Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (12/30)! 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 |
| R. Hampton | K. Love | N. Jokic | PHI/BKN |
| K. Pangos | M. Wagner | D. Gafford | MIL/ORL |
| T. Frazier | F. Wagner | W. Carter Jr. | CLE/WAS |
| F. Campazoo | L. Markkanen | K. Looney | GS/DEN |
| J. Harden | G. Anetokounmpo | J. Embiid | – |
*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.
NOTE: The Golden State vs Denver game for tonight has been postponed.
Guards
Cash
We have a ton of [potential] value guard on this slate. RJ Hampton is locked into big minutes as the Orlando Magic continue to deal with a short rotation. He’s scored 22+ DK points in three consecutive games, and he’s expected to find 30+ minutes tonight. Kevin Pangos is expected to start at point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who’ve been decimated by injuries at the guard position. Pangos has flashed in the past, and he’s one of the higher upside options for his price tag if he’s playing bigger minutes. James Harden has been playing at an elite level, but he comes with added risk because of Kevin Durant returning to the lineup. Still, there is a plethora of salary relief on this slate. Harden is my third favorite spend-up, so you may not be able to get here in cash games. We also need to wait on the Washington Wizards news for cash games. Spencer Dinwiddie, Aaron Holiday, and Raul Neto have all been ruled out, while Bradley Beal and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are questionable. More value could open up if they’re ruled out.
GPP
This is an odd slate where you can use several options in cash games, so I’m trying to take a stance here instead of giving you 100 cash game options. Tim Frazier is expected to play 20-25 minutes for the Orlando Magic, and he’s near the minimum price on this slate. Although Fraizer hasn’t flashed this season, he comes with extremely solid upside for his price tag. The Denver Nuggets are now struggling with some Covid issues. Facundo Campazzo is an interesting option tonight because of that. If Monte Morris plays, Campazzo is better suited for GPPs. If Morris is out, Campazzo can be shifted into the cash game conversation. Will Barton, Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, and Gary Harris can all be considered here as well.
Forward
Cash
Forward’s one of the more frustrating positions because there are a few options I love at power forward without much at small forward tonight. Giannis Antetokounmpo is an elite spend-up, and he gets another elite matchup against the Orlando Magic. They’ve only played in blowouts this season, but Antetokounmpo comes with tremendous upside if this game stays close. On the other side, Moe Wagner will be locked into bigger minutes with Robin Lopez out. Although he isn’t likely to see more than 25 minutes tonight, Wagner’s far too cheap for that time on the court, as he can produce well. Kevin Love is a bit of an unknown because of the point he’s at in his career. He played 32 minutes in the Cleveland Cavaliers last game, and he’s an elite per-minute option. Love’s flashed the ability to destroy value in only 20 minutes. At small forward, you’re likely choosing between Isaac Okoro, Lauri Markkanen, or Franz Wagner without any truly standing above the rest at the moment.
GPP
I listed Markkanen and Wagner as Safe GPP options above because I prefer them in GPPs rather than cash games. With that being said, the position is so weak that they’re simply two of the best options on the slate. Dean Wade’s another player that can be considered, as he’s going to get plenty of minutes for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Denzel Valentine, Cedi Osman (if playing), and Evan Mobley are more Cavs that can be considered. Kevin Durant is likely to go overlooked tonight, but he always boasts tremendous upside. He isn’t near my favorite spend-up, but I’m sure most people are saying the same thing, making him a great GPP pivot. Admiral Schofield, Deni Avdija, Khris Middleton, and Otto Porter Jr. are more interesting options here.
Center
Cash
I’m taking a hard stance on center tonight with there being two clear cash game options. First, Nikola Jokic. He’s always the best play on basically any slate. He gets a “tough” matchup against the Golden State Warriors, but it doesn’t truly matter. Jokic hasn’t priced himself out, and he’s an elite option in all leagues tonight. The second option is Daniel Gafford. He’s expected to be locked into 30+ minutes with Montrezl Harrell out of the lineup. He’s always performed well on a per-minute basis, and Gafford posted 36.26 DK points in 36 minutes in his last game. He’s an elite option as his price tag doesn’t match his upside.
GPP
The rest of the options can be used in GPPs tonight. Pivoting off of Jokic to Joel Embiid would be interesting tonight. Embiid comes with tremendous upside, and he gets a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets tonight. Brooklyn doesn’t boast anyone that can slow him down in the paint, making Embiid an elite expensive option. Kevon Looney is benefitting from the Golden State Warriors being without a few players, and he’s performed well on a per-minute basis this season. He should continue to see 25-30 minutes, and he’s a high upside play tonight. Wendell Carter Jr’s quietly performed well for the Orlando Magic this season. He’s locked into massive minutes, as they need bodies. Regardless of the score, he’s going to get his time on the court, and Carter comes with plenty of upside for his current price tag.
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