Fantasy Basketball Picks: Top DraftKings NBA DFS Lineup Strategy for Wizards at Lakers Showdown on February 22

My momma always told me that if I didn’t have something nice to say then I shouldn’t say anything at all. Well, momma, I’m sorry but I’m a conveyer of truth, and the truth shall set us all free. The Wizards stink. They are 26th in defensive efficiency and sport a 10-17 record, good for 13th in the Eastern Conference. With that said, they have won their past four games over Boston, Houston, Denver and Portland. The Lakers have lost two straight with Anthony Davis (Achilles) and Dennis Schroder (health protocols) out of the lineup. DraftKings Sportsbook has the home Lakers favored by 7 points with the O/U at 226 for tonight. Can the Wizards make it five in a row and extend the sad faces in Los Angeles for another night?

Let’s break down everything to play a few Showdown lineups.

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

SHOWDOWN STRATEGY

Captain’s Picks

LeBron James ($19,200 CP) — On the season, James has been on the court without Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder for 392 minutes. His usage rate has increased 2.4% to 34.7% during that time. Over the past two games, he’s garnered a usage rate of 33.7% and 39.6%. James will be highly motivated to end the losing streak and should bounce back from the 7-for-21 shooting performance against the Heat. The Wizards play at the fastest pace in the league and have no one to match up with James. Do I smell his fourth triple-double of the season?

Russell Westbrook ($18,900 CP) — Over the past five games, Westbrook has produced 61.25, 52.75, 56.75, 42.75 and 50.25 DKFP. The Lakers are the top defensive team in the league but, without Davis and Schroder, they are not as stifling. In addition, they’ve been eighth-most generous to point guards even with those two on the court, boosting the fantasy points per minute by 4.37% above league average.

FLEX Plays

Kyle Kuzma ($8,600) — With Davis and Schroder missing the past two games, Kuzma has played 34 minutes in each and produced 30 and 30.75 DKFP. On the season, he’s averaging 0.89 DKFP per minute so he’s been right in line. He had a usage rate of 30.6% against Miami and hoisted 21 shots. He will likely be the Robin to LeBatman in this one.

Montrezl Harrell ($7,400) — The Wizards boost the fantasy points per minute to centers by 9.24% above the league average, good for fourth-most generous. Unfortunately, Harrell only plays around 24 minutes per game, as he’s splitting the center minutes with Marc Gasol, but he averages 1.03 DKFP per minute and has shown the ability to go on insane heaters in limited playing time. In 24 minutes against Miami, he went for 37 DKFP. In 18 minutes vs. the Timberwolves, he put up 31.5 DKFP. The matchup and game environment are perfect for Harrell to flourish.

Robin Lopez ($4,200) — I feel gross writing Lopez here, but it is what it is. He’s played 28 and 27 minutes in the past two games and contributed 33.75 and 15.5 DKFP, respectively. Scott Brooks had a three-headed monster at center with Moritz Wagner ($3,600) and Alex Len ($3,400) getting time, but that experiment has ceased recently. Wagner played 11 and three minutes in the past two games while Len has received five and 18 minutes of playing time. Things can always change as Wagner and Len both shoot better from the perimeter, but Wagner isn’t great on defense while Len is Len. Lopez is averaging 0.83 DKFP per minute and should play around 28 minutes.

Fades

Bradley Beal ($12,400) - Beal is averaging 1.41 DKFP per minute, tops on the Wizards so I’m probably a stupid, stupid man for fading him here. He’s gone for 52.75, 45.5, 57.5 and 54.25 DKFP over the past four games and has a high of 79.75 DKFP on the season. I’m beginning to sweat profusely now. My reasoning is that Westbrook could have a big game while Beal has just an average one. In the Westbrook section, I mentioned that the Lakers are generous to opposing point guards. Against shooting guards, they are one of the stingiest, negating the fantasy points per minute by 13.86% below league average. It’s not unprecedented for Beal to have a bad game, as the Heat held him to 21.25 DKFP on 1-for-14 shooting. I’m not expecting that scenario, but a game for Beal in the high 30s or low 40s in DKFP is within the range of outcomes.

THE OUTCOME

The Wizards are coming in hot while the Lakers are not. The Lakers have failed to eclipse the 100-point barrier on offense the past two games, but they should break that slump in this one. I foresee a LeBron bounceback game with both teams going up and down the court trading baskets.

Final Score: Lakers 115, Wizards 110

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

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