Best lineup strategy for Clippers vs. Hawks NBA Showdown

Update — Young and Capela are active and are both viable captain’s picks. The Clippers are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA, so I’d lean toward Young. Capela is a must-have in the flex, and his return from a one-game absence could drastically reduce Collins’ upside.

We’ve got an exciting game on our hands here, as both the Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers could be missing some big-time players in this Tuesday matchup. Los Angeles has ruled out Paul George and Kawhi Leonard because of Covid-19 health and safety protocols, while Atlanta has Trae Young and Clint Capela listed as questionable. It could be tricky to build a Showdown lineup on DraftKings with this injury news, but we’ll try to help you sort through the mess ahead of tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Captain’s Picks

We’re unsure whether or not Young or Capela will play, but one player who has to be on the radar is De’Andre Hunter ($10,500). While he has once seen as a 3-and-D wing, he’s stepped his game up to another level in his sophomore season and scored a career-high 33 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in his last game, and the Clippers won’t have their best two wing defenders. The other Hawk who could carry a heavy workload is John Collins ($12,000), but Hunter has the better matchup and gives you more bang for your buck.

Clippers captains will probably be value plays, and Marcus Morris Sr. (7,200) stands out above all the rest. He’s one of the more potent offensive threats Los Angeles has and should be poised to step into the starting lineup with George out of commission. Morris is one of the few viable swingmen the Clips have available and has never been shy about shooting the ball. Captaining Morris is risky, but he gives you the flexibility to fit any other players you want in the flex.

FLEX Plays

Rajon Rondo ($4,200) has been priced up significantly after logging a season-high 30 minutes against the Bucks but is still cheap given his potential upside. He’ll be handed the keys to the offense if Young is ruled out and will draw either Lou Williams or Reggie Jackson on defense with Patrick Beverley (knee) out. There’s no shortage of capable scorers on Atlanta, and Rondo can set his top weapons up while also stuffing the stat sheet elsewhere.

It’ll be tough to fade Nic Batum ($7,200) in this matchup, as he’s performed like the Clippers’ third-best player all year. He doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but his production should ramp up with his team’s two primary scorers out. He should easily eclipse 30 minutes and has a good chance to play more than any other member of his team. There’s no guarantee that his minutes won’t be empty, but lack of depth puts him in a great spot.

Fades

Reggie Jackson ($11,700/$7.800) is extremely overpriced, in my opinion. While he could thrive as the only true point guard available on his team, he’s hardly made his mark as a rebounder or passer all season. You’ll likely be depending on a ton of scoring from a position that normally doesn’t do much. I’m not willing to pay up for Jackson when other options that have similar upside are a lot cheaper.

The Outcome

The Hawks have the edge here even without Young and Capela, as the Clippers are missing a large chunk of defense and scoring. I could see this game being close for a while, but Atlanta should pull ahead of a Clippers team with no consistent offensive or defensive anchors.

Final score: Hawks win 120-110