Best lineup strategy for Warriors vs. Timberwolves NBA Showdown

The Golden State Warriors kicked off this week by losing to the Dallas Mavericks by 30 points, They’ve been gifted with a Thursday matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8:00 p.m. ET, though. Both teams have highly-capable offensive weapons, and we’ll go over the top DFS options for Showdown contests centered around the matchup here.

Captain’s Picks

Stephen Curry ($18,600) and Karl-Anthony Towns ($18,000) are the top options for obvious reasons. The Timberwolves’ defense ranks 30th against point guards on DraftKings, so facing off against the NBA’s scoring leaders bound to be challenging. On the other hand, the Warriors only have one legitimate center to deploy against KAT, who has scored 50 DKFP in his sleep for most of this season. Neither option will give you much of an edge because of the nearly identical price points, though.

Draymond Green ($13,800) and Andrew Wiggins ($13,500) will likely end up being the most popular pivots, but D’Angelo Russell ($12,900) could end up being just as productive as either Warriors role-player. The Timberwolves guard has scored 38 or more DKFP three times in his last five games and has been far more reliable since his minute restriction was lifted. Most people will be forced to fade Green or Wiggins, so leaving one out probably won’t make or break your lineup.

FLEX Plays

Juan Toscano-Anderson ($4,800) is the Dubs’ best backup option at power forward and center and has played at least 20 minutes in five straight contests. The Warriors are not comfortable playing Alen Smailagic ($1,000), and Minnesota ranks 29th against power forward’s on DraftKings. JTA has slate-breaking potential and will likely play more than any other reserve big.

Kelly Oubre (wrist) is doubtful, so expect a heavy helping of Kent Bazemore ($4,200). The Warriors wing poured in 52.25 DKFP in his last game before missing time because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Damion Lee is still out because of health and safety protocols, so Bazemore will likely have no choice but to carry a heavy workload in his first game back from a one-week layoff.

Fades

Ricky Rubio ($5,200) has somehow managed to keep hold of his starting role following Russell’s return but has put up uninspiring numbers. Rubio has fallen short of 20 DKFP in three straight games and has shot just 3-for-14 from the field during that span. It’s only a matter of time before Rubio is relegated to the bench, and there’s no reason to expect a turnaround anytime soon.

The Outcome

The Timberwolves have been one of the NBA’s worst teams all year. However, they’ve shown life amid their current three-game winning streak. Securing back-to-back victories over the Utah Jazz is no small feat, so I like the odds of the home team winning another game thanks to the Warriors’ weakened frontcourt.

Final score: Timberwolves win 115-110