Fantasy Basketball Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Lineup Strategy for Warriors vs. Clippers Showdown on October 21

Thursday brings a limited slate consisting of only three games. The good news is that they are all exciting matchups. The night will be capped off by the Golden State Warriors hosting the Los Angeles Clippers, which will also be the featured Showdown contest on DraftKings. Let’s discuss some players to consider as you build your lineups, as well as one to possibly avoid.

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (LAC vs GSW)

Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Clippers

SHOWDOWN STRATEGY

Captain’s Pick

Stephen Curry ($17,700 CP): Curry had a rare off-shooting performance in the Warriors’ season opener against the Lakers, making just five of his 21 attempts from the field. However, he still had a juicy overall stat line with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three steals. The 21 shot attempts were right in line with the 21.7 shot attempts that he averaged per game last season. With his lofty usage rate, he’s an ideal option for this position.

Paul George ($17,400 CP): The Clippers are going to need George to carry their offense this season with Kawhi Leonard (knee) out in the early going. Across eight games in the playoffs after Leonard went down last season, he averaged 29.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals. He also averaged 22.0 shot attempts per game during that stretch and should be expected to carry a high usage rate for the foreseeable future.

UTIL Plays

Jordan Poole ($7,200): Poole is going to be a key member of the Warriors’ scoring attack, at least until Klay Thompson (Achilles) is able to return. He attempted 18 shots in their first game, which enabled him to finish with 20 points and four three-pointers. He’s a better option for a utility spot than the Captain’s Pick, though, given his general lack of production outside of the scoring column.

Nemanja Bjelica ($5,400): If their first game was any indication, Bjelica is going to be an important part of the Warriors’ second unit. He logged 26 minutes against the Lakers, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and a steal. His ability to hit three-pointers is a big plus within the Warriors’ offensive system and Draymond Green’s ($8,600) ability to play at the five when they go small should continue to afford Bjelica with significant playing time.

Terance Mann ($5,200): For a little while this offseason, it looked like Mann was going to receive an opportunity to start this season for the Clippers. However, the addition of Eric Bledsoe means that Mann should be relegated to the second unit. If he can still play at least 20 minutes, which is likely since he should be one of their main bench guards, he can provide value at this salary. Across 33 games in which he logged at least 20 minutes last season, he averaged 11.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.9 three-pointers.

Fades

Andrew Wiggins ($7,400): With Wiggins working on his conditioning still, the Warriors limited him to 26 minutes in their first game of the season. That contributed to him producing only 12 points and seven rebounds. It would seem unlikely that they would increase him to his previous season’s average of 33 minutes per game so quickly, so another limited stat line could be possible.

The Outcome

Not only did the Warriors defeat the Lakers in their season opener, but they did so despite Curry’s off-shooting performance. He’s shot 47.6 percent from the field during his career, so look for him to bounce back quickly. The addition of Bjelica and Otto Porter Jr., plus the further emergence of Jordan Poole, has helped make the Warriors a more dangerous team.

Final Score: Warriors 119, Clippers 114

Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (LAC vs GSW)

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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 I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above.

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