Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (11/8)! 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 |
| S. Curry | L. Doncic | J. Jackson | SAC/PHX |
| S. Milton | F. Kaminsky | A. Drummond | CHA/LAL |
| L. Ball | K. Anderson | S. Adams | ATL/GS |
| C. Paul | P. Dozier | J. Valanciunas | MIN/MEM |
| Z. LaVine | A. Davis | R. Holmes | BKN/CHI |
*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
There aren’t many locks at point guard this early in the day. Stephen Curry’s been struggling a bit in recent games, but he gets an elite matchup against the Atlanta Hawks tonight. This game should feature plenty of scoring with Curry being the primary option for the Golden State Warriors. Russell Westbrook will continue to take on a massive role with LeBron James out, and he could see added value if Anthony Davis is out tonight, as well. Westbrook’s an interesting option in a great matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. If you need to save a bit of salary here, Alex Caruso and Monte Morris are a bit too cheap. They should both see significant minutes tonight, making them reasonable salary relief options in cash games.
Shooting guard is one of the more interesting options in cash games. Shake Milton will be locked into big minutes for the Philadelphia 76ers, and he’ll take on a massive offensive role with Joel Embiid out and several other players injured. He’s posted 37 DK points in each of his last 2 games, and Milton continues to be grossly underpriced. The Atlanta Hawks struggle with scoring shooting guards, and Jordan Poole’s averaging 27.3 points per game over his last 3 games. He’s finally seeing consistently big minutes for the Golden State Warriors, and he’s the second option in their offense. With Michael Porter Jr. out tonight, Will Barton and PJ Dozier are expected to see bigger roles in the rotation. They get tough matchups against the Miami Heat, although they’re both underpriced and would be locked in a better matchup. This is a spot that can be considered in cash games, though.
GPP
Point guard starts with LaMelo Ball in GPPs tonight. He’s posted 38+ DK points in 5 consecutive games, scoring 50+ DK points in a pair of those contests. He boasts triple-double upside, and the Los Angeles Lakers have struggled against point guards throughout the season. De’Aaron Fox and Chris Paul will face off against each other tonight, and both can be considered in GPPs on this slate. I slightly prefer Paul in this matchup, as he’s flashed elite assist upside throughout the season. Either of them can be used in tournaments, though. Tyrese Maxey’s played 44 and 45 minutes in the Philadelphia 76ers last 2 games. He’ll be locked into a massive role with Joel Embiid out tonight, and he’s seeing the court far too much for his price tag. Ja Morant, Cam Payne, Gary Payton II, and Davion Mitchell can also be considered in GPPs tonight.
Zach LaVine is one of the top options in GPPs at this position tonight. He’s scored 40+ DK points in each of his last 4 games, and he boasts 50+ DK point upside. The Chicago Bulls will need LaVine’s scoring in a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets tonight, as well. Devin Booker’s another high-priced option who sticks out in his matchup. He performed well against the Sacramento Kings earlier this season, and he’s posted 50+ DK points in each of his last 2 games. He isn’t going to come cheap, but he can be used if you aren’t as confident in Lavine. Sticking in that game, Buddy Hield makes an interesting option. He’s averaging 10.8 three-point attempts per game, and the Phoenix Suns feature one of the worst three-point defenses in the NBA. He shot 7-11 from beyond the arc in their first matchup, and he boasts tremendous upside for his price tag once again tonight. Terry Rozier, Seth Curry, Tyrese Haliburton, and Bogdan Bogdanovic can also be considered here.
Forward
Cash
Luka Doncic is small forward eligible, so I saved him for this position. He’s been playing well in recent games, and he gets a great matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight. Doncic and Curry are the top spend-ups in cash games tonight. If you need to save a bit of salary, Kyle Anderson is an interesting option, as he continues to perform well on a per-minute basis. His minutes are extremely inconsistent, though, which is why I listed him as a “Safe GPP” option. With Joel Embiid ruled out, we can once again consider Furkan Korkmaz and Georges Niang are this spot. Both are somewhat reliant on scoring, but they’re both too cheap if they’re going to see big minutes for the Philadelphia 76ers. Desmond Bane and Harrison Barnes can be considered in cash games, as well.
Power forward (or center) can be considered the easiest position on this slate. With Deandre Ayton already ruled out, Frank Kaminsky is a lock. He’s eligible for both positions, and he’s scored 32 and 35.25 DK points in his 2 games without Ayton. He gets an elite matchup against the Sacramento Kings, and Kaminsky should be used in all leagues. Kristaps Porzingis is a bit underpriced, as he’s coming off of a 38.25 DK point performance in only 28 minutes. He also gets a great matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight. The main concerns with Porzingis are his lack of big minutes and his injury history, but he can be considered with a price tag under $7k on this slate.
GPP
Initially, I considered Kevin Durant in cash games, although I prefer Curry and Doncic, making it difficult to get the trio. Instead, I’ll shift him to tournaments, as he comes with tremendous upside in an intriguing matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Miles Bridges continues to make his case for the Most Improved Player award, as he’s taken on a massive role in the Charlotte Hornets offense. The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled defensively throughout the season, and Bridges comes with elite upside for his price tag. He’s an outstanding tournament option in a great game environment tonight. If you need salary relief at this position, De’Andre Hunter and Taurean Prince (if starting) should see solid minutes for their prices.
Anthony Davis is an elite tournament option once again. He burned plenty of people in his last game, playing only 7 minutes before leaving with an illness. If he’s starting tonight (thumb injury), he boasts 60+ DK point upside in an elite matchup. He may go a bit overlooked because of the 10:30 start time and people not wanting to deal with his injury issues. This is the perfect type of tournament option, though, especially if you’re looking to win large-field GPPs. Julius Randle gets an interesting matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. They don’t boast anyone that will be able to slow him down defensively with Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Joel Embiid all out tonight. Randle’s the focal point of the New York Knicks offense, and he’s a high-upside option at power forward. DeMar DeRozan is another expensive option at this position with elite upside in a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. He’s thriving as a small-ball power forward for the Chicago Bulls, and he can be considered in GPPs tonight.
Center
Cash
With Joel Embiid out, we can simply lock Andre Drummond in tonight. He posted 56.75 DK points in 34 minutes in his last game without Embiid. Drummond gets a plus matchup against the New York Knicks, and he’s as much of a lock as Kaminsky. Jaren Jackson Jr. is also a great option at center (or power forward) because of his price tag and matchup. He gets a great matchup against the Minnesota Wolves, who’ve struggled against power forwards this season. Jackson’s looked outstanding when getting full minutes, and he’s expected to play around 30 tonight.
GPP
With Kaminsky and Drummond being such obvious plays tonight, most of my other center options are being considered for GPPs. Jonas Valanciunas gets an elite matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies tonight, and he’s a great option. If Brandon Ingram is out, Valanciunas will only gain value. On the other side, Steven Adams is far too cheap for his production and matchup. It’s important to note that his minutes have been a bit inconsistent throughout the season. Richaun Holmes’ been enjoying an outstanding season, and he’ll match up against Kaminsky for quite a bit of this game. He owns elite double-double potential, and Holmes is a great option tonight. Karl-Anthony Towns, Mason Plumlee, JaVale McGee, and Bam Adebayo can all be considered here, as well. Nikola Jokic is interesting, although I’m not willing to pay his price tag in a matchup against Adebayo tonight.
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