Best lineup strategy for Warriors vs. Hawks NBA Showdown

The Golden State Warriors are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Toronto Raptors and hope to find redemption at the end of Sunday’s 7:30 p.m. ET matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. Two dynamic guards are set to face off, and we've broken down an ideal Shdown strategy for contests centered around the matchup on DraftKings.

Captain’s Picks

The ideal captain’s pick for this matchup is a toss-up between Stephen Curry ($15,600) and Trae Young ($15,000). Both guards have tallied more than 90 DKFP apiece in their last two games, so choosing between the two could be difficult. Curry’s raw scoring potential could make him lethal against a Hawks defense that ranks 28th against point guards on DraftKings. The two-time MVP has tallied 68 points in his last two games and is bound to put Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic in a blender on the perimeter. Atlanta is missing several key defenders, which gives Curry an edge.

Golden State has the fifth-ranked defense against point guards on DraftKings and can use Andrew Wiggins’ length to help contain Young. Young typically racks up more dimes than Curry, but missing John Collins (ankle) could lead to him being more aggressive on offense. Keep in mind that he’s coming off a one-game layoff caused by a knee injury, but he did pour in 21 points to go along with 15 assists against Golden State last month. You’ll likely need both guards in your lineup to win.

FLEX Plays

Draymond Green ($7,000) is dealing with a finger injury after flirting with a triple-double against the Miami Heat and missed Golden State’s embarrassing loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday. If Green is a no-go, Juan Toscano-Anderson ($2,600) is a bargain play worth considering. The undersized forward has fallen out of the rotation lately but could easily be the best value play available if given enough minutes.

Danilo Gallinari ($6,000) has reached double-digits in points for five straight contests and is set to play a hefty load of minutes at power forward with Collins out. He or Lou Williams ($6,400) will have to make up for the scoring the Hawks will miss with Collins.

Fades

Jordan Poole’s ($6,800) fantasy value is on the downstroke. The young combo guard hasn’t eclipsed 16 DKFP in four games, and his production takes a huge hit when Curry is healthy. Paying nearly $7K for him at this point is a real reach when there’s so much value elsewhere.

The Outcome

The Hawks have won two straight without Collins, but containing Curry is a lot different from beating the New Orleans Pelicans without their three best players. I expect a shootout, but the Warriors should pull ahead at the end as the much healthier team.

Final score: Warriors win 120-112