The Utah Jazz took care of business at home to go up 2-0 in the series, then the Los Angeles Clippers won Game 3 at home in convincing fashion. The Clippers look to even up the series Monday. DraftKings Sportsbook has the Clippers favored by five points with the O/U at 223.5.
This matchup will also be a Showdown contest on DraftKings, so let’s discuss some players to consider for your entries.
Captain’s Picks
EDITOR’S NOTE: Mike Conley (hamstring) has been ruled out Monday vs. the Clippers.
Donovan Mitchell ($16,200 CP) - Mike Conley is questionable. Again. After suffering what was diagnosed as a “mild” hamstring injury, Conley has missed three games. If he’s out, Mitchell slides down to point guard and handles the primary ball-handling responsibilities. His usage rate has been 39%, 40% and 43% while he’s put up 47.75, 48.25 and 61.75 DKFP, respectively, in the three games in this series. If Conley plays, Mitchell is still a viable option, but I’d pivot to the two Clippers stars. If Conley is out, then Mitchell is a lock for me since his usage rate is unmatched, and you could fit the other two Clippers’ stars in the same lineup if you wanted to go that route.
Paul George ($15,600 CP) - George has gone for 45.25, 49 and 37.5 DKFP in this series. His usage rate has been 35%, 26% and 29%, respectively. He’s scored at least 20 points in every playoff game so far and grabbed double-digit rebounds in five. He’s also averaging 5.3 assists per game. His defensive stats are down, but George does have one three-steal game and two three-block games. He’s gone for at least 50 DKFP four times in these playoffs. George is the cheapest of the three stars, and some project he’ll be the high scorer on Monday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st] (UTA vs LAC)
UTIL Plays
Patrick Beverley ($1,400) - Beverley is one of the players who could unlock things Monday. During the Dallas series, he played 17 and 23 minutes in the first two games, then played six and five minutes before being completely removed from the rotation. He played six minutes in Game 1 vs. the Jazz, 21 minutes in Game 2, then received 16 minutes in Game 3. He scored 12.25 DKFP in Game 2, then 11 in Game 3. Is he a sexy option? Absolutely not. Is there a ton of upside? Niet. He could easily be cut from the rotation, but he unlocks the ability to fit the three studs on this slate. Hopefully, he can play 16-20 minutes because all we need is double-digit DKFPs.
Kawhi Leonard ($11,800) - After struggling in the first two games of the series, the Kawhi-bot cleared his cache and guidance chips recalibrated, then bounced back with 63.5 DKFP. It was his third time going over 60 in these playoffs. What’s not to like here? His usage rate was 34%, he attempts a ton of shots, grabs rebounds, dishes out assists and racks up defensive stats.
Nicolas Batum ($5,200) - Coach Ty Lue made the adjustment of starting Batum at center in Game 3 and let him run wild for 35 minutes. He responded with 32.25 DKFP. He’s a low-usage player, so the points and shot attempts won’t be voluminous, but he can drain an open shot from beyond the arc. With Rudy Gobert matched against him, Batum will continue to get plenty of good looks. He also contributes a little something in every category, so his floor is relatively high. Batum’s ceiling is limited, though.
Fades
Rudy Gobert ($13,800 CP; $9,200) - You can Sharpie in double-digit rebounds and defensive stats for Gobert, so there is some semblance of a floor. Unfortunately, that floor is 29.5 DKFP, which he’s accomplished twice in this series. At this price tag, I can’t stomach that floor with a limited chance at upside. Can Gobert go for 50 DKFP? Sure, but he has to grab close to 20 rebounds and score around 20 points for that to happen. I’ll take the under.
THE OUTCOME
For full transparency, I’ve been absolutely horrible at predicting outcomes, so you may want to go Costanza on me. If that doesn’t work, then Costanza the Costanza.
The Clippers have played good defense all series, limiting the Jazz to 112, 117 and 106 points with 40.7%, 55.3% and 42.9% shooting from the field, respectively. Despite allowing the Jazz to shoot 55% in Game 2, they still only lost by six points. While the stars from both teams will shine, I like the role players to play well at home and the Clippers to take care of business, tying up the series at two apiece on Monday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st] (UTA vs LAC)
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