Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (11/23)! 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 |
| T. Horton-Tucker | P. George | N. Jokic | DEN/POR |
| D. Lillard | A. Burks | I. Zubac | LAL/NY |
| C. Cunningham | H. Diallo | N. Noel | MIA/DET |
| M. Morris | J. Butler | B. Adebayo | DAL/LAC |
| C. McCollum | A. Davis | J. Nurkic | – |
*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 two clear options I’m looking at in cash games at point guard at the moment. Damian Lillard’s been playing well in recent games, scoring 45+ DK points in 4 of his last 5 games. He’s coming off of a 56 DK point performance, as well. Lillard’s been better at home, and he gets a plus matchup against the Denver Nuggets tonight. If you need to save salary here, Cory Joseph is an outstanding option. He’s still under $4k, and he’s scored 20+ DK points in each of his last 3 games. The Detroit Pistons are dealing with injuries and a suspension, leaving Joseph to play 30+ minutes once again tonight. He’s far too cheap on this slate.
With LeBron James suspended, Talen Horton-Tucker is a great option at shooting guard. He’s played 37 and 39 minutes in games without James this season, scoring 42 and 52 DK points. Horton-Tucker gets a solid matchup against the New York Knicks, and he’s an outstanding option for his current price tag. C.J. McCollum’s seen mixed results in recent games, but he gets a matchup against an injured Denver Nuggets team. Although I have him well below Horton-Tucker in cash games, I do believe you can consider the Portland shooting guard in this spot. If Luka Doncic is ruled out, Jalen Brunson will turn into an elite option in all leagues at guard.
GPP
Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, and Kemba Walker are all splitting minutes for the New York Knicks, and they each come with enough upside to be considered on this small of a slate. That’s the order I would use them in GPPs tonight, as well. Monte Morris’ seen mixed results in recent games. He’s scored as many as 36.25 DK points in only 24 minutes and as few as 16.25 DK points in 34 minutes. Morris is a cheap option with boom or bust potential, although he’ll make a better option if Nikola Jokic is ruled out. Kyle Lowry and Reggie Jackson can also be considered here.
Cade Cunningham could garner ownership, although I slightly prefer him in GPPs instead of cash games. He’s coming off of his first career triple-double, scoring 50.5 DK points while shooting only 6-21 from the field. Still, Cunningham isn’t cheap anymore, and he gets a tough matchup against the Miami Heat. He’s viable in cash games, but I prefer him in GPPs. If Nikola Jokic is ruled out, Will Barton makes a great option (cash or GPP). He’s taking on a larger role in the offense, and he’s flashed near-50 DK point upside. Tyler Herro is another solid tournament option tonight.
Forward
Cash
Alec Burks has caught fire in recent games, averaging 27.7 DK points in 25.5 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Derrick Rose is questionable tonight, and if he’s ruled out, Burks will be one of the higher-owned players on this slate. He’s viable even if Rose is able to suit up tonight. Jimmy Butler is another great option at small forward tonight. He’s been playing at an elite level, averaging 53.2 DK points per game over the last 10 days. He’s scored 45+ DK points in each of his last 4 healthy games, flashing 65 DK point upside. Butler gets an elite matchup against the Detroit Pistons, who will continue to struggle defensively with a small lineup tonight.
There’s one clear power forward option at the moment – Paul George. He’s cooled off slightly in his last few games, but he gets a great matchup against the Dallas Mavericks tonight. George scored nearly 45 DK points in his last matchup against Dallas, and there are only 4 games tonight. He’s an elite option. If Luka Doncic is ruled out, Kristaps Porzingis will become an elite option in all leagues. Anthony Davis is another player that can be considered here without LeBron James in the lineup. He’s seen mixed results at times, although Davis is coming off of a 70 DK point performance. He gets a plus matchup against the New York Knicks, and he’s a viable option in cash games tonight.
GPP
The Detroit Pistons are expected to utilize a small lineup tonight, meaning Hamidou Diallo, Saddiq Bey, and Jerami Grant can all be considered on this slate. Grant scored nearly 50 DK points in his last game, and he played a majority of that game at center. It’s unclear if that will be the case again tonight, and each player in this trio makes great options. If Nikola Jokic is ruled out, Jeff Green and JaMychal Green will gain value. Of the duo, I prefer JaMychal, as he’s consistently flashed more upside. Aaron Gordon will also be a great option without Jokic in the lineup. Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr., and RJ Barrett can be considered here, as well.
Center
Cash
If he’s starting, Nikola Jokic will make an elite option tonight. He’s playing at an elite level for the majority of the season, and he’s surprisingly cheap compared to how they’ve priced others. Jokic needed only 28 minutes to score 52.75 DK points against the Portland Blazers earlier this season, and he’s an elite play tonight. If you need to save some salary at center, Ivica Zubac is an outstanding option. He’s scored 26+ DK points in each of his last 4 games, including a 29.5 DK point performance against the Dallas Mavericks. They don’t have the size to slow him down, and Zubac is a great option. Bam Adebayo’s in a similar position, as the Detroit Pistons will be without size tonight. Adebayo has been struggling a bit recently, but he boasts elite upside in this matchup.
GPP
Nerlens Noel should be locked into big minutes with Mitchell Robinson out and Taj Gibson doubtful. He’s still extremely cheap, and he can be considered in cash games. Still, I prefer him in GPPs, as he isn’t my favorite option at a limited position. Jusuf Nurkic is another high-upside option. He generally isn’t locked into big minutes, but the Portland Blazers could use his size if Jokic is starting. Nurkic’s flashed the ability to exceed value in limited minutes, and he’s a boom or bust option that will go overlooked tonight.
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