For the second time in three days, we get the Lakers as part of the NBA DFS Showdown Slate, but the difference tonight is that it appears LeBron James will be making his return. The good news is that James’ absence was tied to an illness and not the ankle injury he is working through. There figures to be a lot of offense tonight as we have an over/under of 242 and those efforts will be led by James, Trae Young, and Dejounte Murray. Ultimately, what combination of those players you have and how to build the remainder of your roster is what will determine the fate of tonight’s slate. Let us take a look at some options to consider for tonight’s NBA DFS Showdown Slate.

 

NBA Injury Report

Atlanta Hawks

Clint Capela - Out

Los Angeles Lakers

Anthony Davis – Out

LeBron James – Probable (ankle)

Russell Westbrook – Probable (foot)

Lonnie Walker IV – Out

Austin Reaves – Out

Troy Brown Jr – Out

NBA DFS Showdown Slate Picks

MVP/Captain

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

I am not in the business of taking James lightly or underestimating him, and it is a favorable matchup for him tonight against Atlanta. That sentiment applies to players on both sides of the court as the pace will be fast, and I am not sure how much defense we will really see and the over/under of 242 also takes this into account. Especially with Anthony Davis out, things are really running through James offensively and in his last four games, he is averaging 36.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. 

Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

It was a very interesting game for Young against the Kings on Wednesday as he was efficient shooting 58% from the field, but he only took 12 shots in 32 minutes. Young, once again, had issues with turnovers as turned the ball over five times but he does make up for it by averaging 27.3 points and 9.9 assists per game while eclipsing 20 points in eight straight games. 

Dejounte Murray, Atlanta Hawks

Compared to Young, we do get a little bit of a discount with Murray, but we are also losing about seven points per game offensively from the former. In his last five games, Murray is doing a solid job of filling the stat sheet with 20.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game and we know that there is upside here as well to go along with the consistency we have seen from him. 

 

Utility

Thomas Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Bryant continues to perform at a high level since both returning from injury and stepping in for Anthony Davis. There is a benefit to Bryant with Clint Capela being out for Atlanta tonight as he looks to get back on the double-double train. After two straight double-doubles, Bryant came a rebound shy on Wednesday while he continued his offense success with 21 points. Over his last five games, Bryant is averaging 18 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks

Okongwu has done a great job stepping in for Capela and he has proven to be up to the 30 minutes of playing time he has been getting per night. With 13 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in his last five, Okongwu has been a strong option with clear double-double potential. 

Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers

Westbrook’s foot didn’t slow him down on Wednesday as he took full advantage of James being out against Miami while flirting with a triple-double and finishing with 21 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. It was the third time in his last four full games that Westbrook flirted with a triple-double, and even with James returning, he should still have another strong game tonight. 

De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks

Hunter has been strong in the two games since his return from an ankle injury averaging 19.5 points and six rebounds per game. The opportunity should be there tonight for Hunter to continue performing at a similar level and the price is right. 

 

Dart Throw

AJ Griffin, Atlanta Hawks

Griffin is back to the bench and playing around 15 to 20 minutes per night, but in a game like we are expecting tonight, he very easily could get hot and put up some points in a hurry. 

Juan Toscano-Anderson, Los Angeles Lakers

Toscano-Anderson is going to get our attention tonight as he figures to get about 20 to 25 minutes of playing time with the Lakers missing a few key rotation pieces. At the same time, we do need to have caution as he only took two shots and finished with just 8.75 DK points in 23 minutes of action on Wednesday. 

Wenyen Gabriel, Los Angeles Lakers

Gabriel was impressive in 20 minutes of action on Monday and finished with 10 points and four rebounds. While it might not jump off the page from a production standpoint, it does from a value standpoint and it was the third time in four games that he scored in double figures. 

 

Fantasy Alarm is the home of all things Fantasy Sports. Bringing you the best Fantasy Football, Fantasy Baseball and Fantasy Basketball content all year long. Be sure to also check out the best fantasy promo codes on offer today!

Dominate your NBA DFS Showdown contests today using our Player Projections that you can use specifically for Showdown!