This is one of those Showdown slates where keeping one eye on Twitter is probably the wise course of action, with key players on both teams listed as game-time decisions, most notably Utah’s Mike Conley, who is expected to miss out on his Revenge Game.
Both the Jazz and Grizzlies enter play on Saturday in slumps, although that has been more the norm for Memphis, sporting a 6-15 record. The Jazz have dropped three straight and 5 of 6 to fall to 12-10 overall. The Jazz are notoriously a brutal team to play DFS against, as they rank near the bottom of the league in points scored and pace. But Memphis plays at the ninth-quickest pace in the league, so there could be some gems to be found here.
CAPTAIN OBVIOUS
Jonas Valanciunas, C, Memphis ($14,700)
Valanciunas has been on fire for the Grizzlies over his past three games, topping 50 DK points in all three and hitting 60 points just before Thanksgiving. One of Jonas’ feasts came against these Jazz just a week ago, when he dropped a 22-17 line on Rudy Gobert for 53.25 points. His salary has come way up, but with Ja Morant sidelined, he is the offense right now and is producing at a crazy-high level.
Donovan Mitchell, PG, Utah ($14,100)
The Grizzlies are just being savaged by point guards this season and Mitchell is averaging 45 points against them in two appearances this season. With the Grizzlies playing at a much faster pace, there should be extra opportunities for Mitchell to produce points as the main ball-handler.
Rudy Gobert, C, Utah ($13,800)
Valanciunas might have gotten better of the most recent matchup, but Gobert dropped 56 DK points on Memphis earlier in the season and is averaging 18 points and 15 rebounds in the two meetings. He comes at a slight discount over Jonas and Mitchell, which sometimes makes all the difference in roster construction.
CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS
Doug Melton, PG, Memphis ($10,200)
In three games since Ja Morant went down with a back injury, Melton is averaging 32.5 DK points. Most notably, Melton has seen his minutes increase with each successive game, earning 30 minutes on Wednesday against Chicago. His solid play over the past week likely has earned Melton continued heavy workload for the hobbled Grizzlies. He makes a nice mid-priced option for the Captain spot, allowing to get a fair number of heavy hitters in the Flex slots.
Royce O’Neale, F, Utah ($6,600)
If you want to totally load up on big-time producers in this Showdown, you need to find a true salary saver to throw into the Captain slot, and O’Neale is fitting the bill nicely for the Jazz. His floor is a little scary – he had 10.75 DK points his last time out and 14 the game before that – but against the Grizzlies a week ago he put up 26 DK points and that would be a bonanza if it allowed you to play all the major players listed above in the flex spots without having to add a second punt.
FLEX MEN
Bojan Bogdanovic, SF, Utah ($8,200)
Bogdanovic is averaging about 31 DK points this season, but his last time out against Memphis on Nov. 29, he went off for 33 actual points and 49 DK points. He had another big scoring game on Wednesday against the Lakers with 23 points, including six three-pointers. He’s a little too scoring dependent to trust in the Captain chair, but makes for a nice mid-priced flex piece.
Jae Crowder, F, Utah ($7,200)
Crowder is much more of a stat-sheet filler than Bogdanovic, but that kind of all-around production and a reasonable price is the kind of sixth-man in a Showdown lineup that can carry a roster over the top. He had 23.5 DK points against the Jazz last week.
I am an avid fan and user (my username is jeffgo33) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.