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The Los Angeles Lakers trail the Phoenix Suns by one game ahead of Tuesday's Game 2 matchup. The home team’s starting point guard is banged up, and that could be the edge Los Angeles needs to climb back into the series. We’ll go over the best fantasy strategy for Showdown contests on DraftKings centered around the matchup here.
Captain’s Picks
Anthony Davis’ ($17,100) lack of engagement was a major storyline after Game 1, and everyone is expecting a bounce-back performance from the Lakers star forward. He was dominant against the Suns’ small-ball 4s during the regular season and tallied a 42-12-5 line the only time he played them in the regular season. That performance happened without LeBron James ($18,000 CP/$12,000) out. Davis should be a focal point early in Game 2 and should make a concerted effort to perform at a high level after taking the blame for the Lakers’ deficit.
Devin Booker ($14,700) unexpectedly looked like the best player on the court for most of Game 1 and was the most productive fantasy player. He paced all scorers with 34 points on 55% shooting and wasn't far from a triple-double thanks to his heightened playmaking and rebounding. Chris Paul’s ($13,500/$9,000) shoulder injury could make Booker even more important than usual in Game 2. Still, most fantasy players will likely opt for James or Davis in anticipation of bounce-back performances from both Lakers stars.
FLEX Plays
One player who’s flying under the radar ahead of Game 2 is Mikal Bridges ($6,600). The 3-and-D specialist wasn't extremely impactful in Game 1 and only trailed Booker in minutes with 41. If you believe that Booker will take over for the second game in a row, few players are better to pair him with than Bridges. Booker has assisted Bridges more times (72) than any other Suns player.
Fades
Deandre Ayton ($7,400) will likely be the most popular flex play behind James, Davis, and Booker after missing just one shot en route to a dominant double-double in Game 1. While the Suns’ starting center rose to the occasion, he hasn’t been the most reliable big as of late. He’s fallen short of 26 DKFP in five of his last 10 games.
The Outcome
The Lakers be held to 90 points for a second straight game when healthy, and the Suns will likely take a step back with Paul less than 100%. Los Angeles seems likely to cover the spread and even the series thanks to resurgent games from James and Davis.
Final score: Laker win 110-107