NBA DFS Showdown Playbook March 11: Wizards vs Lakers
Published: Mar 11, 2022
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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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.