NBA DFS Showdown Playbook January 19: Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Top Picks

Happy Friday in the NBA my friends! We have a very intriguing matchup for the NBA DFS Showdown slate tonight. The Brooklyn Nets led by Mikal Bridges continue their West Coast trip taking on Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers are starting to find their stride winners of two straight games while the Nets have lost four straight games.
Finding some of the NBA DFS top picks could be, easier if you look at Fantasy Alarm’s NBA DFS Projections, powered by FanJections. Let’s dive into the complete breakdown for tonight’s showdown slate between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Total: 227
Spread: Lakers (-7)
Brooklyn Nets Injuries:
- Mikal Bridges - Probable
- Dariq Whitehead - OUT
- Ben Simmons - OUT
- Day'Ron Sharpe - OUT
Los Angeles Lakers Injuries
- LeBron James - OUT
- Anthony Davis - Probable
- Cam Reddish - OUT
- Gabe Vincent - OUT
NBA DFS Showdown CPT/MVP Top Plays
Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Anthony Davis is the best play at the captain spot tonight because he has the best floor and ceiling. It is just a question if you want to pay for him because he is $1,200 more expensive than his teammate LeBron James. He is worth the price of admission for me tonight. He has scored at least 59 fantasy points in four of his last five games. He will match up with Nic Claxton tonight who is lengthy and could cause some issues, but I feel AD will be just fine.
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron has been doing LeBron James things as of late. He has gone crazy for some time but has been extremely solid. He has scored at least 40 fantasy points in five of his last six games. Unfortunately, when you have to pay $10,600 for him he isn't quite hitting the value we would like. LeBron is in play tonight because of who he is and this game is in primetime. But because of the price, he isn't someone I am jamming into my lineup if I can not afford to.
Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets
After an underwhelming beginning of the month, Bridges has started to catch fire over his past four games. He has scored at least 21 game points in four straight games including a 42-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers a few games ago. He has shown his ceiling over the past four games scoring over 50 fantasy points in two of those games. If Brooklyn is going to win this game and snap their losing streak, it will be on the back of Mikal Bridges.
NBA DFS Showdown Utility Top Plays
Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets
Claxton just continues to be solid for the Brooklyn Nets as the only true five-man on their roster at the moment. He has kept his double-digit rebound streak going to six games after posting a 12-12 double in his last game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He gets a tough matchup against Anthony Davis tonight which could cause him to struggle on the offensive end. His floor is solid though because of his rebounding. If he adds a couple of stocks as well, he should be solid once again.
D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
I really like D-Lo at his price tonight going against his former Brooklyn Nets team. He is just sitting at $7,200 which is very solid with how aggressive he has been on the offensive end as of late. Over his last five games, he has gone over a 30% usage in two of those games. He also has taken at least 12 shots in four of those games as well, including two games with over 20 attempts. With Russell being this aggressive and showing that his ceiling is within reach, against a Nets defense that ranks in the bottom third of the NBA.
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
Austin Reaves is now under 7k after just being fine as of late. With Russell taking a lot of the load on the offensive end, Reaves has been a bit quiet. What has kept him afloat though is the fact he has dished out at least six assists in four of his last five games. Reaves should continue to stay solid tonight and should float around the 25-30 fantasy points night in a good matchup against the Nets.
Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets
After two straight games of Can Thoms checking up shots, Thomas took a backseat in the last game. He played just 22 minutes and scored eight points on seven shot attempts. Not the best showing from him. If Thomas gets in the game early and starts knocking down shots, he can really put his stamp on the game. It's hard to take him out of the game when that happens even when he is poor on the defensive end like he was in their last game. I am going back to the well with Thomas tonight.
NBA DFS Showdown Value Top Plays
Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets
Dorian Finney-Smith is a volume play because he is playing around 30 minutes each night. The Nets are very small with Day'Ron Sharpe out with injury meaning DFS has to play a lot of small ball-center. This is a game in which Nic Claxton could get into early foul trouble and DFS could see an even more extended run. He isn't a great fantasy, points-per-minute guy. However, at his price of $5,000, you will gladly take 25 fantasy points.
