There won’t be a lot of action to speak of in the NBA on Thursday with just four games on the schedule. One is a matchup between two of the league’s most storied franchises with the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Boston Celtics. This game will also be the featured Showdown contest on DraftKings, so let’s highlight some players to consider for your entries.
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Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Captain’s Pick
Jayson Tatum ($15,600 CP): Tatum is having an excellent season, averaging career-highs in points (25.9), rebounds (7.1) and assists (4.2) per game. He recently had a 53-point performance against the Timberwolves and scored 32 points against the Trail Blazers on Tuesday, both of which turned out to be wins for the Celtics. With LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (calf) out, Tatum has arguably the highest floor of anyone who is set to take the court in this game.
Dennis Schroder ($11,100 CP): With the Lakers missing their two stars, they’ve needed Schroder to increase his production. He’s responded by averaging 17.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.7 steals across his last 13 games. Tatum might have the higher upside, but if you want to go with a more well-balanced entry, deploying Schroder in the Captain’s spot at his reasonable salary could be a wise move.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] (BOS vs LAL)
UTIL Plays
Jaylen Brown ($9,200): Although his overall numbers aren’t as impressive as Tatum’s, Brown is also in the midst of a career-best campaign. He’s been one of the Celtics’ most consistent scorers, averaging 24.3 points and 2.7 three-pointers while shooting 48.6 percent from the field. His efficiency shouldn’t come as a surprise given that he shot 48.1 percent from the field last season. Even though the Lakers are a good defensive team, Brown is still an appealing option.
Kyle Kuzma ($7,600): Make no mistake about it, Kuzma is a risky option. His last seven games are a perfect example of his inconsistency. During that stretch, he scored at least 30.8 DKFP four times. However, he scored 22.5 DKFP or fewer in each of the other three games. Still, he’s one of the primary scoring options on the injury-riddled Lakers, so he’s at least worth considering.
Tristan Thompson ($4,400): Even though Davis is out, the Lakers still have a lot of size up front with Andre Drummond ($8,200), Montrezl Harrell ($6,400) and Marc Gasol ($2,600). That should mean plenty of minutes for Thompson off the bench behind Robert Williams ($7,000). Thompson could also get a boost if Williams does not play tonight, as Williams is listed as questionable due to a knee issue. Across four games since becoming a member of the second unit, Thompson has still managed to provide respectable averages of 7.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks.
Fades
Talen Horton-Tucker ($6,200): Horton-Tucker isn’t one to shy away from taking shots, but his problem has been a lack of efficiency. Across his last 10 games, he’s only shot 40.4 percent from the field. That’s contributed to his pedestrian averages of 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Until he can correct his shooting struggles, he’s a risky option based on his limited contributions in other areas.
The Outcome
The Celtics seem to have righted the ship lately, winning six of their last seven games. Their only loss during that stretch came at the hands of the Sixers. Meanwhile, the Lakers have been basically treading water with their stars out, posting a 4-4 record over their last eight contests. With the way Tatum and Brown are rolling right now, look for the Celtics to pull out a road victory.
Final Score: Celtics 107, Lakers 102
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] (BOS vs LAL)
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