NBA Showdown Playbook April 9: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz NBA DFS Picks
And we are at the completion of the NBA regular season. Before we get started with the NBA play-in tournament, there is one more game left. Today’s NBA DFS Showdown Slate features a Utah team that is finalizing their offseason plans and the Lakers who are making preparations for the play-in portion of the postseason with their seeding still being sorted out. With that being said, let us dig into some options to consider for your lineups. As the Lakers are the only team with something to play for, that is where the majority of our cap space will be allocated.
Utah Jazz Injuries
Lauri Markkanen – Doubtful (hand)
Talen Horton-Tucker – Doubtful (ankle)
Kelly Olynyk – Questionable (rest)
Walker Kessler – Out
Jordan Clarkson – Doubtful (finger)
Collin Sexton – Questionable (hamstring)
Los Angeles Lakers injuries
Anthony Davis – Questionable (foot)
LeBron James – Questionable (foot)
D’Angelo Russell – Probable (hand)
Dennis Schroeder – Questionable (neck)
NBA DFS MVP/Captain Picks
Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Davis dominated on the boards Friday with 21 rebounds while also adding 14 points against the Suns. There should be limited resistance for Davis in the paint against Utah tonight and he should have no issues stuffing the balance sheet in about 30 minutes of action.
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
Given who is available for Utah, and the fact that they played last night, how much can we really expect from James. Yes, the game matters to Los Angeles, but they are also favored by 16 points and the focus here will be on keeping James as fresh as possible once the victory is secured. On Friday, that meant 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists in 29 minutes of action although we would be looking at things different if he had made more than six of his 19 shot attempts.
Kris Dunn, Utah Jazz
As far as setting himself up for next season and proving his worth, this could not be a better situation for Dunn. He is getting all of the work he can possibly handle as of late as the Utah offense runs through him. In his last six games, Dunn is averaging 16.2 points and 6.3 assists per game and on Saturday he exploded for 19 points and 14 assists.
NBA DFS Utility Options
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
Reaves continues to be an offensive threat for the Lakers as he scored 22 points against the Suns on Friday. The guard has truly emerged as a strong supporting option for Los Angeles as a consistent piece of the Lakers’ attack on a daily basis.
Ochai Agbaji, Utah Jazz
Given the current state of things in Utah to close out the season, Agbaji is truly one of the top offensive options. That was evident yesterday as the swingman scored 28 points, and as crazy as it may seem, there might be room for more upside as Agbaji took an insane 25 shots from the field, including 11 from downtown.
Luka Samanic, Utah Jazz
Samanic is getting increased run as of late and he is taking advantage of that to close out the season strong. After scoring 28 points and grabbing eight rebounds on Saturday, the potential is there for Samanic and we know the opportunity is there.
D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
Russell is shooting 53% from the field in his last five games, but the volume has not really been there over that stretch as he is averaging 14.8 points over that stretch along with 5.6 assists. He is coming off a 24-point performance so we know that Russell can score when the volume is there.
NBA DFS Dart Throws
Malik Beasley, Los Angeles Lakers
If the Lakers go up quickly and coast through the second half based on the 16-point spread, Beasley could get plenty of run in the second half. That was the case on Friday as he made 7-of-14 shots from the field which was good for 21 points.
Udoka Azubuike, Utah Jazz
Azubuike should get the start again in the middle for Utah and after we saw him score eight points while grabbing 11 rebounds yesterday, we are looking at a solid option once again. The lack of true offensive involvement, he took just four shots which does hold him back, but based on the price point and the clear path to double-digit rebounds, there is enough to work with here.
Simon Fontecchio, Utah Jazz
With the Jazz missing many key pieces, Fontecchio should continue to be a solid supporting option off the bench for Utah as he looks to score in double figures for the third straight game. The fact that he has double-digit shot attempts in each game certainly helps.
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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.