We’ve got a matchup for supremacy of the W. What else is there to play for? The Golden State Warriors are 24-27 on the season and have dropped seven of their last 10 games. The Washington Wizards are 18-32 on the season and have also dropped seven of their last 10. Washington is 8-16 on the road while the Warriors are 15-9 at home. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Warriors favored by 4.5 points with the total at 238.5. The Wizards and Warriors are first and second in offensive pace so there should be plenty of chances to score fantasy goodies in this one.
Let’s break down this Showdown contest on DraftKings.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] (WAS vs GSW)
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Captain’s Picks
Russell Westbrook ($17,400 CP) - Choosing a captain is easy-peasy on this slate. Don’t get cute. Go with either Westbrook or the player I will mention below. Over the last eight games, he’s gone for at least 50 DKFP in each game with two over 60 and a 94.5 explosion against the Pacers. He triple-doubled in six of those games. The floor/ceiling combo is unmatched.
Stephen Curry ($16,200 CP) - Over the last four games, Curry has been spicy, going for 50 DKFP in three. The lone game under 50 was a 49.75-DKFP performance. The usage rate has been 32%, 40%, 33%, and 40% over that span. The Wizards boost the FPPM by 14.12% above league average.
UTIL Plays
Davis Bertans ($4,600) - Bertans has played 20, 24, and 20 minutes over the last three games, which is a shame because he was getting over 29 per game last season. Regardless, he’s one of the most prolific shooters from downtown in the league and he’s attempted 11, eight, and eight three-pointers over the last three games. Bertans has contributed 29.25, 32.25, and 16 DKFP over that span. In a wide-open game with elevated possessions, Bertans could feast in this one.
Kelly Oubre ($7,400) - This is the kind of environment in which Oubre Jr. thrives in: wide open and up and down. He’s gone for at least 40 DKFP in eight games this season with a high of 59.5 DKFP.
James Wiseman ($5,400) - The variance is wide with Wiseman as he can play 18 minutes or 31. He can put up 32 DKFP or eight. Sounds like the perfect GPP play, depending on the ownership percentage. The matchup and environment is a good one, as the Wizards boost the FPPM to centers by 6.19% above league average.
Fades
Bradley Beal ($10,400) - I wanted to leave this section blank because everyone should eat in this game but I’ll fade Beal for two reasons. One, he’s been dealing with a hip issue recently. He’s probable for tonight, so risk of sitting seems minimal, but his production has waned. Over the last five games, he’s scored fewer than 40 DKFP in four with a low of 24.5 DKFP. Second, Curry costs only $400 more. Now, if the ownership is projected to be super low, then Beal becomes a GPP option, but I don’t see that happening.
THE OUTCOME
For full transparency, I’ve been absolutely horrible at predicting outcomes recently, so you may want to go Costanza on me. It worked out for me last week, so I’m going to keep the Costanza mantra up until it stops working. If that fateful yet inevitable game arrives, then we will Costanza the Costanza.
There should be offensive fireworks in this one but I’ll take the under of 238.5. WAS games have gone under in six of the last eight games while GS games have gone under in five of six games when favored. On the season, WAS games have gone under in 50% of games while GS games have gone under in 58.5%. As for the spread, I think the Warriors beat the Wizards by more than 4.5 points, as they are 10th in defensive efficiency and are playing at home, where they perform well.
Final Score: Golden State 118, Washington 110
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] (WAS vs GSW)
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