Thursday’s six-game slate in the NBA has a lot of bad teams in action, which might not exactly make for the most exciting night. However, one of the few matchups between two teams with winning records will be the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Charlotte Hornets. This is also the featured Showdown contest on DraftKings, so let’s discuss some players to consider for your lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (CHA vs LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Charlotte Hornets
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Captain’s Pick
LeBron James ($17,700 CP): The Lakers will once again play without Anthony Davis (calf), which puts even more pressure on James to lead the team. He has stepped up in Davis’ absence, scoring at least 53.5 DKFP in four of his last six games. With his ability to contribute in so many different areas, he stands out as one of the top options for this Captain’s spot.
Montrezl Harrell ($11,700 CP): The only problem that comes with adding James as your Captain’s Pick is that it will do a number on your budget. If you want to go with a more well-balanced approach, then consider Harrell for this spot. Not only is Davis going to be out, but Marc Gasol (COVID-19) will also remain sidelined. With them out, Harrell has scored at least 34 DKFP in four straight games.
UTIL Plays
Terry Rozier ($8,200): Rozier entered this season having never shot higher than 42.3 percent from the field during his career. However, he’s wildly exceeded expectations by shooting 48.4 percent from the floor, including 42.7 percent from behind the arc. That’s helped him average 20.5 points and 3.4 three-pointers per contest. Although the Lakers are one of the best defensive teams in the league, Rozier’s 23.6 percent usage rate and improved efficiency still makes him someone to consider.
Kyle Kuzma ($7,200): Kuzma is coming off of a quiet performance versus the Timberwolves on Tuesday in which he only recorded 16 points and three rebounds. However, it’s important to note that he only played 26 minutes because of the lopsided score. Prior to that, Kuzma had averaged 29 minutes across the previous 10 games. He was able to parlay that added playing time into averages of 14.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.4 three-pointers. With Davis out, expect Kuzma to continue to see added time on the floor, as long as this game stays close.
Talen Horton-Tucker ($4,200): The Lakers have been involved in some blowouts lately, which helped Horton-Tucker score at least 30.8 DKFP in both of their last two games. This could be a closer contest against a healthy Hornets team, but Horton-Tucker could still see added playing time because of the Lakers’ limited depth chart. At such a cheap salary, he could be worth the risk if you decide to spend big at the Captain’s spot with James.
Fades
Miles Bridges ($5,200): After the addition of Gordon Hayward ($8,600), Bridges was set to see a reduced role this season. He’s only averaging 26 minutes per game, which is down from 31 minutes per game last season. The Hornets don’t have any injuries of note right now, which has contributed to Bridges scoring 17.5 DKFP or fewer in four straight games. With the high likelihood that he plays limited minutes again, there’s not a lot to like about Bridges at this salary.
The Outcome
The Lakers come into this game riding a three-game winning streak, while the Hornets had their four-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in a blowout loss to the Nuggets. Playing the second game of a back-to-back set isn’t ideal, but the Hornets are 5-3 ATS in those situations this season. Add in the Lakers posting a 9-12 record ATS at home and this could have the makings of a close contest. With that being said, the Hornets are only 8-11 on the road overall, so look for the Lakers to come away with a victory.
Final Score: Lakers 116, Hornets 109
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (CHA vs LAL)
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