It felt like Wednesday was injury day in the NBA. Several players were ruled out for a significant period of time, including some of the biggest stars in the league. One of them was on the Portland Trail Blazers, who will try to keep their heads above water in a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. This game will be the featured Showdown contest on DraftKings, so let’s discuss how things might play out for both sides.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Trail Blazers SF Norman Powell (quad) is available Thursday vs. the Spurs.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] (SAS vs POR)
Portland Trail Blazers vs. San Antonio Spurs
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Captain’s Pick
Dejounte Murray ($17,400 Captain’s Pick): Murray appeared to have a breakout campaign last season, but he’s taken things to an even higher level this season. As the centerpiece of the Spurs’ scoring attack, he’s averaged 19.1 points and 1.2 three-pointers per game. He’s so much more than just a productive scorer, though, averaging 8.5 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game. His ability to stuff the stat sheet in so many different areas makes him an ideal option for the Captain’s spot, even with his hefty salary.
CJ McCollum ($15,300 Captain’s Pick): The significant loss for the Blazers that was referenced earlier is Damian Lillard (abdomen), who will be out for at least the next 10 days. He’s averaged 36 minutes and 21.5 points per game, so his absence leaves a mass void for them to try and fill. Enter McCollum, who scored 47.5 DKFP with Lillard sidelined Tuesday against the Pistons. Look for him to try and put the team on his back for this stretch.
UTIL Plays
Devin White ($8,000): White is a streaky shooter. He can dominate a game when he’s on, like when he shot 10-for-21 from the field on his way to 24 points against the Wizards on Monday. The Spurs pulled off the upset in that game, producing a 17-point victory. However, he’s also scored fewer than 10 points in two of his last three games. With that being said, the Blazers have the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league, which leaves White with the potential for one of his more productive performances.
Anfernee Simons ($6,000): Simons figures to see the biggest increase in playing time with Lillard out. He’s averaged 24 minutes per game for the season, but he logged 36 minutes with Lillard out Tuesday. He’s a good three-point shooter and can chip in assists when given increased opportunities, so it’s no surprise that he used his added playing time Tuesday to score 29.0 DKFP.
Larry Nance Jr. ($4,200): Lillard isn’t the only player that the Blazers will be without for this matchup. Nassir Little (ankle) is out, although there is some optimism that Norman Powell (quadriceps) could return from a two-game absence. Even if Powell does play, the absence of Little should mean added minutes for Nance.
Fades
Keldon Johnson ($7,200): Johnson is a young player that the Spurs hope to build around. He’s averaging a career-high 31 minutes per game, but he doesn’t exactly stand out in any one particular area. He provides limited assists, virtually no blocks and he’s only shooting 65.0 percent from the free-throw line. That’s contributed to him scoring 24.3 DKFP or fewer in five of his last six games. At this salary, the risk might not be worth the potential limited reward.
The Outcome
Despite playing without Lillard, the Blazers still smoked the Pistons by 18 points at home Tuesday. With Murray at the helm, though, the Spurs are a much more dangerous team. They also come into this game riding the high of consecutive wins over good teams in the Wizards and Celtics, although both of those contests were played in San Antonio. Still, don’t be surprised if they pull out a narrow victory.
Final Score: Spurs 112, Trail Blazers 108
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $100K Fadeaway [$25K to 1st] (SAS vs POR)
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