NBA Showdown Playbook February 8: Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Clippers DFS Picks
We have an exciting matchup for the NBA DFS Showdown tonight February 8th. The new-look Dallas Mavericks are traveling to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers. Kyrie Irving is making his Mavs Debut tonight, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George look to spoil it.
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Injury Report
Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic - OUT
Kyrie Irving - Expected to play
Frank Ntilikina - Questionable
Markieff Morris - Expected to Play
Davis Bertens - OUT
Maxi Kleber - OUT
Los Angeles Clippers
John Wall - OUT
NBA DFS Showdown Slate Picks
MVP/Captain
Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
Kyrie Irving is making his debut with the Dallas Mavericks tonight. The Mavs will be without their star Luka Doncic who is injured. The pressure to score for this Mavericks tonight is going to be high, and we know Kyrie is going to want to show out for his new teammates. Say what you want about him off the court, but this man is a straight-up bucket. With Luka not in the lineup, Kyrie should put up huge numbers tonight.
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
If you want to go with a much safer option at the captain spot, your man is Kawhi Leonard tonight. He has scored over 40 fantasy in nine straight games, including four games in the 50s. With all the injuries and Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie getting traded they are going to have a hard time matching up with Kawhi tonight. He should be in line for a big game.
Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
Paul George is another good option tonight, as Dallas does not have a great matchup for him either. George just isn't quite as consistent as Kawhi Leonard and that is to be expected. If he has a poor shooting night he could really tank your lineup if he is your captain. I would much rather play Kyrie or Leonard tonight at the captain spot.
Utility
Christian Wood, Dallas Mavericks
Christian Wood is off the injury report and should be a full go in this one after just playing 19 minutes in their last game. He went just 1-7 from the field but still finished with 23 fantasy points. Hopefully, he gets his minutes increased and can be a viable secondary scoring option to Kyrie Irving tonight.
Norman Powell, Los Angeles Clippers
Norman Powell has really solidified as the third scoring option for this Clippers team behind Leonard and George. Powell has scored at least 15 game points in 12 of his last 15 games. Powell should once again be solid in this one and get you close to 30 fantasy points.
Josh Green, Dallas Mavericks
Josh Green has now become a valuable wing in this rotation with the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith. He has scored over 20 fantasy points in six of his last seven games and is coming off a huge game. He scored 29 points and grabbed six rebounds for 41 fantasy points. Green is finally starting to break out.
Dwight Powell Dallas Mavericks
Powell is seeing a nice chunk of minutes over his last five games playing 26.5 minutes per game. He has been very viable as a rim runner over the past two games scoring over 30 fantasy points in each game. Over that span, he has a total of 23 rebounds. Without Luka, in the lineup, there are a bunch more rebounding opportunities for the big man.
Dart throws
Jaden Hardy, Dallas Mavericks
Hardy went completely bananas in the Mavs' last matchup against the Utah Jazz. He went 8-12 from the field and 9-9 from the free-throw line for a career-high 29 points for the rookie. If he gets over 20 minutes again in this one he will once again bring you value, but not like he did the other night when he dropped 45 fantasy points.
Nicolas Batum, Los Angeles Clippers
Batum is the small ball center for this Clippers team. We do not have to worry about Robert Covington taking his minutes as he hasn't played in two games. In those two games, Batum scored over 24 fantasy points in 27-28 minutes. I like Batum in this matchup.
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Player News
Buddy Hield had 15 points (5-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points (6-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 as they try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one block and four three-pointers in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He, Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo combined for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.
Julius Randle had 24 points (10-of-17 FGs), seven rebounds, 11 assists and one three-pointer in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but Randle is still the next most important player in this series for the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and two three-pointers in the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday.
Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.
Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday.
No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.