Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (11/22)! 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 |
| M. Brogdon | D. Bembry | K. Towns | MEM/UTA |
| D. Mitchell | G. Antetokounmpo | R. Gobert | PHI/SAC |
| T. Haliburton | J. Jackson | R. Williams | PHX/SA |
| S. Gilgeous-Alexander | F. Wagner | J. Valanciunas | CHA/WAS |
| T. Maxey | K. Anderson | C. Capela | ORL/MIL |
*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
Malcolm Brogdon is a peculiar option tonight. He’s played 25 and 23 minutes in his last 2 games, which has dropped his price tag nearly $1k from only 2 nights ago. Brogdon should return to full minutes tonight, though, making his price tag far too cheap. He’s an outstanding option on this slate. D’Angelo Russell’s quietly posted 35+ DK points in 7 of his last 8 games. He gets a great matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight, as well. Furthermore, Russell’s averaging 41 DK points per game on the road, and he’s in a great spot once again tonight. It’s early in the day, but Chris Paul and Darius Garland make interesting cash game options, as well.
If you can get to his price tag, Donovan Mitchell makes an outstanding option at shooting guard tonight. Similar to Brogdon, Mitchell’s price tag dropped because of some recent struggles. Still, he gets an elite matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies in arguably the best game environment tonight. He can be considered in all leagues tonight. If you need to save a bit of salary, Lu Dort continues to be underpriced. He gets an interesting matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, and he’s averaging 32.3 DK points per game over the last 10 days. Dort’s taking on a larger scoring role, and he’s been a consistently great option for the Oklahoma City Thunder in recent games. Anthony Edwards and Desmond Bane can be considered here, as well.
GPP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is questionable tonight, but he’ll make an outstanding option if he’s able to suit up tonight. He’s a dominant scorer for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he gets a matchup against the Atlanta Hawks tonight. SGA’s struggled on the road this season, though, making him best suited for tournaments tonight. Patty Mills isn’t cheap anymore, but he still comes with plenty of scoring upside. Joe Harris and Bruce Brown have been ruled out, meaning Mills will see a bigger scoring role. He posted 29.5 DK points against the Cleveland Cavaliers only 2 games ago, and he’s a great option in GPPs once again tonight. Tyrese Maxey is taking on a larger offensive role without Joel Embiid, and he gets a matchup against the Sacramento Kings, who feature arguably the worst defense in the NBA against guards. Maxey boasts tremendous upside in this matchup. Others to consider include Jalen Green, Alex Caruso, and Patrick Beverley.
Tyrese Haliburton is surprisingly cheap for his ceiling. He’s seen mixed results throughout the season, but he gets a great matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight. Haliburton’s found more success at home in 2021, and he’s a great option on this larger slate. Seth Curry’s not overly consistent, but his scoring potential makes him a great tournament option. Similar to Maxey, Curry gets an elite matchup against the Sacramento Kings, and he comes with tremendous scoring potential in this matchup. Bradley Beal, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Kevin Huerter can be considered here, as well.
Forward
Cash
There are a pair of options that stand out above the rest at the moment at small forward. With Joe Harris and Bruce Brown out, DeAndre’ Bembry should be locked into big minutes for the Brooklyn Nets. He’s never been a dominant fantasy option, especially with James Harden and Kevin Durant healthy, although he’s near the minimum price. He’s an easy way to fit some of the more expensive guys into your lineup. Kyle Anderson is another player who is far too cheap tonight. The Memphis Grizzlies are dealing with multiple injuries, and Anderson’s always performed well on a per-minute basis. He burned quite a few people in his last game, although I’m not expecting another 40-point blowout. Anderson’s an interesting option in cash games. Brandon Ingram and Georges Niang can be considered for their price tags, as well.
He isn’t going to come cheap, but Giannis Antetokounmpo makes a great option once again tonight. The Orlando Magic have struggled against bigs throughout the season, and Antetokounmpo is coming off of a 74 DK point performance against them a couple of days ago. He played only 30 minutes in that game, and Antetokounmpo can be used in all leagues if you can get to his price tag. Tobias Harris is coming off of a solid game, and his price tag is down quite a bit from a few games ago. He’s a focal point of the Philadelphia 76ers offense, and he gets a great matchup against the Sacramento Kings tonight. Josh Hart and Lauri Markkanen (if no minutes restriction) are interesting options on this slate.
GPP
Franz Wagner burned me with only 6.5 DK points in his last game, but I’m willing to go back to the well in GPPs tonight. He’s far too cheap for his recent production, and I’m not overly concerned with the matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. He comes with tremendous upside for a $4.1k price tag tonight. Jayson Tatum isn’t going to come cheap, but he’s scored 55+ DK points in 3 consecutive games. He gets an elite matchup against the Houston Rockets, who don’t feature anyone that will be able to slow him down defensively. The only reason I prefer him slightly more in GPPs is that Jaylen Brown is returning tonight. Josh Giddy and Zach LaVine can be used here, as well.
Jaren Jackson Jr. continues to be a bit underpriced for the Memphis Grizzlies. He isn’t playing consistent minutes, but he comes with plenty of per-minute production. The Utah Jazz have struggled at times against power forwards throughout the season, and Jackson can easily beat his price tag if he’s given the minutes. Similar to Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis gets a good matchup against the Orlando Magic, and he’s coming off of a 49.25 DK point performance against them. He’s locked into big minutes with Brook Lopez out, and Portis can be used tonight, as well. DeMar DeRozan, John Collins, Miles Bridges, and Brandon Clake can be considered in GPPs tonight.
Center
Cash
Karl-Anthony Towns hasn’t been overly consistent in 2021, but he’s found plenty of success against the New Orleans Pelicans. They don’t boast a defense that will slow Towns down, and his price tag is down a bit from where it should be on this slate. Rudy Gobert is another interesting option, as he comes with 20/20 potential. He gets a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, who’ve struggled against centers this season. Jonas Valancinuas is a bit too cheap, and he can be considered in cash games on this slate. With that being said, I’d prefer to move up slightly to Towns or move down slightly to Gobert. If you feel strongly about Valancinuas, he is viable here.
GPP
Clint Capela boasts the potential to contribute in each of the 5 categories, and he’s a massive double-double threat. He needed only 24 minutes to post 45.25 DK points against the Charlotte Hornets in his last game. Capela gets a great matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he boasts elite upside on this slate. Robert Williams is expected to return to full minutes tonight, and he scored 35+ DK points in each of his last 3 healthy games. The Houston Rockets have struggled against centers throughout the season, and Williams boasts tremendous upside in this particular matchup. Deandre Ayton, Mason Plumlee, and Jarrett Allen can be used at centers tonight, as well.
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