The San Antonio Spurs are coming off a tough loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. The Spurs get right back to action in Staples Center against the Lakers, who have struggled a bit lately. L.A. is an unorthodox 4-4 over the past eight games, dropping games to the Trail Blazers, Magic and 76ers along the way. The NBA Trade Deadline is approaching as well and we’ve seen names like DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kyle Kuzma pop up the past few months. Keep an eye out on lineup news throughout the day, we could see surprise names sitting throughout the league the next few days.
Who should you play at Captain?
LeBron James ($20,400)
There are really only three considerations at Captain for this contest. LeBron, Anthony Davis ($19,200) and DeMar DeRozan ($15,900). I think LeBron is the cash option and DeRozan isn’t a bad idea in tournaments. James has the highest ceiling in this matchup and I think it will be easy for him to exploit a tired Spurs team. The last time James faced the Spurs, he dropped 33 points with 14 assists in 35 minutes. So that’s the type of ceiling we’re looking at. DeRozan intrigues me a bit for the salary savings if you want a bit more balance in your lineup.
Who should I stack with LeBron?
DeMar DeRozan ($10,600)
I like the idea of pairing LeBron with the best player on the other side of the ball in DeRozan. The Spurs don’t appear poised to deal DeRozan before the deadline on Thursday, so that distraction should be less prevalent. DeRozan hasn’t been as productive as his stretch in December and January, but he’s still seeing high usage and San Antonio may need to play catch-up in this game. AD ($12,800) is the more practical cash-game stack but will have higher ownership.
Where can I find value in the contest?
Lonnie Walker ($2,200)
The spread on this game is very high at the Lakers being favored by 12 points on DK Sportsbook. So that means the books think this game will be a blowout essentially. If that’s the case, I think Gregg Popovich will give Walker some garbage time run. He isn’t seeing heavy usage when he’s on the court, but really we’re looking for savings here. If we’re going to try and fit in three of LeBron, AD, DeMar and Aldridge, then we’re going to need to pay down for at least a few players.
Who should I fade?
Dejounte Murray ($8,200)
Murray seems a bit overpriced heading into tonight. He rarely plays over 30 minutes and this type of price in Showdown is generally reserved for players who at least get to that mark. Plus, his production hasn’t been there either; Murray only has five games of 40+ DKFP this season. All season long. Just four times. His ceiling is capped in the 30-35 range and that isn’t cutting it at this price. I’d rather spend up for LeBron and AD and take my chances with value.