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The Los Angeles Lakers have now slipped into the play-in tournament down in seventh place and could use some wins to guarantee a real best-of-seven series in the first round of the playoffs. They’ve lost seven of nine since Anthony Davis ($11,800) returned, and will have their sights set on the mighty Phoenix Suns on Sunday, who will come in off a big win over the New York Knicks.
Without further ado, let’s get into how to construct your Showdown lineups for Sunday evening.
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Captain
Chris Paul ($15,000 CP)
Paul has probably been what’s worked best on the Suns lately, averaging 45.1 DKFP over his last five games. Aside from Phoenix’s last game against the Knicks, too, his usage rate has hovered around 27%. He should be a focal point of the offense tonight in what should be a decisive victory for the Suns, and I should also point out he has at least 11 assists in three of his past four games.
Deandre Ayton ($14,100 CP)
The Lakers have been slacking on the glass, led by some pretty lethargic performances from Andre Drummond ($8,000). They’re ranked 22nd in rebounding rate over the past 10 games. The Suns haven’t been very good in that department either, but it’s not for lack of effort from Ayton. He’s coming off a 15-rebound game and should feast here against a weak and wounded frontcourt.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (PHO vs LAL)
Fades
Andre Drummond ($8,000)
Drummond seems locked into 22 minutes now that Anthony Davis is back in the mix, and he’s been ceding minutes to Montrezl Harrell ($5,600) and Marc Gasol ($3,000) more lately, too. With playing time down, and seemingly in danger of getting even worse, I hate Drummond at this price. He’s also going to have to fight Ayton for rebounds, which is a tough task, and he hasn’t been involved at all on the offensive end. He does nothing for me here.
Value FLEX Options
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($5,200)
You may be scared to go against this vaunted Suns defense which has shut down some huge names all year long, but lately, they’ve looked incredibly pedestrian, if not awful. Their defensive rating sits fourth-worst over the past 10 games at 116.8, and they’ve also played at a very fast pace, which is unlike them. With that said, I like some of these value Lakers, and with Kyle Kuzma ($7,000; back) doubtful, KCP should get much more usage in this game and continue to see plenty of run.
Talen Horton-Tucker ($4,800)
Another guy who should see more run on account of injuries to Kuzma, LeBron James (ankle) and Dennis Schroder (health and safety protocols) is Horton-Tucker, who has been dynamite when afforded ample playing time but has been buried on the depth chart. He should see more run here, and we’ve seen him show 40-DKFP upside when he’s played 27-plus minutes. He’s questionable, so you’ll want to follow the pre-game injury report closely, but if he’s active I think he’ll be a great value at this price.
The Outcome
The Lakers should continue to slip in the standings and play poorly with so many key players either out or limited. Their defense was the only thing helping them stay competitive when they were without Davis and James, and now even that has fallen by the wayside. I think the Suns win this one in decisive fashion behind a lethal offense.
Final Score: Suns 121, Lakers 109
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: NBA Showdown $150K Fadeaway [$50K to 1st] (PHO vs LAL)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jetsfan196) and I 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.