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The Phoenix Suns host the Los Angeles Clippers at 10:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday night, and DraftKings is offering up a huge Showdown contest for this game. Below, I give you some of my favorite options to attack for the format.
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Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Captain’s Pick
Paul George ($15,600 CP)
Due to the combination of him tweaking his ankle and the Clippers getting blown out by the Pelicans, George posted a dud of only 17.75 DKFP across 25 minutes on Monday night. Apparently the issue with his ankle was minor, as the All-Star is not listed on the injury report for Wednesday night, and George should bounce back in this marquee matchup against Phoenix. Kawhi Leonard isn’t expected to make his return tonight, and both Serge Ibaka and Patrick Beverley will remain sidelined for the Clippers. Before burning most DFS players Monday night, George had produced a tremendous 57.8 DKFP per game in his previous five without Leonard, Ibaka and Beverley. Overall, in all the minutes George has played sans these three and Lou Williams (now with ATL) this season, the 30-year-old has commanded a ridiculous 37.8% usage rate, lifting him to 1.48 DKFP per minute.
The Suns have been one of the best defenses in the NBA this season, but they have slipped to 24th in defensive rating in their past three games with Jae Crowder (ankle) missing. Listed as questionable, the forward has a chance of returning tonight, but nevertheless, you aren’t ignoring George in this alpha role. He is a safe bet for over 50 DKFP, and George’s captain ownership might be slightly depressed with that ugly showing from Monday sitting in his game log.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $120K Fadeaway [$30K to 1st]
Chris Paul ($12,600 CP)
You have to love CP3 going against his former team, especially with Beverley unavailable to pester him on defense. The veteran has been excellent as of late, supplying 43.6 DKFP per game across his last five, and has really stepped up when facing quality opponents like the Clippers.
So far this month, the Suns have gone head-to-head with eight clubs that sport a record over .500, and Paul is amassing 40.1 DKFP per game on those occasions. With the Clippers on the Suns’ heels for the No. 2 seed in the West and only one game back in the standings, this is a huge contest for seeding purposes, and Paul shouldn’t disappoint with so much at stake.
UTIL Plays
Deandre Ayton ($7,600)
Ayton has chipped in with 35.7 DKFP per game this month, reaching the DraftKings double-double bonus in eight of his 14 starts. This matchup against Ivica Zubac requires Ayton’s size, and the center has done very well vs. the Clippers this season, generating 37.5 DKFP per game in a pair of meetings with Los Angeles.
Ayton’s success against the club should continue tonight, and he is a good value at $7,600.
Marcus Morris ($7,000)
Take Leonard out of the equation, and Morris becomes the No. 2 scoring option for the Clippers. He posted 30.75 DKFP vs. the Pelicans on Monday, and is providing 31.6 DKFP per game in the nine games he has played with Leonard sidelined this season.
Furthermore, Morris’ usage rate has seen a 4.4 percentage point boost and his fantasy production has upgraded to 1.06 DKFP per minute when all of Leonard, Williams, Ibaka and Beverley have been off the court. Morris is a dependable fantasy asset with the Clippers understaffed, and I bet most DFS players overlook him at this price.
Rajon Rondo ($3,400)
Although he is in a limited role, Rondo should fill up the stat sheet in this important tilt. The clutch point guard always rises to the occasion in the biggest moments, and he has topped 20 DKFP in three of his past six games sans Leonard.
Even with both George and Leonard active, Rondo recorded 35.75 DKFP against the Suns in only 19 minutes of work back on April 8, and the savvy veteran is my favorite punt to utilize for this showdown slate.
Fades
Ivica Zubac ($6,400)
Zubac has scored less than 25 DKFP in five of his past six, and I don’t expect the center to get back on track in this horrible matchup. This season, Ayton ranks 5th in defensive real plus-minus for centers and the Suns have yielded the 6th least DKFP per game to opposing centers.
This will be the third time Zubac has faced the Suns this season, and in the first two matchups, Ayton held him to only 13.6 DKFP per game.
The Outcome
This pivotal game should come down to the wire, but in the end, I believe the Suns will prevail. Their confidence should be extremely high coming off an impressive road win over the Knicks on Monday, which snapped a nine-game winning streak for New York.
Plus, having home-court advantage has been huge for Phoenix this season, with the club boasting a 23-9 record at the Talking Stick Arena. While the Clippers lead this season series 2-0, both wins came with Leonard healthy, and I believe they will fall short this time with two-time NBA Finals MVP missing in this playoff-like atmosphere.
Final Score: Suns 112, Clippers 109
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $120K Fadeaway [$30K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) 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. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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