Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (12/27)! 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 |
| J. Harden | K. Porzingis | N. Knight | HOU/CHA |
| J. Brunson | C. Reddish | G. Dieng | MEM/PHX |
| C. White | J. Konchar | J. Poeltl | BOS/MIN |
| E. Bledsoe | J. Brown | R. Gobert | UTA/SA |
| D. Lillard | N. Powell | M. Plumlee | DAL/POR |
*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
You’re starting guard with James Harden tonight. He’s coming off of a 75.5 DK point performance on Christmas, and Harden will continue to be the focal point of the offense with several other players out. He also gets a plus matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers tonight. Jalen Brunson is another elite option on this slate. He isn’t going to come cheap, but he’s consistently found success without Luka Doncic in the lineup. The Dallas Mavericks are dealing with several Covid issues, and Brunson saw 25 shot attempts in his last game. He’s still too cheap under $8k. On the other side of that game, Damian Lillard is an outstanding option. He’s questionable with a personal issue, but he’ll continue to see a massive role in the offense if he’s healthy. Lillard is behind Harden and Brunson at point guard tonight. Other options to consider in cash games at guard include Bogdan Bogdanovic, Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, and LaMelo Ball.
GPP
I’m 50/50 on whether or not Eric Bledsoe is cash playable, which is why I’m listing him here. He played 36 and 37 minutes in his last two games, scoring 38 and 50 DK points. Bledsoe’s a versatile option when given the opportunity, and he’s a focal point of the offense without Reggie Jackson or Paul George in the lineup. Bledsoe will continue to run the offense, and I may shift him into my cash game pool by game time. Cody White is another salary relief option that can be considered here. He isn’t necessarily the top option in the offense, but he’s locked into 30+ minutes with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso out. White will continue to see plenty of shot attempts as well. Skylar Mays, Derrick White, Terry Rozier, and Jordan Clarkson are all interesting options as well.
Forward
Cash
Similar to Jalen Brunson, Kristaps Porzingis is an elite option with so many players out for the Dallas Mavericks. He’s scored 47.25 and 46 DK points in his last two full games. He also recently posted 53.25 DK points in only 25 minutes the other week against the Charlotte Hornets. Porzingis will see plenty of shot attempts in this game, and he’s an elite option. Cam Reddish somewhat cooled off in his last two games, posting roughly 25 DK points in each game. Still, he’s seeing plenty of minutes for the Atlanta Hawks, who’re dealing with a Covid outbreak. The Charlotte Hornets are dealing with more Covid cases, leaving them without many bigs. Jalen McDaniels is playing a bigger role for Charlotte now, scoring 20+ DK points in four of his last five games. He also flashed 30+ DK point upside when given 30+ minutes. He’ll be locked into solid minutes tonight, and McDaniels is an outstanding salary relief option. Nassir Little, Larry Nance Jr., and Norman Powell are all going to be locked into big minutes, as the Portland Blazers are without several bigs tonight. They each can be considered in all leagues.
GPP
John Konchar started for the Memphis Grizzlies in their last game, scoring 43 DK points in 28 minutes. He’s far too cheap if he draws the start again, but Konchar doesn’t always produce when on the floor. If you need his salary relief, you can consider him in cash games. He’s better suited for GPPs, though. Jaylen Brown is priced up at this point, but he’ll take over as the focal point of the offense with Jayson Tatum out. Brown boasts 50+ DK point upside, and he gets a great matchup against the Minnesota Wolves tonight. Kelly Oubre isn’t as consistent with some of the higher usage options available for Charlotte. Still, he boasts elite upside because of his scoring capabilities. Oubre also gets a great matchup against the Houston Rockets, and he’s a high upside GPP play. Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, Keldon Johnson, Sterling Brown, and Jaden McDaniels are all interesting options as well.
Center
Cash
With no Nikola Jokic on this slate, you’re likely looking to save at center tonight. Nathan Knight is expected to start for the Minnesota Wolves with Karl-Anthony Towns, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Naz Reid all out. Knight will likely be forced into big minutes, making him an easy option for his price tag. Several bigs are out for the Atlanta Hawks tonight, and Gorgui Dieng is expected to play around 20-25 minutes tonight. His price is on the rise, but he’s performed well on a per-minute basis. Mason Plumlee is another big who will likely be forced into bigger minutes because of Covid protocols. He’s still extremely cheap on this slate, and Plumlee does boast versatility at the position. Simply put, there are far too many solid salary relief options at center to spend up on this position in cash games.
GPP
Rudy Gobert is the most expensive healthy center, and he can be used in GPPs tonight. He’s posted 50+ DK points in two of his last three games, and he gets a solid matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. Gobert’s lack of offensive game always adds risk to him as a player, but he does come with plenty of upside. On the other side, Jakob Poeltl is someone I’m considering. He comes with reasonable upside for his price tag, but he’ll go overlooked because of recent struggles. Poeltl hasn’t been playing big minutes because of blowouts, but he should return to 30+ minutes tonight in this matchup. You can consider Nikola Vucevic, Clint Capela, Al Horford, and Ivica Zubac in GPPs tonight.
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