NBA DFS Showdown Playbook April 6: Los Angeles Clippers vs Phoenix Suns
Published: Apr 06, 2022
Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Clippers
Spread: PHX -2.5
Total: 228.5
Injuries:
Phoenix
Frank Kaminsky OUT
Dario Saric OUT
Los Angeles
Norman Powell QUEST
Kawhi Leonard OUT
Jason Preston OUT
MVP/Captain
Paul George, SG – Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Writing up DFS plays in this game may be a futile effort. Neither team will have anything to play for by the time this game tips. The Suns have secured the league’s best record and the Clippers can not move up or down in the play-in tournament. There is a solid chance none of these eight players end up playing on Wednesday. But if they do, George is the best of the bunch. While still rounding into form after a long injury layoff, all he has done is average 44 DK points in 30 minutes per game since his return. George may get minutes here just to get his conditioning up for the playoffs, and he has shown he can be a 1.25 fantasy points per minute producer.
Devin Booker, PG/SG – The Booker MVP-conversation-snub tour could continue on Wednesday with his second night in Los Angeles. Booker has over 40 fantasy points per game in five of his last six including a 52-spot against Memphis on Sunday. The Clippers are bottom-10 against shooting guards in their last seven games. At $1,200 below George in the MVP salary, we should give serious consideration here if he plays.
Chris Paul, PG – The Point God has also been on a mission since returning from his own injury in late March. In his last five games, he averages 38 DK points and is shooting almost 55% from the floor. He has actually been even better against the Clippers this year, averaging 43.8 fantasy points in his three games against them.
Utility
Reggie Jackson, PG – Ever since it was announced that Reggie Jackson and others on the Clippers would have their minutes capped at 32 minutes per night he has played more than 33 minutes in three of four games. Will that continue with the Clippers locked in? Perhaps not, but he is going right up to the number of 32 each game no matter what. That’s resulted in 33.3 fantasy points per game in his last four and he could smash if the Suns roll out the B-team on Wednesday.
Isaiah Hartenstein, C – I-Hart is now more expensive than his center counterpart Ivica Zubac, and for good measure. He has more than 28 fantasy points in six of his last seven games and is shooting over 60% from the floor. Hartenstein – typically a backup – has some job security tomorrow even if Los Angeles rests guys. I would imagine Hartenstein would start and play about 24 minutes in that scenario.
Mikal Bridges, SF – The most valuable part of Bridges’ game is his minutes, and he is playing at least 30 in every game, even blowouts. That has led to an unbelievable level of consistency that we value in DFS. He has at least 22.5 fantasy points in 17 straight games and averages more than 36 minutes per night over the last two weeks.
Value Tier
Luke Kennard, SG/SF – Kennard is another sub who will get minutes regardless of what Los Angeles does against Phoenix. Consider: in the Clippers’ last game when they were fully healthy, he played 24 minutes. In the previous game against the Bucks when they rested the starters, Kennard played 32 minutes and scored over 40 fantasy points. That’s the kind of upside he has when he gets minutes in the mid-30s and gets to fire it up at will.
Cameron Johnson, SF/PF – Cam Johnson went back to the bench with Jae Crowder’s return recently, but he is still getting the job done. He now has more than 27 fantasy points in six of eight games and got a salary drop down below $5,000 after being relegated to the bench. He would also play bigger minutes if any of Bridges, Ayton, or Crowder sit today.
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.