I don’t want to overhype an early November game of basketball, yet tonight’s contest between the Charlotte Hornets and the Golden State Warriors has the potential to be one of the most fun matchups on the schedule. Not only do both teams currently sport a top 10 net rating, but each can lay claim to rostering the most dynamic and watchable point guard in the NBA.
Let’s break it all down from a Showdown perspective.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st, $10K Bonus Blast] (CHA vs GSW)
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Captain’s Picks
Stephen Curry ($17,700 CP) - No surprises here. Curry comes into Wednesday sitting third in the league in points scored per 100 possessions (38.8), while also sporting a career-best total rebounding rate (11.2%). Simply put: The man finds a way to rack up the DKFP. In fact, Curry leads all Warriors in DKFP earned per minute (1.49), despite being the lone member of the team to have logged more than 200 minutes so far in 2021-22. Curry leads the NBA in three-pointers attempted (80) and made (31), even though Golden State has played just six games — tied for the lowest total in basketball. He’s a volume and efficiency monster, and he’s a must-play in what should be a high-scoring script, as the Hornets have allowed 115.0 opponent points per contest and have registered the league’s third-worst defensive rating (111.1).
LaMelo Ball ($14,100 CP) - It’s honestly a little crazy how close a decision this is between Ball and Miles Bridges ($9,200). While it’s Ball who leads Charlotte is basically every efficiency category including DKFP per minute (1.40), points per 36 minutes (24.3) and field goal attempts per 100 possessions (28.3), Bridges is just straight up logging more than five minutes per game more than his sophomore teammate. That might seem like a simplistic way to choose between assets, yet it’s already played a role in 2021-22. Ball’s registered fewer than 35.0 DKFP in three of the Hornets’ contests this season, whereas Bridges’ production has never dipped below that mark. Still, it’s Ball who owns a higher ceiling and it’s Ball who’s registered 50-plus DKFP in each of his past two starts, all while setting a season-high in minutes both nights. I’ll lean with the upside.
Value UTIL Plays
Cody Martin ($3,800) - Someone in the Hornets’ rotation was going to be undervalued on this slate, and it turns out that person was Martin. The 26-year-old has been enjoying a fantastic stretch of basketball to start the season, as evidenced by a career-high .616 true shooting percentage through eight games. Martin’s role is stable — he’s logged more than 20 minutes in six of the team’s contests so far — and, in those six contests, the wing has averaged a more than respectable 25.8 DKFP. Really, Martin’s fantasy production has been quite similar to Kelly Oubre Jr. ($6,600) and PJ Washington ($6,200), yet the third-year man finds himself at almost half the price. It’s a clear buying window.
Andre Iguodala ($1,800) - I’m not here to argue that Iguodala is going to break this slate wide open; however, with so many high-upside assets available at the top-end of this pricing list, the veteran’s microscopic salary could definitely come in handy. It’s also not like Iguodala’s been bad so far in 2021-22. The former lottery pick is sixth on the team in minutes per game (21.8) and fourth on the team in total rebounding rate (12.8%). Iguodala’s also managed to register at least 15.0 DKFP in all five contests he’s been active for, including the Warriors’ most recent win over the Thunder, a night where Iggy didn’t score a single point in 17 minutes of action. His floor seems to be 7x value, which is enticing considering Charlotte has surrendered the most DKFP to opposing small forwards this season.
Fades
Gordon Hayward ($8,400) - I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Hayward’s worst two fantasy performances of the season have come with Terry Rozier ($7,800) back and playing his usual allotment of minutes. Hayward, ever the willing passer, was already a secondary scoring and creating option on the Hornets behind Ball and Bridges, but now’s he’s clearly the fourth man on the totem pole with Rozier healthy and in the starting lineup. It’s difficult to envision paying up for the Butler product when both Rozier and Draymond Green ($8,200) are sitting with a cheaper price tag.
THE OUTCOME
This spread seems slightly high considering the Hornets have covered four of their last five road games, but I do think that the Warriors are the better team. Golden State owns the the Western Conference’s best defensive rating (98.7), while Curry and Green should be able to exploit the several holes in Charlotte’s defensive scheme. I’ll take experience over the young, flashy squad in what should be an amazing contest to watch.
Final Score: Golden State 115, Charlotte 111
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st, $10K Bonus Blast] (CHA vs GSW)
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