Sorare NBA | Game Week 29 Primer
Welcome to the Sorare NBA Game Week 28 Primer!
The next round of action 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 contests running Friday-Sunday.
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Let's get into all the action for this weekend of hoops:
Game Week Rewind ⏮
Dame Time ⏰
Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard left his mark on this past Game Week, with a 60-piece against the Jazz on Wednesday — good for 90 Sorare Points to top the slate. He also joined some pretty notable company with his fourth 60-point performance.
Also continuing to defy Father Time is LeBron James, who piled up 84 Sorare points Tuesday in his attempt to drag a languishing Lakers team. Someone get this man some help:
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 25, 2023
Other notable players that provided significant value included:
- Spencer Dinwiddie (60 Sorare Points, +31)
- Chris Duarte (42 Sorare Points, +30)
- Jalen Green (63 Sorare Points, +30)
- Jalen Duren (54 Sorare Points, +29)
- Trey Lyles (49 Sorare Points, +28)
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.
Pretty light weekend, with plenty of teams with only one game. So we could see some lower scores than normal across the contests.
2 games: Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors
Injury & Roster Info 🏥
Here are some notable (not all-inclusive) injury/lineup situations to monitor and plan for ahead of this week's games:
- Luka Doncic left Friday's contest with an ankle injury after just three minutes and did not return. The team ruled him day-to-day, putting his status for the Maverick's lone game this weekend into question.
- Ben Simmons bowed out of Friday's action early with knee soreness, as did TJ Warren. With Kevin Durant also still out, the Nets are going to be thin on the wings — opening opportunities for role players like Joe Harris, Yuta Watanabe, and potentially Cam Thomas.
The info below is for Friday, Jan. 27 — but also gives insight into future availability for the rest of the Game Week:
Ruled Out ❌
- Jonathan Isaac, ORL (injury management), Christian Wood, HOU (thumb), Lu Dort, OKC (hamstring)
Questionable ❓
- Rudy Gobert, MIN (groin), Myles Turner, IND (ankle), Andrew Nembhard, IND (illness), Aaron Neismith, IND (wrist), Andrew Wiggins, GSW (illness), Desmond Bane, MEM (groin), Dalano Banton, TOR (hip), MarJon Beauchamp, MIL (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, an excellent resource for up-to-date news is the Underdog NBA Twitter account.
Value Plays 🤑
Last Game Week's Value Pick Performances:
Player | L10 | GW 28 Performance
- Payton Pritchard, 7 L10, 25 Sorare Points (+18) 🔥
- Jericho Sims, 9 L10, 20 Sorare Points (+11) 🔥
- TJ McConnell, 26 L10, 46 Sorare Points (+20) 🔥🔥
- Precious Achiuwa, 16 L10, 20 Sorare Points (+4) 😒
Game Week 29 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.
Spencer Dinwiddie | 31 L10 and Dwight Powell | 13 L10— With Luka Doncic nursing an ankle sprain and Christian Wood still out for at least another week, Spencer Dinwiddie could be in line for some MASSIVE usage on Saturday. We got a taste of what that could look like in Thursday's contest, with Dinwiddie going off for 36 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists (60 Sorare Points) in a gritty win over the Suns. If Doncic misses this weekend's matchup with the Jazz (currently listed day-to-day) Dinwiddie could again be in-store for a ceiling performance at a value price.
While often maddeningly inconsistent, Dwight Powell has now strung together two consecutive 30+ Sorare performances — and is currently receiving big minutes for injury-plagued Mavericks'. At just a 13 L10, Powell's ceiling is high for a player in that low-cap tier.
Also Consider: Josh Green (16 L10, should be the primary benefactor of minutes if Doncic sits),
TJ McConnell | 28 L10 and Chris Duarte | 13 L10 — McConnell has become a mainstay in this part of the Primer, even as his cap continues to creep up. But the job he has done for Indiana while filling in for the injured Tyrese Haliburton has been admirable. In addition to Haliburton, the Pacers have several players with statuses up in the air for Friday, including Andrew Nembhard (illness), Aaron Neismith (wrist), and Myles Turner (ankle). If any or all of them miss, McConnell's role could be expanded even more. I'm riding with T.J. until he gives me a reason not to.
Also on a heater is Chris Duarte, who has gone for 42 and 27 Sorare points over his last two in expanded minutes. At just a 13 L10, he's a smash value pick given his current role and production.
Also Consider: Bennedict Mathurin (22 L10)
Edward Sumner | 7 L10 and Yuta Watanabe | 7 L10 — As mentioned above, Brooklyn saw both Ben Simmons and TJ Warren leave Thursday's game with knee issues — and both don't have a great track record with injuries. With Durant also out of the picture at the moment, the Nets become an attractive target for value. Edward Sumner (coming off a 32-point Sorare performance) saw a big boost Thursday, and both him and Yuta Watanabe should be busy if either Simmons or Warren have to miss additional time. Monitor the team's availability closely, but players at a 7 L10 with potentially large roles are something I'm very interested in this weekend.
Also Consider: Kyrie Irving (51 L10, ceiling potential with more usage), Joe Harris (16 L10)
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