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
Gary Trent Jr.
Trent has struggled quite a bit throughout this series. He’s averaging only 8.0 points and 1.5 rebounds (11.8 fantasy points) in 28.2 minutes per game. Trent scored less than 12 fantasy points in the first 3 games before scoring 17.75 in 34 minutes in his last game. He hasn’t been a major part of the offense, though, seeing single-digit shot attempts in each of his first three games of this series.
Trent gets a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. They ranked 11th in the bubble in pace and 12th in defensive rating in the play-in games. Trent has struggled throughout the season against Los Angeles’ defense. He’s expected to be forced into minutes in the high-30s with Damian Lillard out tonight. Trent will also take on a larger offensive role, adding to his upside. He’s a player that can get hot and score at will, although his inability to contribute peripheral stats at a high level makes him a boom or bust option on this slate.
Bigs
Nikola Vucevic
Vucevic has been playing at an elite level throughout this series. He’s averaging 29.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists (52.1 fantasy points) in 36.2 minutes per game. Vucevic has posted 50+ fantasy points in 3 of his 4 games, including a pair of games with 63.25 and 62 fantasy points. His only struggles came in his third game, scoring only 32.75 fantasy points, although that game appears to be an outlier.
Vucevic gets a matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, who ranked second in the bubble in pace and 10th in defensive rating. He has found plenty of success against them throughout the season, though, averaging 24.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.1 steals (48.6 fantasy points) in 33.5 minutes per game. Vucevic has seen his usage rating increase in the playoffs as he becomes a larger focal point of the offense. He’s a player that will likely garner ownership tonight, but he generally seems to go overlooked. Regardless, I still expect to be overweight to the field on him on this slate. There are only three games, and you’re going to have to take stands, and I’m taking mine with Vucevic.
SuperDraft
Jusuf Nurkic (1.4x)
Nurkic has seen mixed results throughout the NBA playoffs. He’s averaging 13.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 31.0 minutes per game. Nurkic’s minutes have been inconsistent but his role hasn’t changed. He also flashed elite upside in the play-in game for the playoffs, scoring 22 points with 21 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Nurkic gets a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been outlined in the Gary Trent Jr. recommendation. His only games against them this season have been in the playoffs. He’s a double-double threat that comes with the ability to contribute in each of the five categories at some level. You can only roster one center on SuperDraft, and Nurkic’s inconsistencies could keep his ownership down. He boasts a 1.4x multiplier, though, and makes an outstanding tournament option on this slate.
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