Best lineup strategy for Hawks vs. Knicks NBA Showdown

The New York Knicks got the best of the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in January and will look to remain undefeated against their Eastern Conference rivals on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are running hot, and the Hawks could use a lift. Let’s go over how you could approach attacking DraftKings Showdown contests centered around the lineup.

Captain’s Picks

This feels like a Clint Capela ($13,800) game. The Knicks have one of the NBA’s best defenses so far this season but rank 27th against opposing centers on DraftKings. Mitchell Robinson is set to miss an extended period of time with a hand injury, and New York will have to replace their best rim protector with Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson. Neither player is capable of slowing down an active rebounder like Capela. The Swiss big should coast to a double-double. He’s notched seven in his last 10 games.

Julius Randle ($15,900) has had the Hawks’ number in recent years and put them in the torture chamber last month with 28 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assists. The do-it-all power forward will be matched up against the versatile John Collins ($13,200 CP/$8,800), and his defense still has a ways to go. Randle isn’t a nightly triple-double threat but can get there with a quality matchup.

FLEX Plays

Derrick Rose ($6,000) has had no problem fitting in with the Knicks. The former Detroit Pistons guard has scored at least 14 points in each of the three games he’s appeared in with New York while paying around 20 minutes per contest. Thibs has a strange guard rotation, but his all-time favorite should have a consistent scoring role off the bench moving forward.

Danilo Gallinari ($6,200) is the other bench contributor to look out for. The Italian swingman erupted for a season-high 20 points against the Indiana Pacers in his last game, and that performance could help him recapture his once elite shooting touch. Atlanta has a shortage of wings, so expect a steady diet of Gallinari for the understaffed Hawks.

Fades

Noel ($5,200) has been thrust into a starting role but probably won’t have an above-average game against the tenacious Capela. Houston’s starting center is undersized but is underrated as a rim protector and leads the NBA with 13.9 rebounds per game.

The Outcome

The battered Hawks have lost three straight while the Knicks are looking to win a third straight game on their home turf. New York’s health should be the determining factor in this matchup.

Final score: Knicks win 110-102