Sorare NBA | Game Week 40 Primer

Welcome to the Sorare NBA Game Week 40 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 ⏮

Has there ever been a trade that worked out positively for both teams as much as the Kings/Pacers deal?

Last February, a blockbuster move sent Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield to Indiana for Domantas Sabonis — a controversial trade at the time. Many felt Sacramento had gotten fleeced for a budding star in Haliburton, while acquiring a player in Sabonis who was good but not a franchise changer.

But just a year later, the Kings vibes are immaculate — with the Beam Boys finding themselves in the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference at 39-26.

And while Indiana’s record isn’t anything to write home about at 30-37 — Haliburton has emerged as one of the top young stars in the league, and Hield is leading the league in 3PT makes.

Haliburton topped this week’s Sorare slate, with his 73-point outing (a 40-point, 16-assist masterpiece) leading managers to glory in GW39. His second game of the slate wasn’t too shabby either (61 Sorare Points), putting the 23-year-old sensation on an absolute tear this week.

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

• Brook Lopez (71 Sorare Points, +35)

• Tyus Jones (50 Sorare Points, + 35)

• Jabari Smith Jr. (60 Sorare Points, +35)

• Kevin Huerter (58 Sorare Points, +34)

• Patty Mills (40 Sorare Points, +29)

Multi-Game Monitor 🗓

Injury & Roster Info 🏥

It was a weird week of injuries, with some major names going down yet again. Here are some notable (not all-inclusive) injury/lineup situations to monitor and plan for ahead of this week's games.

• Not one but TWO players were ruled out after getting hurt in warmups, with both Kevin Durant and Jonathan Kuminga both injuring their ankles in separate incidents during pre-game drills. The Suns announced that Durant’s ankle sprain will keep him out at least the next three weeks, though some speculate it could cost the superstar the remainder of the regular season.

No further updates have been provided on Kuminga’s ankle, though he was promptly ruled out of Thursday’s game.

• One of my favorite plays almost every week caught the Charlotte Hornets injury bug, as Mark Williams left Thursday’s game with what looked like a dislocated thumb. Williams returned briefly but was limited, and no further updates have been given on his status for this weekend.

• Luka Doncic exited Wednesday’s game in the third quarter with a thigh injury, which he has been playing through for several weeks. The MRI came back negative, but expect the Mavericks to be cautious with their franchise cornerstone.

• Brandon Ingram left Wednesday’s contest with an ankle injury and did not return, putting his status in question for this weekend.

• A few updates on longer-term injuries:

  • Mo Bamba will miss at least four weeks with an ankle injury for the Los Angeles Lakers.

  • Steven Adams will miss at least the next four weeks due to his knee injury.

  • Isaiah Stewart is out for at least the next 3-4 weeks as he recovers from a shoulder injury.

The information below is as of Friday, March 10, but can give broader insights for the rest of the Game Week.

Ruled Out  ❌

• Norman Powell, LAC (shoulder), Duncan Robinson, MIA (illness), Bennedict Mathurin, IND (ankle), Jaylen Nowell, MIN (knee), Ryan Arcidiacono, POR (back)

Game-Time Decision 👀

• Darius Garland, CLE (quad)

Questionable ❓

• Brandon Ingram, NOP (ankle), Austin Rivers, MIN (back), Anfernee Simons, POR (ankle), Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL (hand)

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 39 Performance 

• Tyus Jones, 15 L10, 50 Sorare Points (+35) 🔥🔥🔥

• Marvin Bagley III, 23 L10, 23 Sorare Points (-) ❌

• Cam Reddish, 16 L10, 39 Sorare Points (+23) 🔥🔥

• Matisse Thybulle, 20 L10, 12 Sorare Points (-8) ❌

• Mike Muscala, 18 L10, 22 Sorare Points (+4) 🆗

• TJ McConnell, 19 L10, 31 Sorare Points (+12) 🔥

• Jordan Nwora, 15 L10, 35 Sorare Points (+20) 🔥🔥

• Trey Murphy, 23 L10, 43 Sorare Points (+20) 🔥🔥

Game Week 40 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.

Tyus Jones | 18 L10 — With his cap moving up just 3, Tyus Jones still remains an excellent value play with Ja Morant still away from the team for at least four more games. Jones flashed his upside this past Game Week, with a massive 50-point outing as the lead distributor in the Grizzlies’ lineup. Jones is just a flat-out good basketball player, and seems to produce any time he’s called upon. And with his L10 still lagging behind his current role, Jones is a near-must-play for those that have him.

Also Consider: Santi Aldama (17 L10), Dillon Brooks (19 L10), Luke Kennard (11 L10)

Speaking of Brooks, had to include this wild clip from Thursday’s matchup against the Warriors — some serious armpit action between him and Draymond Green, who have been jawing in the media over the past few weeks.

Eugene Omoruyi | 4 L10 — The Detroit Pistons are in shambles, with the team basically packing it in for the season and a glut of players out for the foreseeable future. This chaos has opened the door for some reserve value, with Eugene Omoruyi now seeing over 20 minutes in two straight contests — with 26 and 16 Sorare Points of production. At just a 4 L10, it’s tough to fade that role — and could allow managers to sneak some extra high-cap players into a lineup.

In a similar vein, Corey Joseph has been seeing more playing time of late — and at a 14 L10 should provide some similar value to Omoruyi if his role continues. Are they going to win you a week? Probably not. But for those looking for low-cap swings, Detroit has some of the best options on the slate.

Also Consider: Jaden Ivey (24 L10), James Wiseman (16 L10), Rodney McGruder (14 L10), Isaiah Livers (13 L10)

Kelly Oubre | 26 L10 and Nick Richards | 16 L10 — With LaMelo Ball out for the season, a ton of touches in the Hornets offense are now up for grabs. And one player seizing the opportunity has been Kelly Oubre, who has been scorching hot of late. With his minutes increasing to over 35 per game over the last five contests, the offensive sparkplug has now gone for over 40+ Sorare Points in four of those games – yet still holds an L10 of just 26. While it may not always be pretty, Oubre is capable of piling up stats in a hurry on a team eager for offense.

With Mark Williams injuring his thumb on Thursday, Nick Richards capitalized on the opportunity en route to 33 Sorare Points in a season-high 29 minutes of action. Monitor Williams' status, as Richards would be a smash value play should he miss this weekend.

Also Consider: N/A

Bonus Picks:

• Christian Wood | 24 L10 — Luka Doncic is already ruled out for Saturday, and Kyrie Irving is uncertain to play.

• Jaden Hardy | 12 L10 — See Wood’s blurb above.

• Trey Murphy | 23 L10 — Continues to produce, and Brandon Ingram’s status is in doubt for this weekend.

Thanks for reading! — Ghost