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There are a couple of matchups with blowout potential during Thursday’s five-game NBA slate. One of them is the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder, which will also be the featured Showdown contest on DraftKings. Let’s highlight some players to consider on both sides as you build your lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] (OKC vs LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Captain’s Pick
Anthony Davis ($18,300 Captain’s Pick): The last time these two teams met, LeBron James ($12,600) didn’t take the floor. Davis stepped up in his absence, scoring 30 points to go along with eight rebounds, two assists and a steal. Still, the Lakers lost by eight points. Davis (knee) finds himself on the injury report for this rematch, although there isn’t much concern given that he’s listed as probable. Despite playing in each of the last three games, James (ankle) is listed as questionable. If he sits, Davis could again have added responsibilities on the offensive end. Even if James does play, Davis should carry a high floor.
Josh Giddey ($11,100 Captain’s Pick): This game is very top-heavy in terms of options. The Lakers have their star trio, who each have a salary that will eat up a significant portion of your budget. The Thunder also have one player with a high salary, but we’ll get to him in a minute. If you want to try and roll with multiple stars by saving money at the Captain’s spot, Giddey could be an option. He’s scored at least 38.0 DKFP in three of his last five games, including scoring exactly that many DKFP against the Lakers.
UTIL Plays
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($10,200): Gilgeous-Alexander has by far the highest salary among the players on the Thunder. Although his assists are down this season, it’s difficult to complain about his performance given that he’s averaged 22.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 three-pointers per game. He drained five three-pointers on his way to 47.3 DKFP the first time these two teams met.
Darius Bazley ($5,400): Bazley scored a season-high 20 points on his way to 41.0 DKFP when these two teams last faced off. He logged 32 minutes in that game, which was the fourth game out of seven that he played at least 30 minutes. Across those four games, he’s averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. If he can at least approach 30 minutes again, he could provide value.
Derrick Favors ($2,600): With the Thunder rebuilding, Favors is one of the few veterans that is on the team. He’s started four of the six games that he’s played in, but he’s only averaged 17 minutes, overall. The Thunder could use his size against the Lakers, so it’s not a huge surprise that he logged a season-high 26 minutes when these two teams previously played. In that game, he produced 15 points and six rebounds.
Fades
Kent Bazemore ($5,000): Given these two rosters, a stars-and-scrubs lineup approach is probably advisable. Bazemore’s salary isn’t overly expensive, but it’s not going to significantly help your budget, either. His upside is extremely limited because, despite him averaging 28 minutes per game, his usage rate is only 10.9 percent.
The Outcome
Yes, the Thunder upset the Lakers the last time these two teams met. They almost beat the Clippers in their last game, as well, before eventually falling by five points. The problem is, three of their losses have also come by at least 21 points. Don’t expect them to hang with the Lakers this time around, specifically because the game will be played in Los Angeles. Each of their three blowout losses have come on the road.
Final Score: Lakers 115, Thunder 98
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] (OKC vs LAL)
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