Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (12/28)! 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 |
| R. Hampton | L. James | N. Knight | LAL/HOU |
| M. Beasley | Y. Watanabe | O. Yurtseven | OKC/SAC |
| K. Walker | K. Williams | K. Looney | MIL/ORL |
| C. Kispert | L. Dort | N. Jokic | DEN/GS |
| R. Rubio | J. Butler | J. Valanciunas | CLE/NO |
*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 are plenty of guards with varying price tags that can be considered in cash games tonight. The Orlando Magic continue to be without several guards for various reasons. RJ Hampton is locked into bigger minutes for the Orlando Magic, and he’s flashed at times. He’s played 32 and 27 minutes in his last two games, scoring 29.75 and 22.5 DK points. He should see 30+ minutes for the near minimum price again tonight. Michael Beasley continues to be far too cheap. Several players cleared the Covid protocols for the Minnesota Wolves, but none of them are expected to play tonight. Beasley’s consistently posted 25+ DK points in 30+ minutes over his last few games. He’s far too cheap for his current role. Darius Garland entered the Covid protocols today, leaving Ricky Rubio to be locked into big minutes for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s averaging over 1 FP per minute in 2021, and he’s an elite option tonight. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Devonte’ Graham, Garrett Temple, and Stephen Curry are great options for varying price tags.
GPP
Kemba Walker is one of the more interesting options on this slate. He’s played 37+ minutes in each of his last four games, scoring 40+ DK points in each game. Over that span, Walker flashed 70+ DK point upside. The Knicks are getting healthier, though, so Walker could see fewer minutes. I listed him as a GPP option, as I prefer Rubio in cash games. Corey Kispert is playing bigger minutes for the Washington Wizards, and he gets an interesting matchup against the Miami Heat tonight. Kispert comes with tremendous scoring upside, making him a great GPP option. If Patrick Beverley is starting, he’s an outstanding option tonight. He should see around 30 minutes, and he’s performed extremely well on a per-minute basis. You can also consider Aaron Wiggins, Dalano Banton, Gary Payton, and Hassani Gravett here.
Forward
Cash
Forward starts with LeBron James, who is arguably the best spend-up on this slate. He’s been playing at an extremely high level, scoring 59+ DK points in six of his last nine games. He’s scored 30+ real points in every game without Anthony Davis. James gets an elite matchup against the Houston Rockets in a game that has a surprisingly close spread. Yuta Watanabe is another great option here. He played 37 minutes in his last game, scoring 45.75 DK points. Watanabe is expected to see solid minutes as the Toronto Raptors continue to deal with plenty of Covid cases throughout their roster. Watanabe is a big part of the offense, and he’s far too cheap on this slate. Jimmy Butler is another higher-priced player who comes with tremendous upside. He’s one of a few healthy options for Miami, as they’ll be without Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo. Butler’s performed well against the Washington Wizards this season, and he’s a great option on this slate. David Nwaba, Josh Hart, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are all solid options at forward tonight.
GPP
I’m looking toward the Oklahoma City Thunder forwards in tournaments. Kenrich Williams and Lu Dort are great options. Williams is expected to play bigger minutes with Josh Giddey and Darius Bazley out of the lineup, while Dort could see a few more opportunities with the ball in his hands. They get an elite matchup against the Sacramento Kings, who’ve struggled defensively throughout the season, and they’re high upside options tonight. Denzel Valentine isn’t the most consistent player in the NBA, but he’s playing solid minutes for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he comes with tremendous upside for his price tag. Juan Toscano-Anderson, Nemanja Bjelica, and Otto Porter Jr. are all interesting options for the Golden State Warriors. Jaden McDaniels and Herbert Jones are other solid plays in GPPs on this slate.
Center
Cash
As always, you can spend up on Nikola Jokic tonight. He gets a matchup against the Golden State Warriors, who will be without several players tonight. Nathan Knight is another great option at this position. He scored 45.25 DK points in 29 minutes in his last game, and he’s expected to see a similar role in their rotation tonight. Omer Yurtseven is expected to play minutes in the high-20s or low-30s tonight. The Miami Heat will be without several players, specifically their bigs, and he’s scored 24+ DK points in each of his last 3 games. He’s still far too cheap if he’s playing 30+ minutes, and Yurtseven can be used in all leagues.
GPP
Jonas Valanciunas is expected to return tonight. He’s strictly a tournament option because of his price tag. He’s a bit expensive, although he gets a plus matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight. Valanciunas should only be considered in GPPs on this slate. Montrezl Harrell is in Covid protocols, leaving Daniel Gafford to take on a larger role. He’s a high upside option in a matchup against the Miami Heat, who are dealing with plenty of Covid issues themselves. Gafford isn’t safe, but he does come with quite a bit of upside. Kevon Looney, Mike Muscala, Isaiah Roby, Joel Embiid, and Christina Wood are other solid options at center in GPPs.
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