Sorare NBA | Game Week 19 Primer

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Happy Holidays, Sorare NBA squad — welcome to the Game Week 19 Primer!

The next round of contests kicks off today, and we're here to break down all the relevant information for the upcoming slate. Lineups lock at 6:50 p.m. EST, with the upcoming competitions running Friday - Sunday.

If you haven't already, hop in our Lucky Trader League and compete against our staff and community!

Some important items to note for this Game Week:

We've got some VERY interesting holiday-themed contests available, with some tantalizing rewards available to all! Sorare Santa came early!

The Season of Giving Common competition (no 🧢, rebounds/assists have a 2x multiplier) features SUPER RARE rewards for the Top 10 participants and Rare and Limited rewards for the Top 250 — the first time we've seen a free contest feature these elevated prize tiers.

We've also got the Deck the Halls competition (120 cap + MVP), which introduces mixed eligibility that adds a new wrinkle to the game. It'll be extremely interesting to see where players allocate their cards — but we'll likely have some monster lineups in the mixed format, with the bonuses from the higher-tier cards playing a significant role.

Let's get into all the action for this holiday weekend of hoops:

Game Week Rewind ⏮

We had some fresh faces atop the player leaderboards this Game Week, with Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam topping the slate with a 76-Sorare Point performance. Spicy P!

Jonas Valanciunas led the way as the top outperformer of the week, with his 73 Sorare Points coming in a whopping +52 from his 21 L10 cap.

Some other notable players that provided significant value included:

CJ McCollum (69 Sorare Points, +39)
Landry Shamet (48 Sorare Points, +33)
Naz Reid (52 Sorare Points, +33) — second straight week as a top outperformer 👀
James Wiseman (42 Sorare Points, +31)

Multi-Game Monitor 🗓

In Sorare NBA, having a player with several games during a competition can be a big advantage — with an extra chance at a ceiling performance.

No back-to-backs this weekend, with only a few teams having multiple games due to a lighter holiday schedule:

2 Games: Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers

Injury Info 🏥

Here are some notable (not all-inclusive) injury situations to monitor and plan for ahead of this weekend's games.

Some major injury news to note from this past Game Week:

Zion Williamson entered the health and safety protocols on Thursday, meaning he likely won't be available for this Game Week.
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. will return to action on Friday after a lengthy absence due to a heel injury.
The Orlando Magic are expected to get back Wendell Carter and Gary Harris this weekend.

The info below is for Friday, Dec. 23, but also gives insight into future availability for the rest of the Game Week:

Ruled Out ❌

Devin Booker, PHO (groin), Cam Payne, PHO (foot), Jalen Suggs, ORL (ankle), Jordan McLaughlin, MIN (calf), Derrick Jones Jr., CHI (ankle), Alex Caruso, CHI (concussion, shoulder), Kemba Walker, DAL (recovery), Dorian Finney-Smith, DAL (adductor), Eric Gordon, HOU (thumb)

Doubtful 🤕

Khris Middleton, MIL (knee), Javonte Green, CHI (knee), Justise Winslow, POR (ankle)

Questionable ❓

Tyrese Haliburton, IND (wrist), Rudy Gobert, MIN (ankle), Jamal Murray, DEN (injury management), Terry Rozier, CHA (hip), Desmond Bane, MEM (toe), Evan Mobley, CLE (knee), Clint Capela, ATL (calf), John Wall, LAC (ankle), Garry Trent Jr., TOR (quad), Kyle Anderson, MIN (back), Aaron Nesmith, IND (ankle), Caleb Martin, MIA (ankle), Lamar Stevens, CLE (knee), Quintin Grimes, NYK (ankle), Robert Williams, BOS (illness), Richaun Holmes, SAC (illness), Dennis Smith Jr., CHA (ankle), Frank Ntilikina, DAL (knee)

The designations above are as of Friday at 1:00 p.m. EST. As injury information is breaking at all hours prior to lineups locking, a great resource for up-to-date news is the Underdog NBA Twitter account.

Value Plays 🤑

Last Game Week's Value Pick Performances:

Player | L10 | GW 16 Performance

Thomas Bryant, 16 L10, 37 Sorare Points (+21) 🔥
Kenrich Williams, 15 L10, 24 Sorare Points (+9) 🆗
Lu Dort, 23 L10, 24 Sorare Points (+1) 😑
Bismack Biyombo, 11 L10, 18 Sorare Points (+7) 🆗

Another mixed bag this past Game Week, with the Thunder picks failing to capitalize on the extra opportunity. DeAndre Ayton's return ended up mucking things up a bit for Biyombo, who didn't have as much ceiling potential with the move back to the bench.

Game Week 19 Value Picks:

*Note — these selections are based purely on L10 value in lineups — and do not consider the auction or market prices of the players listed.

Thomas Bryant, LAL | 19 L10 — I'm running it back with Thomas Bryant, who is still a huge bargain given his current role. Bryant has been crushing it since being thrust into extended minutes due to the Anthony Davis injury, going for 30+ Sorare Points in three of his last four games. Despite the production, his cap has only moved by three from the previous Game Week, making him a value once again in GW19.

Also Consider: Lonnie Walker (19 L10, seeing significant minutes + usage), Damian Jones (8 L10, still an underdog/cheap value dart throw), Dennis Schroeder (16 L10)

Landry Shamet, PHO | 16 L10 — Devin Booker and Cam Payne have already been ruled out of Friday's contest, meaning Shamet should see yet another opportunity for massive usage at the guard spot. Over his last two games, the sharpshooter has seen 29 and 34 minutes — and has capitalized on the added playing time with 29 and 48 Sorare Points. At a low 16 L10, Shamet should be able to blow past his cap given his currently elevated role.

Also Consider: None

Jonas Valanciunas, NOP | 23 L10, CJ McCollum, NOP | 30 — Zion Williamson entered the health and safety protocols on Thursday and is likely to miss Friday's contest. We saw a blowup game from JoVal on Monday with 73 Sorare Points, and the lack of Zion should mean added touches and opportunities for the big man. At just a 23 L10 cap, Valanciunas has a significant upside — and he showed a massive ceiling just last week. With Williamson potentially missing time and Brandon Ingram (out indefinitely) out of commission, the lack of frontcourt depth could also open opportunities for Willy Hernangomez.

CJ McCollum has been BALLING, with or without Zion. Despite going over 40 Sorare Points in six of the last seven games, his L10 is still at a reasonable 30 despite seeing the usage of a star player. If Williamson is out, McCollum should have even more of an opportunity to cook.

Also Consider: Willy Hernangomez (10 L10)

Some additional quick-hit bonus value picks for the holidays:

Ayo Donsunmu (15 L10) — added opportunities with Alex Caruso, Javonte Green, and Derrick Jones Jr. all likely out on Friday against the Knicks.
Immanuel Quickley, NYK (18 L10) — 36 and 28 Sorare Points in his last two, trending up.
Markelle Fultz, ORL (22 L10) — A bit riskier, but a high ceiling (46 Sorare Points on Wednesday) and receiving big minutes.

Author Bio

Ghost

Ghost is an NFT Analyst at Lucky Trader. He has been in crypto since 2017, and entered the NFT space via NBA Top Shot in January of 2021 before minting Bored Apes and degenning into the broader market.

Disclaimer: The author or members of the Lucky Trader staff may own NFTs discussed in this post. Furthermore, the information contained on this website or the Lucky Trader mobile application is not intended as, and shall not be understood or construed as financial advice. AI may have assisted in the creation of this content.