Bales’ NBA Game Theory (2/26)

Welcome to Bales’ NBA Game Theory (2/26)! 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.

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Guards

Cash

You’re starting guard with salary relief options on this slate. Several players are out for the San Antonio Spurs, locking Tre Jones into big minutes. He hasn’t always been a dominant per-minute option, but he’ll run the San Antonio offense tonight. Jones is also the minimum price. Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, and Rajon Rondo have all been ruled out tonight. Brandon Goodwin will be forced into bigger minutes, and he’s entirely too cheap on this slate. Goodwin’s found plenty of success when given the opportunity this season, and he’s another elite salary relief option. If you’re looking to spend up at guard, Ja Morant and Trae Young are the best options. Of the duo, I slightly prefer Morant against a Chicago Bulls team that continues to struggle against point guards. Either can be considered in all leagues tonight, though. Other guards to consider in cash games include Lonnie Walker and Josh Primo, who should both find bigger minutes with the key starters out for the Spurs tonight.

GPP

De’Aaron Fox is coming off of a disappointing game against the Denver Nuggets, but he gets a rematch against the tonight. Fox has been a better scorer on the road this season as well, and Denver’s struggled against scoring point guards. He’ll go overlooked on this slate, but he comes with tremendous upside for his price tag. Gary Trent Jr. is another great option here, as he burned plenty of people the other night. Still, he gets an elite matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, who feature one of the worst defenses in the NBA against shooting guards. Fred VanVleet is another solid option in this game, although I slightly prefer Trent for their price tags. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are two options for the Milwaukee Bucks that can be considered in GPPs. They aren’t safe enough for cash games with Giannis Antetokounpo on the floor, but they get great matchups against the Brooklyn Nets tonight. Kyrie Irving, Tyler Herro, and Zach LaVine are all interesting options tonight as well.

Forward

Cash

Speaking of Giannis Antetokounmpo, he’s an elite option in cash games tonight. He’s one of the best fantasy options in the NBA, and there are several elite salary relief options on this slate. It won’t be difficult to pay for a pair of players, and Antetokounmpo is one of the best options. Continuing with the Spur, Devin Vassell is another option that is entirely too cheap. He’s been taking on a bigger role in recent games, and I’m expecting that to be the case again tonight. The only downside here is the matchup against the Miami Heat. Domantas Sabonis is another solid option at forward. He posted over 60 DK points against the Denver Nuggets in his last game, and he gets a great matchup against them once again tonight. He should continue to see a massive role for the Sacramento Kings, and he can be considered in all leagues. You can also use Keita Bates-Diop if you need salary relief at this position.

GPP

Kyle Kuzma got back on track with 63.5 DK points last night. Once again, he’ll be the focal point of the offense without Spencer Dinwiddie (traded), Bradley Beal, or Kristaps Porzingis in the lineup. Kuzma continues to boast elite upside, making him a high-end GPP option on this slate. DeMar DeRozan is on a mission to break the most consecutive 35+ point games in a row, which is held by Michael Jordan. The matchup isn’t elite for DeRozan, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem at this point. Until this streak ends, he’s an outstanding tournament option regardless of other factors. Danilo Gallinari continues to play big minutes for the Atlanta Hawks, and he’s still a bit too cheap. He comes with plenty of scoring potential, although that also makes him a risky option. Gallinari is slightly better for tournaments than cash games on this slate. Pascal Siakam and Jaren Jackson Jr. are two more interesting options in GPPs tonight.

Center

Cash

There are two centers that are better than the rest here, although there are three options to consider. First, Nikola Jokic can always be considered. He gets an elite matchup against the Sacramento Kings, who don’t have anyone to slow him down. He scored 65 DK points against them in his last game, and Jokic is an elite option. The second play is Jock Landale, who will be forced into bigger minutes tonight. Jakob Poeltl and Zach Collins have already been ruled out, leaving Landale as San Antonio’s only true center. This is a terrible matchup, but he’s the minimum price and has performed well on a per-minute basis this season. Daniel Gafford started for the Washington Wizards in his last game. He scored 30.5 DK points in 29 minutes in that game. If he’s starting for Washington again tonight, Gafford is a third option that can be considered in all leagues.

GPP

The three centers above are significantly better than any others on this slate. Bam Adebayo is an interesting option, as the San Antonio Spurs don’t have anyone that will be able to slow him down. With that being said, this game could quickly become a blowout. Kevin Love and Evan Mobley are both interesting options here. They each get a great matchup against the Washington Wizards, although neither comes with much safety. Love specifically comes with tremendous upside for his price tag, although his minutes are anything but consistent. Jarrett Allen and Clint Capela can be considered here as well.

 

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