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 with access to our Discord, click here.
Guards
Furkan Korkmaz
Korkmaz has quietly performed well in the bubble. He’s averaging 11.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assist (18.3 fantasy points) in 21.4 minutes per game over the last 10 days. Korkmaz has seen an expanded role in his last 2 games, playing 29 and 32 minutes. He has also flashed his upside and risk, scoring 38.75 fantasy points against the Toronto Raptors but also being held to only 15 fantasy points against the Phoenix Suns.
Korkmaz gets a matchup against the Houston Rockets, who lead the bubble in pace while also ranking second in defensive rating. We’re in an odd spot where none of the teams have anything to play for today, so their starters aren’t likely to get a ton of run. Korkmaz is expected to play minutes in the high-20s or low-30s and he could be a focal point of the offense once guys like Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson hit their minutes limit. It’s going to be a strange day of NBA DFS, but Korkmaz is an option that brings plenty of upside to the table.
Bigs
Alize Johnson
Johnson has seen limited minutes throughout the season, including in the bubble. Over the last 10 days, he’s averaging 1.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steal (10.3 fantasy points) in only 8.3 minutes per game. Johnson saw 17 minutes in his last game, posting 2 points with 8 rebounds, 1 block, and 3 steals (20 fantasy points). Through 16 games on the season, he’s averaging 0.98 fantasy points per minute in very limited minutes.
Johnson gets a matchup against the Miami Heat today. They rank 20th in the bubble in pace and ninth in defensive rating, but he’s likely to be playing their backups. Indiana has already ruled out Myles Turner, T.J. Warren, and Victor Oladipo. I wouldn’t expect Johnson to play massive minutes in this game but he doesn’t need 30 minutes to easily exceed value. He is likely to see around 20 minutes, bringing elite rebounding with steal and block potential into this game. If given the time and shot opportunities, Johnson certainly comes with double-double potential. He’s extremely risky, as virtually no one will be using all of their salary but he also comes with solid upside, especially if he sees extended run.
SuperDraft
Chris Silva (2x)
Silva has played 15 minutes in the bubble, totaling 8 points with 6 rebounds and 1 assist. He saw 14 minutes in his last game, though, where he recorded nearly all of those stats. On the season, Silva is averaging 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in only 7.3 minutes per game. He’s averaging a 14.3/12.9/2.5/1.0/2.0 line on a per-36 minute basis this season.
Silva gets a matchup against the Indiana Pacers, who rank ninth in the NBA in pace and fifth in defensive rating. Still, they will be utilizing their backups, making this a significantly easier matchup for Silva. He’s expected to see minutes in the mid-20s tonight with Miami resting a number of their players. Oddly enough, Silva is listed as a guard on SuperDraft with a 2x multiplier. I’m a fantasy owner that generally prefers bigs over guards, and getting one of the top options on this slate at guard is an easy play.
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