Welcome to the Sorare NBA Game Week 42 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.

We’re inching closer to the playoffs, and Sorare provided some clarity into what we have to look forward to this postseason earlier in the week:

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Sorare: NBA Playoff Tournaments, starting April 11! 🚨 🏀 Lineup scores for each GW competition will be cumulatively totaled to produce a tournament score 🏀 Limited, Rare, Super Rare & Unique cards owned prior to playoffs earn a 15% scoring boost BLOG go.sorare.com/htrfn

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

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Game Week Rewind ⏮

It’s getting hot in the kitchen, and Chef Curry is cooking up some spice!

Antonin @antonin_org

Stephen Curry last night, one of the most efficient 50 pieces ever. 20-28 shooting, 8 threes and only 4 FTA.

Despite it coming in a Warriors loss, the best shooter of all-time put on an absolute show on Wednesday — dropping a 50-piece on a ridiculous 20-28 from the field, and a ho-hum eight triples. That’s good for 71 Sorare Points, topping the slate for GW41.

Trailing just behind Curry was Domantas Sabonis at 67, with a wild 23-point, 17-rebound, 15-assist performance in Monday’s loss to the Bucks. As I mentioned in the previous Primer, that Sacramento - Pacers trade truly worked out for everyone.

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

Rodney McGruder 52 Sorare Points, +42)
Caris LeVert (56 Sorare Points, + 38)
Jaden Hardy (47 Sorare Points, +34)
Miles McBride (37 Sorare Points, +34)
Reggie Bullock (52 Sorare Points, +34)

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.

Lots of options for two-gamers this weekend:

📈 2 Games: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, 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.

The information below is as of Friday, March 17, but can give broader insights for the rest of the Game Week.

Ruled Out ❌

Jalen Johnson, ATL (hamstring), Jalen McDaniels, PHI (hip), Luka Doncic, DAL (thigh), Draymond Green, GSW (suspension), Tyrese Haliburton, IND (ankle), Jarrett Allen, CLE (eye), Collin Sexton, UTA (hamstring)

Doubtful 🤕

Doug McDermott, SAS (hip), Javonte Green, CHI (knee)

Questionable ❓

Jalen Brunson, NYK (foot), Christian Koloko, TOR (nose), Jerami Grant, POR (quad), Tim Hardaway Jr., DAL (calf), Kyrie Irving, DAL (foot), Jayson Tatum, BOS (hip), Rudy Gobert, MIN (ankle), Alex Caruso, CHI (illness), Stephen Curry, GSW (thumb)

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 41 Performance

Killian Hayes, 22 L10, 33 Sorare Points (+11) 🔥🔥
Isaiah Livers, 18 L10, 7 Sorare Points (-11) 🤕
James Wiseman, 22 L10, 42 Sorare Points (+20) 🔥🔥
Jaden Hardy, 13 L10, 47 Sorare Points (+34) 🔥🔥🔥
Josh Green, 13 L10, 35 Sorare Points (+22) 🔥🔥
Andrew Nembhard 16 L10, 37 Sorare Points (+21) 🔥🔥
Isaiah Jackson, 15 L10, 25 Sorare Points (+10) 🔥
Trey Murphy, 24 L10, 37 Sorare Points (+13) 🔥
Tyus Jones, 24 L10, 18 Sorare Points (-6) ❌
Nick Richards, 17 L10, 15 Sorare Points (-2) ❌
Terrence Ross, 17 L10, 12 Sorare Points (-5) ❌

Game Week 42 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.

Jaden Hardy | 16 L10 and Josh Green | 14 L10 — Luka Doncic is still nursing his thigh injury (and already ruled out Friday) and Kyrie Irving questionable again with a foot injury. In their absence, we’ve seen a huge consolidation of usage and minutes, with Jaden Hardy and Josh Green taking on some absolutely massive roles.

Hardy has now gone for 29, 47 and 34 Sorare Points in his last three, while averaging nearly 40 minutes of court time. Ditto for Green, who has gone over 30 Sorare Points in three straight. This duo should be extremely active again if Irving remains out, though still hold considerable value even if he returns.

Also Consider: McKinley Wright (11 L10), Reggie Bullock (17 L10), Christian Wood (24 L10)

TJ McConnell | 20 L10 and Andrew Nembhard | 18 L10 — We got more clarity on Tyrese Haliburton’s status, with the star guard set to miss at least the next three games with an ankle injury. While McConnell was out earlier in the week, he returned Thursday and stepped into a prominent role — finishing with 40 Sorare Points. McConnell is a smash play any time he sees significant minutes, which we could be looking at for at least the next three games.

Andrew Nembhard has also taken on additional usage in Haliburton’s absence, and is riding a nice stretch of 20+ Sorare Point performances over the last 5. Both Nembhard and McConnell find themselves at attractive cap price points relative to their roles.

Also Consider: Aaron Neismith (18 L10), Jordan Nwora (21 L10)

Tyus Jones | 27 L10 — Probably the last call on Jones for the foreseeable future with Ja Morant set to return next week — but I’m riding with the brother narrative this weekend. Jones has a matchup against the lowly Spurs, and will be dueling against his brother Tre. While Tyus is coming off two mediocre performances, I expect him to get back on track this weekend and provide some value before heading back into a reserve role upon Morant’s return.

Also Consider: Dillon Brooks (22 L10), David Roddy (11 L10), Luke Kennard (15 L10)

Bonus Picks:

Jusuf Nurkic | 19 L10 — Big Nurk has eased into his return from injury, but ramped things up with 28 minutes in his last game and is a bargain at his current cap.
Kessler Edwards | 5 L10 — Has moved into the Kings’ rotation over the last few games, and Kevin Huerter left Thursday’s game with an injury which could open the door for more playing time.
Blake Wesley | 11 L10 — Seeing a steady 20+ minutes over the last three games, going over his measly cap in each one. Spurs tanking means more willingness to expand the bench as well.

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!

Watch Live Before Lock

Thanks for reading! — Ghost

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