Sorare NBA GW 44 Primer | Comeback Season
Featuring High Profile Returns, A Mavs Protest, Value Picks & More
Welcome to the Sorare NBA Game Week 44 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 weekend of hoops:
Game Week Rewind ⏮
The theme of Game Week 43 was COMEBACKS — with several major stars making their returns to the court over the last few days.
Timberwolves big Karl Anthony-Towns saw his first game action Wednesday since November’s calf injury, wasting no time making an impact. Towns sank two game-winning free throws, finishing with 22 points and returning for a crucial home stretch as Minnesota jockeys for the final playoff spots in the West.
The Dallas Mavericks find themselves in a similar playoff situation, and got back Luka Doncic Wednesday but experienced one of the stranger losses of the year (which the team is formally protesting):
Wednesday also featured the hotly-anticipated return of Ja Morant, who was back to his highlight-reel self in 23 minutes off the bench.
It was a low-scoring week overall for individual performances, with no player on the slate topping 70 Sorare Points (base score without XP / tier bonuses). Additionally, the top stat-stuffers weren’t your typical MVP-level candidates — with Evan Mobley’s 66 Sorare Points leading the way.
Some other players that provided significant value relative to their cap:
Shaedon Sharpe (53 Sorare Points, +40)
Quentin Grimes (54 Sorare Points, + 38)
Marvin Bagley III (61 Sorare Points, +36)
Taurean Prince (48 Sorare Points, +33)
Day’Ron Sharpe (43 Sorare Points, +32)
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.
Most squads have two contests this weekend, but there are a few singles that add a bit extra risk:
📉 1 Game: Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic
Injury & Roster Info 🏥
Here are some notable (not all-inclusive) injury/lineup situations to monitor and plan for ahead of this week's games.
A live look at several teams in the final stretch of games coming up:
The information below is as of Friday, March 24, but can give broader insights for the rest of the Game Week.
Ruled Out ❌
Khris Middleton, MIL (injury management), DeAndre Ayton, PHO (hip), Anfernee Simons, POR (foot), Jerami Grant, POR (quad), Jordan Clarkson, UTA (finger), Lauri Markkanen, UTA (hand), Jeremy Sochan, SAS (injury management), Bradley Beal, WAS (knee), Kyle Kuzma, WAS (ankle), Goran Dragic, MIL (knee), Jae Crowder, MIL (calf), Alec Burks, DET (foot), Rodney McGruder, DET (foot), Jae’Sean Tate, HOU (knee), Cory Joseph, DET (illness), DeMar DeRozan, CHI (quad)
Doubtful 🤕
Terry Rozier, CHA (foot), Payton Pritchard, BOS (heel), Jusuf Nurkic, POR (knee)
Questionable ❓
Kelly Oubre, CHA (shoulder), Tyrese Haliburton, IND (ankle), Caleb Martin, MIA (knee), Kyle Lowry, MIA (knee), James Harden, PHI (Achilles), Joel Embiid, PHI (calf), Zach Collins, SAS (biceps), Devin Vassell, SAS (injury management), Chris Duarte, IND (ankle), Alex Caruso, CHI (foot), Kevin Huerter, SAC (knee), Tim Hardaway Jr., DAL (illness), Kyrie Irving, DAL (hand), Precious Achiuwa, TOR (hamstring), Gary Trent Jr., TOR (elbow), Scottie Barnes, TOR (wrist), Johnny Juzang, UTA (hip), Jaden McDaniels, PHI (hip), Damian Lillard, POR (calf)
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 43 Performance
Jonas Valanciunas, 22 L10, 45 Sorare Points (+23) 🔥🔥
TJ McConnell, 22 L10, 31 Sorare Points (+9) 🔥
Andrew Nembhard, 21 L10, 42 Sorare Points (+21) 🔥🔥
John Collins, 16 L10, 32 Sorare Points (+16) 🔥🔥
Jusuf Nurkic, 20 L10, 39 Sorare Points (+19) 🔥🔥
Kelly Olynyk, 27 L10, 15 Sorare Points (+10) 🔥
Jaden McDaniels, 25 L10, 45 Sorare Points (+20) 🔥🔥
Mike Conley, 26 L10, 54 Sorare Points (+18) 🔥🔥
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 15 L10, 9 L10 (-6) ❌
Game Week 44 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.
Deni Avdija | 16 L10, Monte Morris | 20 L10 and Johnny Davis | 5 L10 — The Wizards have already ruled out both Kyle Kuzma and Bradley Beal for Friday’s contest, and the team is about to be on life support with just 9 games left and currently on the outside looking in for the Play-In Tournament. Despite a cap of just 16, Deni Avdija has been playing well of late — going for 25+ in three straight games. His price feels too low given his role on the decimated roster.
Monte Morris figures to pick up additional usage as the primary ball handler, while Johnny Davis has found his way into the rotation with 23 minutes in the last game. At just a 5 cap, he’s a nice dart throw with some upside.
Also Consider: Jordan Goodwin (10 L10)
Shaedon Sharpe | 14 L10, Trendon Watford | 23 L10 and Ryan Arcidiacono | 4 L10 — The Trail Blazers also find themselves potentially packing it in shortly here, with star Damian Lillard sounding pretty over it in his recent press conferences. Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant are already ruled out, paving the way for several role players to continue seeing big minutes.
High-flyer Shaedon Sharpe is coming off a blow-up performance, with his 24-point, 9-rebound, 5-assist and 4-steal stat line good for 53 Sorare Points. At just a 14 cap, Sharpe is looking like the best bang for the buck on the slate as of now.
Trendon Watford has also been stepping up for some massive games of late, with two 40+ Sorare lines in his last three while seeing big-time minutes. And with Jusuf Nurkic currently questionable, Watford could play an even bigger role should the veteran big miss Friday’s contest.
Damian Lillard was also added to the injury report on Friday as questionable with a calf injury — and we already know the team is getting ready to pull the plug. This could mean big minutes for Ryan Arcidiacono, who finds himself as the only other real point guard available.
Also Consider: Kevin Knox (5 L10)
Bryce McGowens | 4 L10 and Svi Mykhailiuk | 7 L10 — This is the ‘hold your nose’ portion of the value picks, which look gross but could pay off handsomely. Another team playing for nothing, the Hornets could be extremely thin at the guard and wing positions — with Terry Rozier doubtful and Kelly Oubre Jr. questionable for Friday. Both Bryce McGowens and Svi Mykhailuiuk saw increased usage Thursday, joining Dennis Smith Jr. as potentially the only guards in the rotation available.
Also Consider: Gordon Hayward (25 L10), Dennis Smith Jr. (28 L10)
Bonus Picks:
Kelly Olynyk, 26 L10 — no Lauri Markkanen or Jordan Clarkson means more usage available for everyone left, especially Kelly.
Bismack Biyombo, 8 L10 — DeAndre Ayton is already ruled out for the next few games, leaving Biyombo manning the middle and coming off two straight 20+ Sorare performances
Thanks for reading! — Ghost