Jarred Vanderbilt, Los Angeles Lakers
Even with Cam Reddish sitting out with injury the Lakers elected to play Jarred Vanderbilt. They they opted to start Taurean Prince but Vanderbilt played 26 minutes to Prince's just 21. If the Lakers elect to match the Nets small ball lineup at any point tonight I would expect Vanderbilt to be the best candidate at that over Christain Wood. Vanderbilt is a hustle guy and should grab a solid amount of rebounds in this one. At just $3,400 I expect Vanderbilt to smash that value in this one.
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Player News
Dominick Barlow accumulated eight points (3-of-5 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), five rebounds and one assist in Thursday’s loss to the Spurs.
Signed to a two-way contract on Wednesday, Barlow started his unofficial 76ers debut on Thursday. He only played 14 minutes against the Spurs but had a solid night shooting the basketball, and the rebounding production was also good. When healthy, the 76ers will have a frontcourt rotation that Barlow may have difficulty cracking. There isn’t a need to plan for selecting him in fantasy drafts, even if Joel Embiid is not cleared in time for training camp.
Justin Edwards shot 2-of-6 from the field in Thursday’s loss to the Spurs, scoring six points with one rebound and two three-pointers.
Between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, Edwards has played in four games this summer. Unfortunately, he’s only put together one solid offensive performance. The second-year wing shot 2-of-5 from beyond the arc on Thursday and did not offer much value elsewhere. If Philadelphia’s top wings are healthy, Edwards’ role will likely be limited next season. However, with his play late last season, the 76ers likely hoped for a more dominant Edwards this summer.
Adem Bona accounted for six points (3-of-6 FGs), five rebounds, one steal and two blocked shots in Thursday’s loss to the Spurs.
On a forgettable night for the 76ers, who lost by a 111-70 final score, Bona was solid as a rebounder and shot-blocker in his 17 minutes on the court. These games in Las Vegas are unlikely to change things for the second-year player once training camp begins, as he’ll compete with Andre Drummond and Johni Broome for backup center minutes. And whoever wins that competition will only have fantasy relevance if the 76ers are without starter Joel Embiid.
Carter Bryant amassed five points (1-of-6 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, two assists, one steal, three blocks and one three-pointer in Thursday’s win over the 76ers.
Bryant struggled with his shot on Thursday, but that did not keep the rookie from providing value in other ways. The first-round pick recorded four “stocks,” and his on-court communication on both ends of the floor should be overlooked despite not showing up on the box score. The hope is that fellow first-round pick Dylan Harper can play on Saturday after missing time with a groin injury. If he can go, San Antonio will have their first glimpse of Harper and Bryant on the court together.
David Jones-Garcia finished Thursday’s win over the 76ers with 24 points (9-of-12 FGs, 2-of-3 FTs), five rebounds, three assists, four steals and four three-pointers.
Well, if there’s a good place to be when you catch the “hot hand,” Las Vegas is it. Jones-Garcia shot 75 percent from the field on Thursday, continuing to play well after earning All-California Classic team honors at the beginning of the week. And revenge may have been on Jones-Garcia’s mind for Thursday’s 111-70 victory, as he began his professional career with the 76ers on a two-way deal before being waived in January 2024. Jones-Garcia’s play this summer may be enough to earn him another two-way opportunity if he can continue on this path.
E.J. Liddell recorded 12 points (4-of-10 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), 11 rebounds and one three-pointer in Thursday’s loss to the Bucks.
Having struggled with injuries throughout his professional career, Liddell is playing with the Nuggets in hopes of earning another opportunity. He played well on Thursday, as his dunk with just over five seconds remaining gave Denver a two-point lead. Unfortunately for Liddell, he ended up on the wrong end of the game’s final shot, with Jamaree Bouyea hitting a three over the forward’s outstretched hand as time expired. Liddell is not a fantasy target regardless of league size, but his goal is to grab a team’s attention and earn a contract.