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Among Thursday’s slate of games is a matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers, two teams who hope to make deep runs in the playoffs. This game will be the featured Showdown contest on DraftKings, so let’s highlight some players to consider for your entries.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $120K Fadeaway [$30K to 1st] (LAC vs MIL)
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Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Captain’s Picks
Giannis Antetokounmpo ($19,500 CP): Giannis hasn’t skipped a beat after missing five straight games with a knee injury. Over five games since making his return, he has averaged 37.4 points, 13.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Just as important, he logged 32 minutes per game. With no limitations for him in this matchup, he has the highest ceiling of any of the players set to take the floor.
Kawhi Leonard ($16,500 CP): This is not part of a back-to-back set for the Clippers, so Leonard should take the floor. Other than not playing consecutive nights, Leonard isn’t facing any other restrictions right now. Over his last 11 games, he has averaged a whopping 37 minutes. He used his heavy dosage of playing time to average 29.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.0 steals over that span. His upside might not be as high as Giannis’s, but Leonard is a great option for this spot, and he has a much cheaper salary.
UTIL Plays
Jrue Holiday ($9,400): Holiday is in the midst of his best season since joining the Bucks, despite his 46.1 percent shooting from the field being four percentage points lower than his mark from last season. He is attempting nearly two more shots per game, leaving him to average 19.4 points and 2.3 three-pointers, to go along with 5.3 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.4 steals. A case could be made to deploy him in the Captain’s spot, but he doesn’t have the same upside that Giannis and Leonard do, so he’s probably better suited for a utility spot.
Brook Lopez ($7,400): The Bucks are thin up front right now with Bobby Portis (knee) out. Over the last four games without him, Lopez scored at least 29.5 DKFP three times. There is some risk that the Clippers go small and maybe try to force Lopez off the floor, but if the Bucks stick with him, the Clippers’ lack of size behind Ivica Zubac ($6,400) could lead Lopez with an opportunity to feast against smaller players.
Reggie Jackson ($4,000): Jackson returned to play the Bulls on Tuesday after missing just one game with Achilles soreness. He only scored 15 DKFP, but there were encouraging signs. He logged 27 minutes, which was the most that he has played in nearly a month. While he only scored two points, he wasn’t an afterthought in the Clippers’ offense, since he attempted nine shots. If he can regain his stroke and play similar minutes in this matchup, he has the potential to provide value.
Fades
Khris Middleton ($5,800): It has been an injury-filled campaign for Middleton, who has only appeared in 12 games. While he has played in each of the last five games, he has been relegated to coming off the bench as the Bucks try to ease him along. He only played 20 minutes in his last game against the Hornets, so expect him to remain limited in this matchup.
THE OUTCOME
Although Middleton is playing limited minutes, the Bucks have won all five games since he made his return. Each win came by at least eight points, while two of the victories were by at least 20 points. They are 21-5 at home, so this is going to be an uphill battle for the Clippers. Having Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both available should help them at least keep things close, though.
Final Score: Bucks 125, Clippers 118
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $120K Fadeaway [$30K to 1st] (LAC vs MIL)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mbarner51) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.