. Adebayo | MIA/MIL |
| J. Poole | K. Porzingis | J. Collins | – |
| T. Young | P. George | C. Capela | – |
*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
I like any of the three at the top of point guard tonight. Stephen Curry may make the best cash game option, though. He’s coming off of a dominant triple-double where he struggled from the floor. With Jrue Holiday ruled out, George Hill makes an elite salary relief option. He’ll be locked into bigger minutes, and Hill’s proven he can find success when given the opportunity. Jordan Poole saw somewhat of limited minutes in his first game, but he looked was a massive part of the offense with nearly 20 shot attempts. He’s a cash game option once again tonight.
GPP
With Curry likely the highest owned of the expensive options, Luka Doncic and Trae Young are outstanding tournament options. Either of them can be considered in cash games, as well, although I prefer Doncic over Young in that instance. These two have been tied together since their Draft Night trade. They both make elite options in another matchup against each other. Andrew Wiggins only saw 25 minutes in the Golden State Warriors opener, and he could see that increase to 30 minutes tonight. If that’s the case, Wiggins is a high upside option for his price. He’s best suited for tournaments unless we hear news of his minutes before the game.
Tyler Herro and Terance Mann are both popular picks for Sixth Man of the Year. Mann’s coming off of a surprising season, while Herro’s looking to get back on track after struggling last season. Eric Bledsoe and Reggie Jackson are solid tournament options with Kawhi Leonard out tonight.
Forward
Cash
There are two elite salary relief options at forward tonight. Grayson Allen took on a larger role in the Milwaukee Bucks offense with Jrue Holiday injured last game. He’s expected to take on a similar role tonight, and Allen’s far too cheap. With Brook Lopez ruled out, Jordan Nwora is likely locked into bigger minutes, as well. He’s been an elite per-minute option for Milwaukee, and he can be locked into all leagues, especially if he draws the start. Surprisingly, Jimmy Butler’s projecting for solid ownership as the leader of the Miami Heat offense. He should be locked into solid minutes, and he’s a great high-priced option tonight.
GPP
If Butler’s garnering the most ownership, Paul George will make an elite option in tournaments. In 11 games with 30+ minutes and Kawhi Leonard out, George is averaging 30.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists for the Los Angeles Clippers. The only major concern is a potential blowout, although the spread is only -3.5 toward Golden State. Kristaps Porzingis is finally healthy, and he boasts plenty of upside. He isn’t going to come cheap early in the season, but he could finally break out as the second star for Dallas. Khris Middleton, Pat Connaughton, and De’Andre Hunter can all be considered here, as well.
Center
Cash
The chalk center (or power forward) tonight is clear – Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s coming off of a great first game, and he’s likely the top high-priced option on this slate. You can also save here in cash games with Ivica Zubac. The Los Angeles Clippers don’t have a ton of depth at center, meaning Zubac could see over 25 minutes tonight. He’s a cheaper option, who performs well on a per-minute basis. Bam Adebayo can also be considered here, as Antetokounmpo could see plenty of minutes at center and Adebayo can take advantage of that matchup.
GPP
In tournaments, it makes sense to look at the Atlanta Hawks players. John Collins is coming off of a great season, and he signed a big deal after most people expected him to leave Atlanta. Collins is a surprisingly cheap option, who comes with tremendous upside. Clint Capela is a double-double threat with block upside. Similar to Collins, he’s a bit too cheap on this slate. They both make outstanding tournament options tonight.
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