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Tuesday might only have six games on the schedule in the NBA, but the evening has no shortage of exciting matchups. One of them will be the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Phoenix Suns, two teams who hope to make lengthy playoff runs in the Western Conference. This game 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 $200K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (PHO vs LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Captain’s Pick
LeBron James ($19,800 CP): With Anthony Davis (calf) out, James is as appealing as it gets for the Captain’s spot. Even though he only played 24 minutes in a blowout win over the Warriors on Sunday, he still scored 41 DKFP. Across his last nine games, he’s scored at least 51 DKFP six times. While his salary will do a number on your budget, his potential to produce a monster all-around stat line might be too good to pass up.
Chris Paul ($14,400 CP): Paul saw his assists decline last season with the Thunder, averaging just 6.7 of them per contest. That was actually the lowest mark of his career. With more scoring weapons around him on the Suns, Paul has averaged 9.0 assists this season. That hasn’t hurt his scoring production, either, given that he is averaging just over one fewer point per contest than he did last season. If you’re looking to go with a more balanced entry, Paul also carries a high floor.
UTIL Plays
Montrezl Harrell ($7,600): Harrell should be fresh for this game after logging only 11 minutes Sunday against the Warriors. Entering that contest, he had averaged 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks over his previous six games. The Lakers should continue to look for him to provide more production in the scoring department with Davis out, so expect Harrell to bounce back in what should be a much closer contest.
Marc Gasol ($4,400): If you want to choose James as your Captain’s pick, then you’ll need to add a player, or two, with a cheap salary to help balance out your budget. Gasol is a shell of his former self at this late stage of his career and he’s only averaging 20 minutes per contest. However, since Davis went down, Gasol has scored at least 20 DKFP in five of seven games. That should at least put him on your radar.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Marc Gasol (health protocols) is listed as out for tonight’s game vs. the Suns.
Talen Horton-Tucker ($3,800): Horton-Tucker is not shy about shooting, which was pretty clear when he attempted 12 shots across 16 minutes versus the Warriors. He’s only averaging 17 minutes per game for the season, but he’s averaged 21 minutes across the last six games as the Lakers look for others to help fill Davis’ minutes. There’s not much upside here with Horton-Tucker, but with him scoring at least 20.3 DKFP in three of the last six games, he could be worth a look in tournament play.
Fades
Mikal Bridges ($7,200): Bridges is an important part of the Suns’ starting lineup and has averaged 32 minutes per game. The problem is his playing time doesn’t always translate well to fantasy given all of the talented offensive players around him. He’s scored 28.3 DKFP or fewer in six of his last seven games, which makes him a risky option given that his salary doesn’t come at much of a discount.
The Outcome
Initially, the Lakers did not look good after Davis went down. However, they have won back-to-back games, both of which came at home. The Lakers are only 11-7 at home compared to 13-4 on the road, so this game being played in Los Angeles might not exactly be a huge advantage. Also, the Suns are an impressive 11-5 on the road. On top of that, they are 8-2 across their last 10 games, overall. Look for them to take advantage of Davis’ absence with a victory.
Final Score: Suns 110, Lakers 106
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $200K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (PHO vs LAL)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mbarner51) 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.
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