Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (12/9)! 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 |
| D. White | J. Jackson | N. Jokic | LAL/MEM |
| D. Bane | A. Davis | J. Poeltl | DEN/SA |
| D. Mitchell | D. Brooks | R. Gobet | UTA/PHI |
| T. Horton-Tucker | R. Gay | J. Embiid | – |
| D. Murray | L. James | S. Adams | – |
*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 limited options on a three-game slate tonight. You can start with the San Antonio Spurs guards. Dejounte Murray and Derrick White are two of the best options on the slate. They’re both a bit underpriced in a solid matchup against the Denver Nuggets. Murray and White could also handle the majority of the offensive workload with Keldon Johnson injured. Desmond Bane is another great option here. He’s seen a massive role in the Memphis Grizzlies offense as they deal with injuries. He’s posted 40+ DK points in 2 of his last 3 games, and he’s locked into big minutes tonight. Tyus Jones and De’Antony Melton are two more interesting options in cash games at guard tonight.
GPP
Donovan Mitchell can be considered in cash games because of the slate, but I prefer him in GPPs tonight. He gets a solid matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, and Mitchell comes with tremendous upside. He’s scored 45+ DK points in 5 consecutive games, and his price tag doesn’t truly represent that. Talen Horton-Tucker is another interesting option, as he’s expected to continue to see 30+ minutes. He’s always flashed as a great fantasy option, but I don’t trust him in cash games with the big 3 healthy for the Los Angeles Lakers. You can consider Mike Conley, Monte Morris, and Bones Hyland here as well.
Forward
Cash
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Anthony Davis are great options at power forward tonight. Jackson’s always flashed on a per-minute basis, although the minutes are generally inconsistent. He struggles with fouls at times, but Jackson should be locked into big minutes with Brandon Clarke out and Kyle Anderson questionable. Davis’ performed well throughout the season, and he’s surprisingly cheap. He’s my favorite option of the Los Angles Lakers big 3. LeBron James is another great option on this slate, especially with small forward being arguably the worst position. He’s consistent, and I love the matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Others to consider here are Kyle Anderson (if active), Doug McDermott, and Royce O’Neale.
GPP
Dillon Brooks hasn’t been overly consistent since the injury to Ja Morant, but he comes with tremendous upside. He’s a massive part of the offense, and he’ll come with plenty of upside if his shot is falling. Rudy Gay’s an interesting cheaper option. He’s playing roughly 20 minutes per night for the Utah Jazz, flashing 30+ DK points in limited minutes. With this being such a small slate, I don’t mind Gay in cash games. I simply prefer him in GPPs. Will Barton, Lonnie Walker, Jeff Green, and Aaron Gordon all boast more than enough upside to be considered on this slate.
Center
Cash
Similar to the last few nights, there are two clear options at center tonight. Nikola Jokic continues to be arguably the best fantasy option in the NBA. He’s posted 72.75 and 62 DK points in his last 2 games, and he gets a solid matchup against the San Antonio Spurs tonight. On the other side, Jakob Poeltl continues to be a bit underpriced. He’s scored 28+ DK points in 8 consecutive games while flashing more upside. Poeltl’s an extremely consistent option, and I’m not overly concerned about the matchup against the Denver Nuggets. He’s a great cash game play tonight.
GPP
Steven Adams has been playing bigger minutes for the Memphis Grizzlies, and that should be the case again tonight, specifically if Kyle Anderson is ruled out. Adams comes with plenty of upside as a double-double threat, and he gets a solid matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Rudy Gobert and Joel Embiid face off against each other in an interesting matchup. They’re both elite defensive centers, but we have very limited options on this slate. They aren’t players I’m going to struggle to get into my lineups, but if they fit, they can both be used tonight.
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