Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (2/12)! 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.
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| Guards | Forwards |
Centers | Game Stacks |
| D. Murray | T. Young | J. Embiid | MEM/CHA |
| F. Campazzo | D. Vassell | N. Jokic | SA/NO |
| S. Curry | D. DeRozan | N. Vucevic | SAC/WAS |
| J. Morant | K. Kuzma | D. Ayton | ORL/PHX |
| L. Ball | K. Porzingis | J. Valanciunas | LAL/GS |
*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
Dejounte Murray’s taken on a massive role without Derrick White in the lineup this season, and that will continue to be the case. He posted a 32/10/15 line with 4 steals last night, and he’ll continue to do anything he wants on the court for the remainder of the season. It isn’t likely to be long before Murray’s consistently one of the highest-priced options on any given slate. You’re also saving salary at guard with Facundo Campazzo. Bones Hyland drew the start last night, but Campazzo saw more minutes and closed the game, even with Hyland playing better. He scored 28 DK points in 29 minutes, and Campazzo is the minimum price on this slate. He’s likely the easiest play tonight. LaMelo Ball is another great spend-up option here. He’s taking on a bigger scoring role with Gordon Hayward out, and Ball can be considered in all leagues in the night’s best game. Devin Booker, De’Aaron Fox, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are all interesting options on this slate as well.
GPP
Stephen Curry is one of my favorite GPP options on this slate. He’ll go overlooked with Dejounte Murray playing at such an elite level, but Curry gets a great matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve struggled against point guards throughout the season, and Curry comes with as much upside as anyone in the NBA. Ja Morant is another elite high-priced option tonight. He’s playing in the best game environment on the slate, and Morant’s flashed elite upside in recent games. Desmond Bane is another Memphis Grizzlies guard that can be considered in this game. You can also consider Chris Paul, Devonte’ Graham, Patty Mills, Corey Kispert, and Bones Hyland here.
Forward
Cash
I’m looking to save some salary at forward tonight. Thad Young was recently traded to the Toronto Raptors, where he’s expected to take on a larger role. He’s looked outstanding on a per-minute basis throughout the season, and if he’s playing 20+ minutes tonight, he’ll make an elite option. Devin Vassell started in the San Antonio Spurs last game, scoring 33.75 DK points in 28 minutes. He doesn’t get as good of a matchup as that game, but it’s still a great environment against the New Orleans Pelicans. If he’s starting again (other traded players may be active tonight), he’ll make an outstanding salary relief option. Kristaps Porzingis is questionable to make his Washington Wizards debut tonight. If he does, he’s entirely too cheap. He should immediately take on a massive role with Bradley Beal out, and Porzingis shouldn’t be priced under $8k. Again, this depends on his health tonight. These are currently the main three I’m interested in, although I’m sure my pool will expand with news throughout the day.
GPP
I’m currently looking at DeMar DeRozan more in tournaments than cash games, although that may change by tonight. He’s on an incredible run, scoring 35+ points in each of his last 4 games. He gets an elite matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, although that game could quickly turn into a blowout. Kyle Kuzma is another interesting option. He’ll continue to play a massive role in the Washington Wizards offense, although he’ll lose some value if Porzingis is starting. If Porzingis is out, Kuzma can be shifted into the cash game conversation. Miles Bridges and Kelly Oubre Jr. are two more players with tremendous upside that can be considered here. They both will be playing in an elite game that should feature plenty of fantasy points. Franz Wagner, Jaren Jackson Jr., Darius Bazley, and Domantas Sabonis can be used here as well.
Center
Cash
You’re likely spending up on one of two centers tonight. Joel Embiid is taking on a massive role after the Philadelphia 76ers traded several players and James Harden isn’t ready to play yet. He gets a tougher matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, although it doesn’t truly matter. Embiid will do anything he wants on the court, and he’s an elite option. Nikola Jokic is another elite player that can be used in all leagues. He gets a matchup against the Toronto Raptors, who don’t have the size to slow him down. He’s a triple-double threat on any given slate, and he’s surprisingly cheap on this slate. Either of these two can be considered in all leagues tonight.
GPP
Deandre Ayton’s been a bit of a boom or bust option for the Phoenix Suns in recent games, but he’s played better at home throughout the season. He gets a great matchup against the Orlando Magic tonight. The only major concern is a blowout. Nikola Vucevic is another high upside option that could struggle with a blowout on this slate. If his game happens to stay close, he comes with tremendous upside. That’s a big if, though, which is why he’s listed as a GPP option. Jonas Valanciunas enters this game with a surprisingly cheap price tag. He isn’t a massive focal point of the offense with Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum taking over, but he still comes with plenty of potential. This is also an elite matchup, as the San Antonio Spurs have struggled against centers throughout the season. Jakob Poeltl, Steven Adams, and Bam Adebayo are all interesting options in GPPs tonight as well.
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