Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (10/23)! 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 |
| D. Melton | S. Barnes | J. Valanciunas | NO/MIN |
| C. Duarte | D. Bane | G. Antetokounmpo | MEM/LAC |
| L. Doncic | B. Ingram | J. Poeltl | PHX/POR |
| D. Murray | J. Jackson | K. Towns | MIL/SA |
| Z. LaVine | P. George | N. Vucevic | MIA/IND |
*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
This will likely end up being one of the chalkiest slates on the season, as DraftKings dropped the ball with pricing for several players. At point guard, you’re locking in De’Anthony Melton. He’s coming off of a 31.5 DK points performance and he’s expected to be locked into big minutes once again. Since there are so many clear salary relief options, I’m okay using Luka Doncic or Dejounte Murray in cash games as well as GPPs tonight. Neither is projecting for a ridiculous amount of ownership, which is why they’re labeled as safe GPP options. Assuming he’s healthy, Jrue Holiday is the final option that can be considered, as he’s simply too cheap for his talent. He’s far from a lock, though.
At shooting guard, you’re locking rookie Chris Duarte into your cash lineups. He’s scored 30+ DK points in each of his 2 games this season. Making his price even odder, DraftKings had his listed at $6k last night before dropping over $2k for tonight. Derrick White is the other option that can be considered in cash games at shooting guard but only after Duarte is entered. If you need salary relief here, Alex Caruso is a bit too cheap for the minutes he’s getting for the Chicago Bulls.
GPP
There are a few solid point guard options in tournaments on this slate. Malcolm Brogdon and Lonzo Ball are two versatile point guards, who boast triple-double upside. They’ve each flashed elite upside this season, and their price tags haven’t caught up to their production at this point. Ja Morant looked elite in his first game of the season, and he gets a great matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers who struggle around the rim. Tyler Herro is coming off of a massive game for the Miami Heat, but he comes with quite a bit of risk, as he only played 24 minutes in that game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Chris Paul can be considered here, as well.
The top GPP option at shooting guard is Zach LaVine, who comes with tremendous upside as the focal point of the Chicago Bulls offense. Fred VanVleet’s shot hasn’t been falling early in the season, but he boasts elite upside for his price tag, as well. He and CJ McCollum are surprisingly cheap for their ceilings. Terance Mann and Jalen Bruson are two cheaper options that can be considered in tournaments tonight. Mann specifically comes with tremendous upside for his price tag, as he’s a versatile player when he’s attacking the basket.
Forward
Cash
Like most positions, there’s a clear misprice at small forward tonight. Desmond Bane is coming off of a 33.75 DK point performance, taking 16 shots in 30 minutes for the Memphis Grizzlies. He’ll see a similar role tonight, as well. He’s an easy salary relief option in cash tonight. Brandon Ingram’s looked outstanding early this season, and he gets a plus matchup against the Minnesota Wolves tonight. If you’re looking to spend up in cash tonight, he’s an outstanding option. Jimmy Butler is an interesting option here, as well, although I prefer Ingram to him.
Scottie Barnes is one of the most underpriced players on the entire slate. He’s coming off a 45.75 DK point performance yet his price tag sits at only $4k. The top pick is locked into big minutes for the Toronto Raptors, and he’s an easy cash game lock tonight. Jaren Jackson Jr. is another solid option for the Memphis Grizzlies. He scored 32 DK points in his first game of the season, shooting only 3-12 from the field. There’s still plenty of upside left for him. If you need salary relief at this position, Jordan Nwora is a solid option, although there is so much value that you likely don’t need to go there tonight.
GPP
Arguably my favorite GPP option on this slate is Paul George. He’s featured in an elite role without Kawhi Leonard in the rotation, and he gets a great matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. George isn’t going to come cheap, which will keep his ownership low, but he boasts elite upside, especially in this matchup. OG Anunoby hasn’t shot well from the floor this season, but he’s still flashed upside. He’s going to have a massive game when his shot is falling, and I like him against the Dallas Mavericks tonight. Mikal Bridges and Khris Middleton are two more solid GPP options tonight.
If you’re looking for pure leverage, Domantas Sabonis is going to go completely overlooked, and he boasts elite upside against any team in the NBA. He simply gets a tough matchup against the Miami Heat tonight, making him an interesting tournament option. Keldon Johnson’s taking a step forward for the San Antonio Spurs, and he’s coming off a 40 DK point performance. Johnson’s going completely overlooked, even with an extremely low price tag. He’s a great salary relief option tonight. Jerami Grant and Kristaps Porzingis are high upside options for slightly higher price tags tonight.
Center
Cash
There are essentially three centers for cash games tonight. Giannis Antetokounmpo has center and power forward eligibility, but he’s listed as a center in the chart above, so he’s in this paragraph. He’ll be looking to get back on track after an embarrassing performance in his last game. Jonas Valanciunas is locked into big minutes for the New Orleans Pelicans, and he boasts tremendous upside. He’s also playing in a plus matchup against the Minnesota Wolves. For whatever reason, Jakob Poeltl saw his price drop back down after scoring 40 DK points in his first game of the season. He’s seeing solid minutes for the San Antonio Spurs, and he’s cheap enough for all leagues.
GPP
Oddly enough, Karl-Anthony Towns is projecting for low ownership on this slate. He posted 55 DK points in 29 minutes in his season opener, and he gets a great matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight. If he’s going overlooked, I’m interested in him in GPPs. Jusuf Nurkic and Bam Adebayo are higher-priced options that can be considered tonight, while Steven Adams is a solid salary relief play in GPPs on this slate.
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