Best lineup strategy for Nuggets vs. Jazz NBA Simulation Showdown

We pick up DraftKings simulated basketball series on Wednesday afternoon with a classic Northwest Division rivalry between the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz. If you need access to the contest, here’s the link. Also be sure to check out the rules for simulated basketball.

Captain’s Picks

There are a few ways of going about the Captain’s slot for this game. Nikola Jokic ($18,000) is the highest priced player at Captain and is probably the safest bet considering the rest of the player pool. Nobody really offers that floor/ceiling combo that Jokic provides. Even if Jokic rolls a box score with a low point total, we’re still looking at solid rebound and assist totals.

As for cheaper options, Jamal Murray ($12,600) has some scoring upside with six games of 30+ points this season. He’s more risky but also offers some salary relief, which is important. Michael Porter Jr. ($5,100) isn’t a bad cheap Captain if you’re trying to hit on one of his box scores January, when he averaged 12.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

FLEX Options

So you’re going to want to build your lineup around Jokic ($12,000) in some capacity. Donovan Mitchell ($11,400) and Rudy Gobert ($9,400) are also players to considering since there really aren’t many options with high ceilings. So if we’re fitting in those three and a value — say Porter at $3,400 — then a few mid-range options make sense. Three that I like a lot are Will Barton ($7,000), Mike Conley ($6,600) and Paul Millsap ($6,000). All three have had strong stretches this season inbetween inconsistency and injuries. They’re riskier plays but have good upside. Barton would be my favorite of the bunch. He has plenty of box scores with 20-30 points and usually reaches double-digit points anyway, so the floor is safer.