Well, this is sort of an odd way to welcome back the NBA, but due to prior postponements, the unofficial second half of the season will begin with a single-game slate in Los Angeles.
At least we all get another chance to check out Luka Doncic ($10,600) in gold, right?
Let’s dive in and find some value options for tonight’s Showdown contest between the Lakers and the Hornets.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $200K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (CHA @ LAL)
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SG/SF Nick Smith, Charlotte Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers, $4,200
Charlotte’s rotation has been a little strange in recent games, particularly as it pertains to point guard usage. Elfrid Payton ($2,600) was signed to a 10-day contract on February 7 and he’s sandwiched some heavy rotation minutes around a DNP-CD in his three games with the team. KJ Simpson ($4,800) has also seen himself go from starting to a DNP-CD this month. So, with LaMelo Ball ($9,800; ankle) probable to return on Wednesday, it feels like avoiding Payton and Simpson entirely might be the way to go — especially if you’re looking to mitigate risk. Smith Jr. possesses a far higher floor than either of Ball’s backups, unless you believe the sophomore is going to get ejected from a second consecutive contest. In Smith’s last five starts prior to the infraction, the former first-round pick averaged 19.6 points and 29.6 FPTS. Smith’s ceiling will be a little lower with Ball and his league-leading 37.3% usage rate back in the starting five, but he remains an enticing value asset with a salary well below $5,000.
PF Jarred Vanderbilt, Los Angeles Lakers vs. Charlotte Hornets, $3,400
Vanderbilt has only been healthy enough to play in nine games in 2024-25 for the Lakers, yet his role has been pretty consistent when he has been available. Vanderbilt is on the floor to play defense and grab rebounds — and he’s been quite good at the latter in this small sample. The forward is averaging an impressive 13.3 boards per 36 minutes this season with a team-leading 20.9% total rebounding rate. Because of this elite skill, Vanderbilt is also producing a respectable 0.91 FPTS per minute. Vanderbilt is the cheapest member of Los Angeles’ usual rotation, though I would also keep an eye on Cam Reddish ($3,200; personal), who is off the Lakers’ IR for this evening’s tilt. Considering all this, Vanderbilt is a perfect asset for a “stars and scrubs” type build on Wednesday’s Showdown slate.
