Welcome to another edition of Bales’ Top GPP plays. In this article, I will outline my favorite NBA GPP plays for today’s games. If you want all of my core plays along with our staff’s Final Thoughts article and access to our Discord, click here.
Guards
Malik Beasley
Beasley’s enjoyed quite a bit of success early this season. He’s averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists (29.8 fantasy points) in 32.2 minutes per game through 10 contests. Beasley’s also averaging 33.4 fantasy points in 35.5 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Those numbers are boosted a bit by 39.5 and 48.25 fantasy point performances against the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets.
Beasley gets a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, who rank 18th in the NBA in pace and fourth in defensive rating this season. He’s expected to lose a bit of his usage rating with Karl-Anthony Towns healthy, although he recently posted a 24% usage rating in one of his best games of the season against San Antonio with Towns in the lineup. Beasley’s expected to continue to find minutes in the mid- to high-30s, and he’ll see plenty of scoring opportunities regardless of who’s on the floor with him. Beasley’s also better at home, where he’s averaging 11.2 more fantasy points per game this season. He comes with quite a bit of risk, but he’s an outstanding boom or bust option tonight.
Bigs
Zion Williamson
Williamson’s been a bit quiet for the New Orleans Pelicans this season. He’s averaging 21.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals (36.9 fantasy points) in 31.5 minutes per game. Williamson’s flashed at times, though, scoring 53 fantasy points against the Miami Heat. He’s also scored 39+ fantasy points in each of his last 3 games, playing 32+ minutes in each of those contests.
Williamson gets an interesting matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers tonight. They only rank 27th in the league in pace, but they have also struggled defensively, ranking 25th in defensive efficiency. Williamson’s usage rating fluctuates a bit, generally sitting around 29% on any given night. In other words, he boasts one of the highest usage ratings of any big man on this slate. He’s also expected to find minutes in the 30s, as he continues to be a focal point of the New Orleans rotation. Williamson hasn’t flashed the true upside that many were expecting this season, although he’s performed well, specifically for his current price tag. This matchup caused his price tag to drop, and it will also likely keep his ownership low. Williamson is far too cheap now, though, and he’s always a great tournament option if he doesn’t feature a ton of ownership.
Julius Randle
Randle’s looked elite in a larger role this season. Through 11 games, he’s averaging 22.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists (47.9 fantasy points) in 37.1 minutes per game. Randle’s scored 60+ fantasy points in 4 of his last 10 games, including 50+ fantasy points in 3 of his last 5 contests.
He gets a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, who rank fourth in the NBA in pace and 10th in defensive efficiency this season. Randle’s usage rating sits in the mid-20%. He’s a big that boasts triple-double potential, although he rarely contributes blocks or steals. His minutes have been a bit more inconsistent in recent games, although he’s expected to see roughly 35 minutes tonight. Randle is an athletic player that will benefit from Brooklyn pushing the pace in this game. He generally doesn’t see a ton of ownership because of his price tag, although he’s one of the top high-priced options on this slate tonight.
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