Best lineup strategy for Warriors vs. Grizzlies NBA Showdown

The Golden State Warriors surprisingly toppled the Memphis Grizzlies on the road on Friday despite Stephen Curry missing time with a tailbone injury. The two Western Conference teams are running it back at the same place on Saturday, and the Dubs have managed to lose more depth to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Will things turn out differently in the rematch? We broke down Showdown contests centered around the contest ahead of its 8:00 p.m. ET tip-off time.

Captain’s Picks

Curry ($17,100) is listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game, and that’s what could make Showdown contests centered around this matchup interesting. Andrew Wiggins ($11,400) will be on the radar of lots of fantasy players following his 40-point outburst on Friday, but it’s very unlikely that he’ll be able to replicate that performance. Draymond Green’s ($13,200) playmaking will become increasingly important with Steph out, and he’s cracked 40 DKFP in three of his last four games.

Ja Morant ($12,600) was a dud on Friday. Expect him to bounce back if the Warriors get creative and start Jordan Poole at point guard again, though. He’s fallen short of his DKFP average in three straight games, so the public might be lower on him than usual. Jonas Valanciunas ($13,800) will likely be the more popular option. The big man has notched eight double-doubles in his last 10 games and will face a Golden State backcourt that’s starting Kevon Looney at center. He doesn't have the highest ceiling in this game, but his reliability will make him hard to pass on in cash games.

FLEX Plays

Poole ($6,400) should be one of the most popular flex plays. The Michigan product has benefitted from a major uptick in playing time lately and has reached at least 34 DKFP in each of his last two outings. The Warriors’ limited options at point guard will likely result in him taking at least 10 shots for a seventh straight game.

Wiggins ($7,600) might not be the captain’s material, but it’ll be extremely hard to fade the Warriors’ second-leading scorer. He chucked a season-high 24 shots in his last game and could have similar volume if Curry is held out for the second half of the back-to-back.

Then there’s Juan Toscano Anderson ($4,000), who’s sure to take on a small-ball center role for stints now that Kevon Looney and James Wiseman are out because of Covid-19 health and safety protocols. We’ve seen him thrive in this role before when Golden State’s frontcourt was depleted. He has the potential to return more value than any player in the slate.

Fades

Dillon Brooks ($6,800) is in the middle of a very rough patch and has failed to reach 20 DKFP in three straight games. Most of his fantasy value comes from scoring, so his abysmal shooting has hurt him. Matching up against a top-notch perimeter defender in Wiggins doesn’t bode well for his production in this matchup.

The Outcome

Memphis should be energized after being handed a loss by a very depleted Golden State team. The Warriors will likely be spread even more thin in this rematch. The Grizzlies should avoid dropping two straight on their home court.

Final score: Grizzlies win 115-110