Sorare NBA | Game Week 21 Primer
Welcome to the Sorare NBA Game Week 21 Primer! Hope you're ready for a New Year's weekend of basketball!
The next round of competitions kick off today, and we're here to break down all the relevant information for the upcoming slate. As always, lineups lock at 6:50 p.m. EST — with the upcoming contests running Friday-Sunday.
If you haven't already, hop in our Lucky Trader League and compete against our staff and community!
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Let's get into all the action for this weekend of hoops:
Game Week Rewind ⏮
Luka Doncic earned his post-game recovery beer with a magical performance on Tuesday:
“I’m tired as hell. I need a recovery beer.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 28, 2022
Luka Doncic after dropping 61 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists for the first time in NBA history 🤣pic.twitter.com/ezhqhDqYlw
That stat line checks out at 105 Sorare Points, folks. And after incorporating the training/rarity bonuses, managers who had Doncic in their GW20 lineups had to be feeling pretty, pretty good.
Some other notable players that provided significant value included:
- Mark Williams (47 Sorare Points, +41)
- As a lifelong Chicago Bulls fan, I was praying that we'd take Williams out of Duke in this past year's draft. He's been buried on the bench for Charlotte this season but was finally unleashed on Thursday. Free Mark!
- Immanuel Quickley (61 Sorare Points, +40)
- Duane Washington Jr. (45 Sorare Points, +38) — second straight week as a top outperformer 👀
- Jusuf Nurkic (68 Sorare Points, +36)
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.
2 Games: Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz
Injury Info 🏥
Here are some notable (not all-inclusive) injury/lineup situations to monitor and plan for ahead of this week's games.
The Magic will be shorthanded for the next few games, with several players serving suspensions after an ugly altercation in Wednesday's game against the Pistons:
Status alert: Magic players will serve their suspensions on a staggered basis to ensure they'll have enough players available.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) December 30, 2022
Suspended 12/30: Moe Wagner, Cole Anthony, Bamba, Carter Jr., Hampton, Gary Harris
Suspended 1/4: Moe Wagner, Kevon Harris, Schofield, Franz Wagner
The info below is for Friday, Dec. 30, but also gives insight into future availability for the rest of the Game Week:
Ruled Out ❌
- Joe Harris, BKN (knee), JaMychal Green, GSW (leg), Andrew Wiggins, GSW (illness), Cam Payne, PHO (foot), Keon Johnson, POR (illness), Brandon Ingram, NOP (toe), Khris Middleton, MIL (knee), Landry Shamet, PHO (Achilles), Clint Capela, ATL (calf), Jalen Suggs, ORL (ankle), Dewayne Dedmon, MIA (foot), Jrue Holiday, MIL (illness)
Game-Time Decision ⏱
- Bradley Beal, WAS (hamstring)
Doubtful 🤕
- Larry Nance Jr., NOP (neck), George Hill, MIL (illness)
Questionable ❓
- Precious Achiuwa, TOR (ankle), Fred VanVleet, TOR (back), Trey Lyles, SAC (calf), Kyle Anderson, MIN (back), Marvin Bagley, DET (illness), Herb Jones, NOP (conditioning), Bruce Brown, DEN (ankle), Aaron Gordon, DEN (shoulder), Jamal Murray, DEN (injury management), Caleb Martin, MIA (ankle), De'Andre Hunter, ATL (ankle), LeBron James, LAL (ankle), Derrick Jones Jr., CHI (ankle), Coby White, CHI (knee), Patrick Williams, CHI (collarbone), Taj Gibson, WAS (groin), Jusuf Nurkic, POR (calf)
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 20 Performance
- Naji Marshall, 22 L10, 38 Sorare Points (+16) 🔥
- CJ McCollum, 36 L10, 35 Sorare Points (-1) ❌
- Ayo Dosunmu, 14 L10, 19 L10 (+5) 😑
- Landry Shamet (ruled out prior to lock) 🤕
Game Week 21 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.
Bol Bol | 22 L10 and Markelle Fultz | 26 L10— As mentioned above, the Magic are dealing with the fallout of Wednesday's brawl with the Pistons — and several players will be serving suspensions over this slate. One person who isn't — Bol Bol! The mini Wembanyama has been electric at times this season, and it's been delightful to see him freed after being chained to the bench in Denver. Mo Wagner, Mo Bamba, and Wendell Carter Jr. will all be out for Friday's game — leaving the frontcourt wide open for a Bol takeover. While his numbers have tailed off a bit of late, his modest 22 L10 leaves a lot of room for value on a roster that should be desperate for offense.
Fultz also benefits from the suspension situation, with Cole Anthony, RJ Hampton, and Gary Harris all out tonight. He has already been trending up over the last few weeks, and now finds himself in a prime workload situation as the primary ball handler.
Also Consider: Terrence Ross (10 L10)
Cory Joseph | 11 L10 — Another angle to take advantage of from the altercation is the Detriot backcourt, which will be without Killian Hayes for three games. Veteran guard Cory Joseph is expected to slot into the starting lineup, making him an attractive option with a cap of just 11. While he's certainly not a world-beater, extra minutes and usage should allow Joseph to provide some value as a starter for the next few games.
Also Consider: Alec Burks (19 L10), Jaden Ivey (22 L10)
Immanuel Quickley | 21 L10 — With Jalen Brunson dealing with a hip injury, Immanuel Quickley has balled out in his absence — going for 61 and 42 Sorare Points in his last two performances. While Brunson's status for this weekend is unclear, RJ Barrett is now expected to miss time with a finger laceration — opening up a significant amount of usage. With Quickley having the hot hand, I like his upside even if Brunson returns and if he garners another start he could easily outperform his 21 cap.
Also Consider: Miles McBride (12 L10, only if Brunson is ruled out)
Mark Williams | 6 L10 — Free Mark! The rookie center finally saw the court on Thursday, and didn't disappoint — with 17 points (7/7 FG), 13 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in 21 minutes. Williams also looks to have earned some more consistent minutes, with Charlotte coach Steve Clifford naming him the primary backup center regardless of Nick Richards' status. Williams is a freakish athlete who can fill up the box score, and at a 6 L10 could provide major value if he remains in the rotation for Charlotte. This pick is a bit risky given the glut of promising young forwards and Clifford's previous hesitation to play rookies, but could pay off handsomely if he continues to earn minutes.
