Bales’ NBA Game Theory (11/29)

Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (11/29)! 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.

Editor’s Note: You can get 25% off of our packages using the Promo Code “TURKEY”

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Guards

Cash

There are two point guards that stick out above the rest on this slate. Kevin Porter’s taken on a larger role with Jalen Green injured. He’s scored 35 and 54 DK points in his last 2 games, and Porter gets an elite matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. This is one of my favorite games to attack, and Porter is still reasonably priced on this slate. Malcolm Brogdon’s another elite option. He continues to be a bit underpriced, even with some recent struggles. Still, his minutes are finally consistent,  and Brogdon gets a great matchup against the Minnesota Wolves. Dejounte Murray is another option if you have the salary. He’s averaging 49.2 DK points per game over the last 10 days, although he won’t come cheap. Still, Murray can be considered against the Washington Wizards.

Shooting guard is one of the more interesting positions at the moment. Caris LeVert looks to be a clear option early in the day. Similar to Brogdon, his minutes are back up, and he’s scored 27.5 and 30.25 DK points in his last 2 games. LeVert’s still a massive part of the Indiana Pacers rotation, and his price tag has dipped too much for the matchup against the Minnesota Wolves. Lu Dort is another outstanding option here. He’s been consistently underpriced for quite some time, and he’s starting to heat back up with 32 and 38.75 DK points in his last 2 games. Dort gets a matchup against the Houston Rockets in a game I want several pieces of. He’s an elite salary relief option. Donovan Mitchell and CJ McCollum are two higher-priced options that can be considered in cash games at shooting guard, although I slightly prefer both in GPPs at the moment.

GPP

Devonte’ Graham’s seen mixed results in somewhat of limited minutes since returning from a recent injury. His price tag’s dropped significantly, although he’s expected to return to full minutes in this game. Graham also gets a great matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, who’ve struggled against point guards throughout the season. He’s far too cheap on this slate, especially if he finds 30+ minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is priced to the point where he’s likely to go overlooked with some of the other options at this position. Still, he’s the focal point of the Oklahoma City Thunder offense, and he gets an elite matchup against a bad Houston Rockets defense. He’s an elite tournament pivot on this slate. Luka Doncic, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Reggie Jackson can all be considered here as well.

Eric Gordon’s in play once again tonight. He’s coming off of a 36.75 DK point performance against the Charlotte Hornets. More importantly, he’s playing bigger minutes with a bigger role with Jalen Green injured. Gordon’s another lower-owned way to get a piece of the Oklahoma City Thunder vs Houston Rockets game tonight. I prefer Dejounte Murray to Derrick White, but you can certainly take the savings with the latter on this slate. He’ll face off against the Washington Wizards, and White’s quietly posted 44 and 38.5 DK points in 2 of his last 3 games. He. comes with tremendous upside, specifically at home, and White’s still under $6k on this slate. You can also consider Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Zach LaVine, and Jalen Suggs as shooting guards tonight.

Forward

Cash

Josh Giddey continues to enjoy a strong rookie season for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s been an extremely consistent fantasy option because of his versatility, although he isn’t overly aggressive in terms of scoring at this point in his career. Giddey gets an elite matchup against the Houston Rockets, who’ve struggled against small forwards throughout the season. He’ll continue to make a great cash game option until his price jumps over $7k. On the other side, Jae’Sean Tate is also in play. He should be locked into big minutes with Jalen Green out, and he scored 28 DK points in 36 minutes in his last game. We can expect 30+ minutes once again, and he’s a bit too cheap against a bad Oklahoma City Thunder team. If you have the salary, Paul George is an outstanding option in a great matchup tonight.

There are a few solid options for cash games at power forward with two standings above the rest. Nassir Little will take on a larger role in the rotation with Norman Powell out. Little’s looked outstanding in extended minutes when given the opportunity this season, and there isn’t anyone with his upside around his price tag tonight. He should end up being one of the highest-owned players on the slate, even against the Utah Jazz. The Orlando Magic are one of the worst defenses in the NBA against power forwards, and Tobias Harris gets a matchup against them tonight. He isn’t overly expensive, and he’s locked into big minutes and a big role for the Philadelphia 76ers. Harris is an elite option at the position tonight. DeMar DeRozan can be added to the cash game pool if Zach LaVine is out.

GPP

There aren’t many small forwards here that I absolutely want to add to my pool. Franz Wagner continues to be too cheap, and he’s a great option. I don’t love his matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, who continue to get healthier. Josh Hart and Lauri Markkanen are two more high-upside options that come with quite a bit of risk. They are reasonably priced, though, meaning they can be used as GPP darts on this slate. Lonnie Walker should see a bigger role with the San Antonio Spurs dealing with a few injuries, and he’s an outstanding option here. If he’s starting, he may get bumped into my cash pool tonight.

A couple of tough games have kept Domantas Sabonis’ price tag a bit too low for tonight. He gets a great matchup against the Minnesota Wolves, and Sabonis comes with the ability to take over the Indiana Pacers offense on any given night. He’s an elite tournament option on this slate. PJ Washington is one of the more interesting options, as well. He’s playing a larger role in the rotation with Mason Plumlee out, and he’s scored 36.75 and 27.5 DK points in his last 2 games. If I knew he’d be locked into 30+ minutes tonight, he’d be locked into my cash game pool. Washington’s minutes are guaranteed at the moment, though, adding a bit of risk to him as a play. Keldon Johnson, Larry Nance, and Evan Mobley are interesting options here as well.

Center

Cash

There are several elite cash game options at center tonight. Christian Wood is playing a new role in the Houston Rockets rotation, and he’s scored 40+ DK points in 3 of his last 4 games, including a 63.5 DK point performance. Wood gets an elite matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he’s one of the top options regardless of position on this slate. Wendell Carter has also caught fire recently, scoring 37+ DK points in each of his last 3 games. He gets a tougher matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, but Carter is far too cheap on this slate. Nikola Jokic will also make an elite option if he’s able to suit up tonight.

GPP

Nikola Vucevic gets arguably the best matchup on the slate, as he’ll face off against the Charlotte Hornets without Mason Plumlee. He recently returned, though, and Chicago said they didn’t want to give him too many minutes too fast. If he’s announced for minutes in the mid-30s, he’ll be bumped into my cash game pool. Jarrett Allen is another elite option here. He gets a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, who don’t have the size to keep up with him in the paint. He’s an elite double-double threat with tremendous block potential. Jakob Poeltl, Joel Embiid, and Bam Adebayo are all tremendous options at this position as well.

 

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