The Utah Jazz lost Donovan Mitchell to injury last week and continue to scratch and claw in an effort to hang on to the top spot out West. After resting some key players over the weekend, they should be nearly 100% healthy and ready for the challenge of getting by the Los Angeles Lakers defense. L.A. is still without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, of course, and just trying to stay out of the league’s spring play-in tournament, which is something it’s dangerously close to.
Without further ado, let’s get into how to construct your Showdown lineups for Monday evening.
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Captain
Rudy Gobert ($13,800 CP)
With all the top options out for this one, Gobert (probable; knee) might be in the best spot. L.A. is 16th in rebounding rate over the past 10 games, and rebounding could be the best way for anyone to get points on this slate against such stingy defenses. As an added bonus, the Lakers’ frontcourt has been banged up in recent games, and there’s a chance whoever is guarding Gobert or fighting him for rebounds is playing through some pain. I think he should be the clear top player in this one.
Joe Ingles ($10,500 CP)
The man who’s replacing an injured Mitchell, Ingles is coming off a 53.25-DKFP game against this same Lakers team. Though it’s no guarantee he repeats that performance against a strong defense, his three-point touch should be more than enough to raise his floor here to a very nice range. It’s hard to see him not hitting value. At this price, he would afford you a world of roster flexibility.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (UTA vs LAL)
Fades
Jordan Clarkson ($7,200)
With Mike Conley ($7,800; probable) back in the lineup, Clarkson’s value should fade back into oblivion. It’s not as if he can’t have a good game, but it’s hard to see him hitting 5X value here. The minutes and shots will be down, and we have to remind ourselves that this was a player who was consistently struggling before he stumbled upon 46 minutes in an overtime game without Conley or Mitchell. His usage and production should come crashing back to Earth.
Value FLEX Options
Bojan Bogdanovic ($6,600)
I realize I just gave a lecture on value, and it’s admittedly going to be tough to get something like 6X out of Bogdanovic, but it’s hard to deny he’s benefited when Mitchell has been on the bench. He’s averaging 0.3 more DKFP per minute with Mitchell off the floor this year, and his usage has increased 1.6 percentage points. He’s also taken seven threes per game over the last two. I’ll take that kind of volume at under $7K.
Georges Niang ($2,400)
I think Niang has a lot of talent, and he has shown the Jazz something when he’s been given minutes this season, shooting 40.6% from three. That’s risen to 45.9% over the past 10 games. He’s shot 45.8% from the field over that span, which has helped him average 18.7 DKFP per game. Watch the status of Ersan Ilyasova ($3,000; doubtful) and Derrick Favors ($1,000; questionable) here. If one or both can’t go, particularly Ilyasova, Niang should see plenty of run. At this price, he’s definitely worth a look if he’ll see 20-plus minutes.
The Outcome
I expect the defenses to return here and the pace to slow as the Jazz vie for a win with Gobert and Conley back in the lineup. They should get one rather handily, given the defense both bring to the court and the rebounding discrepancy between the two teams. It’s not going to be fun from a DFS perspective, but it should be another win for Utah.
Final Score: Jazz 103, Lakers 91
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (UTA vs LAL)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jetsfan196) and I 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. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.