Washington Wizards & Los Angeles Lakers

Spread: Lakers -4

Total: 229

Injuries:

Washington Wizards:

Bradley Beal - Out

Los Angeles Lakers:

LeBron James – Questionable (Knee)

Anthony Davis – Out

Malik Monk – Probable (Shoulder)

Talen Horton-Tucker – Questionable (Ankle)

*Please note that players not listed below are not necessarily a complete fade and any player listed can certainly be used as the MVP/Captain. These are merely suggestions for players to use when setting Showdown lineups.

 

 

MVP/CPT

 

LeBron James, PF/C (LAL) – It wouldn’t be a slate if James wasn’t listed on the injury report, but it doesn’t appear to be something we should be concerned about. James put up 56 points against the Warriors earlier this week and then he did follow it up with a poor shooting night on Wednesday against Houston scoring just 23 points, but volume wasn’t an issue as he took 26 shots. From a DFS perspective though, you would never know as James finished with a triple-double (14 rebounds and 12 assists) as it’s increasingly clear that he needs to put the Lakers on his back. 

 

 

Kyle Kuzma, PF (WAS) – We get the ever-famous revenge game narrative tonight and the Lakers are a ripe team to target. Some games are better than others for Kuzma, and now he gets to share some of the spotlight with Kristaps Porzingis, but the forward still fills a large role for the Wizards. Kuzma is coming off one of his quieter performances on Wednesday in which he scored just 17 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists, but the bar has been raised as of late. In his last four games, Kuzma is averaging 20.8 points, 7.3 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game. 

 

 

Russell Westbrook, PG (LAL) – We have both the revenge train and the momentum train to ride tonight as Westbrook faces a former team for the second straight game. Westbrook kept the turnovers to a minimum, two, while shooting 11 of 21 from the field on his way to a 30-point night against Houston in which he added eight rebounds and six assists. Now, Westbrook just needs to do it again. 

Util

 

Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C (WAS) – There was never any doubting Porzingis’ ability on the offensive end, but it’s more of a second or third option than someone that will take over the game. So far with Washington the forward has two games under his belt in which that has been on display as he is averaging 22 points and three rebounds. You can do worse here, but the price isn’t exactly a bargain either. 

 

 

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG (WAS) – For an offensive threat that plays 30 to 35 minutes a game, we get a solid price here in what is also a revenge game. With 19.5 points over his last four games, Caldwell-Pope has been contributing on the offense end while also adding four rebounds and four assists per game. Someone has to score for Washington, and as of late, that has proven to Caldwell-Pope. 

 

 

Malik Monk, PG/SG (LAL) – Monk shouldn’t have any issues taking the court tonight as he played 40 minutes on Wednesday while managing his ankle. The guard was efficient making eight of 13 shots from the field and he continues to be a dependable scoring option for the Lakers. 

 

 

Carmelo Anthony, PF/C (LAL) – Around 30 minutes a night along with 11 to 13 shots per game seems to be the general rule of thumb for Anthony these days. He continues to be a capable scorer while also averaging seven rebounds per game in his last three and that can fit nicely into a lineup. 

 

 

Austin Reaves, SG/SF (LAL) – Reaves has found himself in the starting lineup as of late and he has taken advantage of the opportunity. Over his last three games, Reaves is averaging 13.3 points and five rebounds per game including a 17-point effort on Wednesday, and it hasn’t really impacted his price yet.

 

 

Dart Throws

 

Rui Hachimura, PF (WAS) – In two of his last three games, Hachimura shot seven of 10 from the field averaging 18.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game but in the other game, he scored just three points, and there is our risk. The good news is that we can expect 20 to 25 minutes of playing time for Hachimura tonight. 

 

 

Stanley Johnson, SF/PF (LAL) – Johnson is now relegated to the bench, but the price is right and the minutes are still there. The problem is that Johnson isn’t featured consistently in the Lakers’ offense, but he generally gets enough playing time to accumulate some production. 

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