Welcome to Tristan’s NBA Game Theory (12/22)! 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 |
| B. Bogdanovic | J. Collins | N. Jokic | ORL/ATL |
| T. Haliburton | G. Harris | I. Zubac | HOU/MIL |
| K. Huerter | K. Middleton | O. Okongwu | CLE/BOS |
| P. Pritchard | C. Reddish | K. Love | DEN/OKC |
| R. Rubio | D. Wade | D. Cousins |
*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.
Happy almost Christmas!!! A ton of news to get through tonight in a 5 game slate so please please please, don’t forget to check for updates either on Twitter or in our discord channel where news updates are posted and in our premium channel, breakdown of the news! With that out of the way, let’s get to it.
Guards
Cash
First guard I’m looking at for both cash games and GPPs is Bogdan Bogdanovic. We got news that Atlanta is missing a TON of players. Specifically, Trae Young, Danilo Gallinari, and Clint Capela. Trae ALONE holds a 35% usage rate. That’s over 1/3 of the usage rate for the team to Trae Young… which means that will get split upon the rest of the players on the team. Bogdan is one to take advantage of the usage bump, and at a price at 4.7k against an Orlando team that gives up a ton of points to guards… I don’t see where this can go wrong. If he’s limited then yes, he isn’t a great play but if he is a full go… he can see a ceiling of 35-40 tonight and a floor of 20. Orlando is also down a good amount of players as well.
Tyrese Haliburton has stepped up to the plate to take over the role of the main PG on the team with DeAaron Fox out with COVID protocols. In his last 4 games he has scored over 40 DKP in each and in his last 3 he has taken on the scoring role HEAVY putting up over 20 real points in each game while averaging OVER 15 shot attempts. His ceiling is high right now because the Kings are missing so many people..HIGH usage people at that. Also averaging over 10 assists in his last 3 games, he looks to be the main guy that the ball runs through for this Kings team and I expect it to continue here at home vs the Clippers. The match-up isn’t too ideal but we don’t have a ton of options anymore with the TOR CHI game being PPD. Not only that, but a ton of players are priced up now for no reason but this guy is one that makes sense.
BONUS: Kevin Huerter is a great cash play as well
GPP
Ricky Rubio will have his hand in a ton of the Cavaliers’ production if this game stays close today. It’s a hard read because the Cavs have been so good this year, but they will be missing their main two bigs who have had a HUGE hand in the success this season — Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. I think that their defense and offense takes a huge hit with both bigs out, so I struggle to see how close this game will stay…but if it does stay competitive, I believe Ricky Rubio will have a huge part in it. At only 6.2k on DK with a ceiling of 35-40 in this spot, he makes for a great GPP play. He also has a floor of about 20 here because of the tough match-up that could lead to a blowout.
BONUS: Payton Pritchard, Delon Wright
Forward
Cash
John Collins is another huge beneficiary of Trae Young and Clint Capela’s absence, going from 17.2 ppg to 18.6, 7,9 to 8.1 rpg, less steals but more blocks, which in turn means he sees more time on the floor at the 5 to be in position for blocks. Now with Trae Young being out as well, that even furthers his usage rate as well as his numbers. He barely gets assists as is so that won’t change much, but he will have such a huge upside tomorrow against this Orlando team that might only have Wendell inside if not Robin Lopez.
Gary Harris is someone that I didn’t think I would be writing up this year but here we are. The Magic are missing about 6-7 guards.. and Harris has seen 36 min in his past 2 games with all these players being out. 5 assists in each game so he is playing the both scoring and passing role, and as we know he can put up defensive stats as well. With Cole Anthony Q, his production is in question..but he should still see great minutes with Cole in. If Cole is out, I have him as an auto lock because of how thin they are at this position. His upside is capped if Cole is ruled in.
GPP
Dean Wade is the man I will be targeting in GPPs for tonight at this position because Cleveland is down many bodies, especially bigs. We’ve seen Dean Wade play through blowouts before as well, win or lose. I personally think this game has high blowout potential because Cleveland is missing their best guys in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. A lot of minutes does open up for players like Cedi Osman, Kevin Love, and Ricky Rubio who are fine plays tonight as well. They will be fairly popular at least in GPPs just because of their boom or bust potential. I think Dean Wade is a safe GPP play here because of his high floor and of course, we’ve seen his ceiling. That doesn’t mean Love and Osman are bad plays at all, I just feel like if they DO get blown out…then they are the ones to not play in it. This game could easily stay close though and have each of those 3 other players I mentioned pop off to keep it that way.. two ways to play this game.
Bonus: Cam Reddish
Center
Cash
Ivica Zubac will definitely be on my radar tonight if nothing else goes wrong (protocols hah) because of his solidified role in this offense even with Paul George being back. Isaiah Hartenstein being out also secures his minutes to be over 25. He faced this team on the 4th of this month and put up 33.75 DKP as well. He’s going to be needed in this matchup because of Sacramento’s size with Chimieze Metu and potentially Richaun Holmes
Bonus: Robin Lopez if Wendell Carter Jr is ruled out, Chris Boucher
GPP
Not sure how healthy Onyeka Okongwu is.. but he did play 14 mins in the last game vs Denver where most of the guys were available before this COVID outbreak. If he is fully healthy…he should be in line for a good amount of minutes here. We’ve seen how his production is..he is a great PPM guy and could see some good minutes tomorrow. Remember that his upside is limited because John Collins is still present.
EDIT: Just found out he will be on a min limit. He is still a decent play because of his PPM production but being on a limit puts a cap on his ceiling.
BONUS: DeMarcus Cousins, Robert Williams
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