After a full schedule of games on Wednesday, the NBA slate slows down on Thursday, as there are only two games in the association, one of which features the Milwaukee Bucks (5-2) traveling to Indiana to take on the Pacers (5-3). Here’s a look at some players to consider in a DFS Showdown lineup for Thursday’s matchup.
Captain’s Picks
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($17,100) – Antetokunmpo only played 22 minutes on Wednesday night before getting ejected for recording his second technical foul, so he should be fresher than usual for tonight’s matchup on the second night of a back-to-back. The Pacers have allowed the most points in the paint in the league (61.3), so there should be plenty of chances for Antetokounmpo to impact the game close to the hoop.
Tyreese Haliburton ($15,900) – Don’t overthink this. Haliburton is staking his claim as the most dynamic playmaker in the NBA, and he should plenty of chances to make magic happen against a Bucks team that’s struggled on defense to start the season. Haliburton is averaging 22.9 ppg and 11.9 apg this season, and should come close to exceeding those numbers tonight.
FLEX Plays
Update: Lillard has been ruled out on the second night of a back-to-back set. The Bucks are likely to roll with some combination of MarJon Beauchamp ($2,400), Malik Beasley ($5,000) and Pat Connaughton ($3,800) in the backcourt alongside Khris Middleton. All would make strong filler plays in the flex spot for Showdown contests.
Damian Lilliard ($10,000) – While Lilliard has admitted he’s still trying to makes things work with Antetokunmpo, he’s played well so far this season (minus his clunker against the Hawks). He’s coming off a game where he dropped 34 points against the Pistons, and has now scored 20+ in his last three games.
Brook Lopez ($6,400) – Lopez is coming off his best game of the season, as he dropped 14 points and six rebounds with a 4-6 shooting night from deep. Lopez has scored 12, 15 and 19 points in his last three matchups against the Pacers, so it’s clear he knows how to score on Indiana center Myles Turner.
Fades
Buddy Hield ($7,200) – Hield has gotten off to an inconsistent start this season, and has scored 10, 19, 19, 14 and 7 points in the five games he’s played in November. He’s a streaky shooter who can get hot at a moment’s notice, but I still wouldn’t trust him tonight.
Khris Middleton ($7,000) – While Middleton got the night off on Wednesday for injury management (which means he should be good to go tonight), I’d still stay away from the former All-Star. He’s been on a minutes restriction to start this season, and has only topped 15 points once this season. He’s a good player, but this price is too much for the limited value he brings right now.
The Outcome
I think the Bucks cover in what should be a back-and-forth game all night. Both of these teams are still trying to figure out the rythem of their offense, so I think it’ll be a game where Antetokounmpo and Haliburton take over for long stretches while everyone else kind of falls in around them.
Final score: Bucks 130, Pacers 123