Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (12/23)! 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 |
| K. Walker | C. Reddish | N. Jokic | CHA/DEN |
| D. Wright | J. Hart | W. Hernangomez | SA/LAL |
| H. Gravett | J. Nwora | M. Turner | MIN/UTA |
| S. Curry | O. Porter Jr. | R. Lopez | HOU/IND |
| D. Murray | J. Collins | G. Dieng | OKC/PHX |
*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
Guard is absolutely loaded with elite cash game options on this slate of a slate. It starts with Kemba Walker, who’s taken on a massive role as the New York Knicks continue to struggle with Covid and injuries. He’s seen 37 and 40 minutes in his last two games, scoring 40+ DK points. The only major concern here is that RJ Barrett is returning, but that shouldn’t change Walker’s role too much. Delon Wright’s been thrust into a bigger role with Trae Young and others in Covid protocols. He only scored 26.25 DK points last night, but he played 39 minutes and costs around $4k. He’s one of the most mispriced players on the slate. Dejounte Murray isn’t projecting for a ton of ownership, but he’s a versatile point guard in a matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve struggled in several facets of the game against PGs, and Murray’s coming off of a ridiculous 72.75 DK point performance. Other guards to consider in cash games include Hamidou Diallo, Jalen Brunson, Jrue Holiday, and LeBron James.
GPP
If Cole Anthony is ruled out, Hassani Gravett makes an interesting option in GPPs. He started in the Orlando Magic’s last game, scoring 22.75 DK points in 25 minutes. Gravett’s flashed versatility in limited time on the floor, and he’s still a bit too cheap for his current price tag. If Anthony is playing, he’ll make a great option here instead. Seth Curry is another interesting option. He’s caught fire recently, scoring 40+ DK points in each of his last two games. He could lose a few shot attempts with Tyrese Maxey back in the lineup, but Curry gets an elite matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, who’ve struggled against shooting guards this season. D’Angelo Russell quietly gets a decent matchup against the Utah Jazz, who’ve struggled at times against shooting guards. He’ll go overlooked for his current price tag, but Russell’s an extremely interesting option in GPPs. Caris LeVert, Moses Moody, Devonte’ Graham, and Devin Booker can all be used in GPPs.
Forward
Cash
You’re starting forward with the Atlanta Hawks options. Cam Reddish played 42 minutes last night, scoring 51.5 DK points. The Hawks need an offensive scorer, and Reddish is seemingly one of the top options for that. He’s still extremely cheap, and he could potentially see 20+ shot attempts once again. John Collins is another player that is benefitting from a few players out for Atlanta. He posted 51.5 DK points last night, and Collins gets a decent matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. Josh Hart continues to play well, posting 40+ DK points in each of his last two games. He’s surprisingly cheap for an elite matchup against the Orlando Magic, and Hart should see a bigger role with Nickeil Alexander-Walker entering the Covid protocols. Khris Middleton, Brandon Ingram, Evan Fournier, and Kristaps Porzingis are solid options to consider in cash games as well.
GPP
Otto Porter Jr. is an interesting option tonight. The Golden State Warriors will be without several players, meaning Porter should be locked into big minutes again. He’s performed well on a per-minute basis this season, and Porter may shift into my cash game pool. Jordan Nwora is another interesting option here. He’s seeing fewer minutes with Khris Middleton back, but he still posted 35.75 DK points in 27 minutes last night. Nwora comes with tremendous upside while on the court, and he could go overlooked because of a lack of certain minutes. He’s a great tournament option against the Dallas Mavericks. Obi Toppin, Domantas Sabonis, Oshae Brissett, and Max Strus are solid options here.
Center
Cash
There are several centers that can be considered in cash games tonight, but there are two that stand above the rest. Nikola Jokic gets an elite matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, who feature arguably the worst defense in the NBA against centers. He’s coming off of two bad games, but he’s an elite option in all leagues on this slate. The other option is Willy Hernangomez, who is an elite per-minute player. He’ll be locked into bigger minutes with Jonas Valanciunas out. Hernangomez is arguably the easiest play on the entire slate, as he should be priced over $6k for this role. Robin Lopez and Gorgui Dieng are two cheaper options who are playing bigger roles in their respective offenses with players out. They both make great options for their price tags. The only issue is that Hernangomez is a lock and Jokic is one of the best plays on the slate. It’ll be difficult to move off of either of those players to Lopez or Dieng in cash games.
GPP
Myles Turner continues to be a great tournament option for the Indiana Pacers. He’s a versatile center, and he gets an elite matchup against the Houston Rockets tonight. They’ve consistently struggled against centers throughout the season, and tonight should be no different. DeMarcus Cousins is playing bigger minutes, and he’s found success in that time. His price tag is on the rise, though, making it more difficult to fit him into cash games. If you want to add him to that pool, you can. I prefer him in GPPs on the second night of a back-to-back, though. Joel Embiid, Jakob Poeltl, and Omer Yurtseven can all be considered here as well.
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