One of the common themes for Tuesday’s five-game NBA slate is injuries. A few big names are on the injury report for a matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, which makes things a bit more complicated for the featured DraftKings Showdown contest. With that in mind, here are some players to consider as you build your entries.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (HOU vs LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Captain’s Pick
Anthony Davis ($16,200 Captain’s Pick): Davis (knee) is one several players on the Lakers that is on the injury report, but his status likely isn’t in doubt given that he’s listed as probable. He’s played in all seven games so far, averaging 24.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 blocks. He’s also averaging 36 minutes per game, which is four minutes more than he did last season. His floor his as high as anyone’s in this matchup.
Christian Wood ($14,100 Captain’s Pick): It’s been an ugly start to the season for the Rockets, who are 1-5 with all five of their losses coming by at least 10 points. While they have been involved in a lot of blowouts, it hasn’t impacted Wood’s playing time considering he’s averaged 33 minutes per game. His efficiency is down a bit with him shooting 46.7 percent from the field, but he’s still been able to provide plenty of production, averaging 19.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.2 three-pointers per game.
UTIL Plays
Carmelo Anthony ($6,200): When the Lakers added Anthony during the offseason, it seemed like he was going to play a limited role off the bench on a deep roster that is loaded with veterans. However, with their depth chart hammered by injuries, Anthony has averaged 27 minutes per game. That’s contributed to him scoring at least 33.8 DKFP in three of the last five games.
Eric Gordon ($5,600): Gordon is one of the few veterans on the rebuilding Rockets. He’s had plenty of problems staying healthy, playing more than 70 games in a season only twice during his career. The good news is that he’s healthy this season and is averaging 26 minutes per game in a reserve role. He scored 27.0 DKFP when these two teams met Sunday and has scored at least that many in a game three times.
Alperen Sengun ($4,800): Sengun is someone the Rockets hope they can build around. They are easing him in during his rookie campaign, limiting him to an average of 19 minutes per game. That’s capped his overall production, but he’s been a monster on the defensive end, averaging 2.5 steals per game. With at least 25.5 DKFP in four of six games, he has the potential to provide value.
Fades
Jalen Green ($6,800): Green is as cold as ice. He had one standout performance against the Celtics earlier in the season in which he scored 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting from the field. Still, he’s only shooting 33.7 percent from the field, overall. If he’s not scoring in bunches, it’s going to be hard for him to be worth rostering at this salary given his modest averages of 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
The Outcome
At the very least, it appears that the Lakers will have Davis and Russell Westbrook ($11,200) at their disposal for this game. LeBron James ($11,400) is officially questionable, but given that he’s played in both of their last two games, it would seem like he has a good chance to take the floor. The question here probably isn’t if the Rockets will lose this game, it’s by how much.
Final Score: Lakers 115, Rockets 101
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (HOU vs LAL)
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