For Friday’s featured Showdown contest, the Lakers and Cavaliers will go head-to-head in Los Angeles, beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET. As usual, DraftKings is offering up a huge Showdown contest for this game, and below I give you some of my favorite options to attack for the format.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $120K Fadeaway [$30K to 1st] (CLE vs LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Captain’s Pick
Russell Westbrook ($16,200 CP)
After missing the last two games, LeBron James (ankle) is listed as questionable for Friday night. However, for Wednesday’s matchup vs. the Thunder, the Lakers made their decision very early right around 2:00 p.m. ET that the superstar would be inactive, suggesting James isn’t close to being ready. Only two days later, it’s hard to expect much of an improvement, so I am going to assume that for at least one more contest, the purple and gold will be without James.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Lakers SF/PF LeBron James (ankle) will be available to play tonight vs. the Cavaliers.
Instantly, this makes Westbrook an elite option. With James sidelined, Westbrook has looked like his former MVP self, producing 61.75 DKFP per game. Overall, when James has been off the floor, Westbrook’s usage has risen six percentage points, to a team-high 35.4%, helping him score 1.45 DKFP per minute. Westbrook is a strong bet to reach the triple-double bonus and is the undisputed top overall play of this showdown slate if LeBron is out again.
Evan Mobley ($11,700 CP)
If looking to save some money at captain, Mobley is the best option. The rookie has seen a large workload to begin his NBA career, leading the Cavs with 33.2 minutes per game. Mobley has knocked down 50% of his shots and contributed an outstanding four defensive stats a night. All in all, the versatile 20-year-old is scoring 34.2 DKFP per game, and playing up in pace against the Lakers is perfect for his skill set.
Compared to the Cavs, who rank 27th in pace, Los Angeles is the second fast club in the league this season and their defense has also been very susceptible, ranking 26th in efficiency. In this spot, over 40 DKFP is absolutely possible for Mobley.
UTIL Plays
Anthony Davis ($10,400)
If James is missing from the equation, Davis needs to be included in your lineups. When James has been off the floor this season, Davis has amassed a 33.2% usage rate, which is a 3.6 percentage point increase from his season average.
The Kentucky product supplies 1.44 DKFP per minute in this situation, and is amassing 57.5 DKFP per game across his last five sans James.
Collin Sexton ($7,400)
Sexton’s usage has been excellent, at a team-high 29.6%, and he has shot the ball at a 52% clip this season. The Lakers have given up the sixth most DKFP to opposing shooting guards, and Sexton is always a great target in up-tempo matchups.
When the combo guard has played up in pace over the last two seasons, Sexton has responded with 36.7 DKFP per game.
DeAndre Jordan ($2,000)
Jordan is extremely cheap for a starter, and there is a chance he approaches 20 minutes tonight, facing the large Cavs frontcourt of Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Albeit a small sample, Jordan has provided 1.3 DKFP per minute with James off the floor, and the center has topped 20 DKFP in two of his last three starts.
Point-per-dollar wise, Jordan is one of the best values on the slate and rostering him opens up endless possibilities for your lineup.
Fades
Kevin Love ($6,000)
With Mobley in the fold, Love has taken a backseat and now comes off the bench. The veteran is only seeing 21.5 minutes per game this season and has struggled mightily with his shot, posting a 37% field goal percentage, including an abysmal 20% from beyond the arc.
At age 33, if Love’s shot isn’t falling, he is going to disappoint fantasy wise, and he is an extremely tough sell at this salary.
The Outcome
While the Cavs should keep this one close, I have to back the more talented Lakers on their home floor. Coming off the discouraging loss to the Thunder on Wednesday, Westbrook and Davis should be highly motivated to get the bounce-back win tonight, and in the end, the Cavs should have no answer for either star.
Final Score: Lakers 101, Cavs 95
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $120K Fadeaway [$30K to 1st] (CLE vs LAL)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) 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. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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