Sorare NBA | Game Week 38 Primer

Welcome to the Sorare NBA Game Week 38 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.

Let’s get into all the action for this week of hoops:

Game Week Rewind ⏮

Welcome back, KD.

We got our first look at one of the league’s top stars in a new location, as Kevin Durant made his debut for the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. As it turns out, adding one of the best players in the game to a lineup featuring several other stars usually yields good results!

Durant had an efficient 23 points in 26 minutes on 10-15 from the field, while Devin Booker thrived with 37 points of his own. Having two generational scorers is a recipe for success.

Overall, it was a lower-scoring week for Sorare purposes, with Ja Morant topping the slate at 68 Sorare Points with Tuesday’s 39-10-10 triple-double performance.

Also notable was the explosion out of Dallas on Thursday, with both Kyrie Irving (40 points, 6 assists) and Luka Doncic (42 points, 12 assists) putting on a show in a statement win against the 76ers.

Some other players that provided significant value relative to their cap:

• Paul Reed (40 Sorare Points, +32)

• Jakob Poetl (59 Sorare Points, + 31)

• Brandon Ingram (62 Sorare Points, +30)

• Matisse Thybulle (45 Sorare Points, +30)

• De’Anthony Melton (46 Sorare Points, + 28)

Multi-Game Monitor 🗓

Injury & Roster Info 🏥

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

• LaMelo Ball fractured his ankle in Monday’s game, and the Hornets announced the star guard will miss the remainder of the season. Huge bummer, as Ball had been on a tear and is one of the most exciting players in the league. Charlotte will probably fire up the tank even more now, but Terry Rozier/Dennis Smith Jr. should benefit from additional minutes.

• Stephen Curry is expected to return on Sunday for the Warriors.

• Anfernee Simons returned to action on Wednesday but promptly re-aggravated his ankle injury.

• LeBron James is expected to miss at least the next three weeks with a foot tendon injury. The absence leaves the Lakers without their key star during a crucial stretch for their playoff aspirations.

The information below is as of Friday, March 3, but can give broader insights for the rest of the Game Week.

• Ruled Out  ❌

  • Kawhi Leonard, LAC (injury management), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC (health protocols), Cody Martin, CHA (knee), Jordan Clarkson, UTA (thumb), Edmond Sumner, BKN (personal), Yuga Watanabe, BKN (back), Landry Shamet, PHO (foot), Jonathan Isaac, ORL (hamstring), D’Angelo Russell, LAL (ankle), Zeke Nnaji, DEN (shoulder), Ryan Arcidiacono, POR (back)

  Doubtful 🤕

  • Norman Powell, LAC (arm), Jonas Valanciunas, NOP (calf), Anfernee Simons, POR (ankle), PJ Washington, CHA (foot)

  Questionable ❓

  • De’Aaron Fox, SAC (wrist), Jimmy Butler, MIA (knee), Terrence Ross, PHO (toe)

  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 37 Performance 

• Mark Williams, 22 L10, 33 Sorare Points (+11) 🔥

• Gordon Hayward, 25 L10, 30 Sorare Points (+5) 🆗

• Marvin Bagley, 18 L10, 34 Sorare Points (+16) 🔥

• James Wiseman, 13 L10, 32 Sorare Points (+19) 🔥

• Killian Hayes, 22 L10, 49 Sorare Points (+27) 🔥🔥

• Daishen Nix, 9 L10, 16 Sorare Points (+7) 🆗

• TyTy Washington, 11 L10, 24 Sorare Points (+13) 🔥

• Kevin Love, 13 L10, 20 Sorare Points (+7) 🆗

• Jae’Sean Tate, 15 L10, 16 Sorare Points (+1) ❌

• Cam Reddish, 16 L10, 23 Sorare Points (+7) 🆗

Game Week 38 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.

Willy Hernangomez | 23 L10 — Jonas Valancuiunas is doubtful with a calf injury, and Larry Nance remains out with an ankle issue — meaning New Orleans’ frontcourt is wide open. Enter Willy Hernangomez, who has been a high-fantasy producer when he receives minutes previously this season. While his cap isn’t as low as your typical reserve big, Hernangomez handling the bulk of the center minutes means good things for his Sorare value.

Also Consider: Brandon Ingram & CJ McCollum (35 L10 each, more usage with likely no J-Val), Naji Marshall (16 L10)

Kelly Oubre | 27 L10, Mark Williams | 25 L10 and Gordon Hayward | 28 L10 — With LaMelo Ball (ankle) now out for the season, a metric ton of usage has opened up for the Charlotte Hornets. With PJ Washington also still doubtful with a foot injury, the offense falls squarely on the few remaining pieces. Kelly Oubre already flashed his upside in the first LaMelo-less contest on Wednesday, exploding for 42 Sorare Points and getting up a whopping 24 shots. At a reasonable 27 L10, he could see serious usage going forward.

Mark Williams also continues to truck along, and its encouraging to see him receive a stretch of consistent minutes as the Hornets fire up the tank and roll out the younger players. He’s still a bargain at a cap of just 25.

Finally, Gordon Hayward should see his usage increase heavily, and has quietly been playing some strong basketball of late. He has already eclipsed 50 Sorare Points twice in the last few weeks, and carries significant upside with a cap of 28.

Also Consider: Terry Rozier (36 L10), JT Thor (5 L10), Dennis Smith Jr. (22 L10)

Matisse Thybulle | 16 L10 — The move from Philadelphia to Portland has been a blessing for Matisse Thybulle, who has seen renewed success since the trade deadline deal. His play has also picked up significantly over the last week, going for 26, 33, and 45 Sorare Points in his last three. Even more important has been the consistent minutes, including 35+ in two of three.

With Anfernee Simons re-injuring his ankle during Wednesday’s return, Thybulle should continue to play a role that far outweighs his modest 16 cap — but seems to have found a nice situation even when the latter does return from injury.

Also Consider: Cam Reddish (17 L10), Jerami Grant (28 L10)

Bonus Picks:

• Lu Dort | 28 L10 — SGA already ruled out Friday, and Kenrich Williams now out for the season. Lots of usage to go around.

• Aaron Wiggins | 12 L10 — OKC reserves are always risky, but three straight 20+ performances and injuries equal some nice potential value for the lesser-known Wiggins.

• JT Thor | 5 L10 — Doesn’t always do much with his minutes, but with a cap of 5 and seeing an increased role, hard to pass up if you have him.

• Johnny Juzang | 0 L10 — If you don’t know who this is, don’t feel bad — I didn’t either until today. However, the two-way player saw 14 minutes in his first NBA action for the Jazz on Tuesday. It’s not often you see a zero-cap player receive any time, so if Juzang somehow continues to see action on the banged-up Jazz, he’s basically a free space for those who want to squeeze some extra stars into lineups.

Live Before Lock 🔒

Got last-minute lineup questions? I'll be on Mike Zakarian / Team Hold's  Live Before Lock stream every Monday and Friday at 5:30 PM EST (Thursday instead of Friday this week due to the ASB), breaking down all the news, lineup questions and value plays right before the Game Week locks. Join us for some fun (and giveaways) tonight!

-----

Follow Ghost on Twitter @Ghost_Z12