NBA Showdown Playbook March 1: New Orleans Pelicans vs Portland Trail Blazers DFS Picks
There is a lot of uncertainty as we wrap up Wednesday’s NBA schedule with the Pelicans traveling to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers. We know the upside, potential and buzz of Damian Lillard is flying over tonight’s game but we still need to fill out the remainder of a roster. With that being said, let us take a look at some other options for tonight’s NBA DFS Showdown Slate.
Injury Report
Zion Williamson – Out
Jonas Valanciunas – Questionable (calf)
Josh Richardson – Questionable (quad)
Larry Nance Jr – Out
Jose Alvarado - Out
Anfernee Simons – Out
Jusuf Nurkic - Out
Justise Winslow – Out
NBA DFS Showdown Slate Picks
MVP/Captain
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
You had to know we were going to start here, right? I mean what other option do we have after Lillard absolutely lit up the scoreboard for an absolutely insane 71 points. Lillard had been scoring at high level as of late prior to Sunday’s game and it is impossible to ignore him. The point guard has not scored less than 28 points in his last 13 games, and considering how large of a part of Portland’s offense he is, it’s difficult not to expect this to continue.
Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans
If you want to talk about volume, Ingram has not attempted less than 19 shots in any of his last five games and he is averaging 26.7 points per game in his last three. This isn’t a situation where we are going to be chasing a double-double, but Ingram is generally good for around five rebounds and assists per game, although it is the offense we are really after and it is difficult (other than with Lillard) to top the volume and offensive upside.
CJ McCollum, New Orleans Pelicans
It is a homecoming for McCollum if you celebrate those types of things, and someone needs to keep up with Lillard on the offensive side of the ball. McCollum continues to shoot at a high volume on a nightly basis and despite a field goal percentage of just 43.4% on the season, he is still averaging 21 points per game along with 5.9 assists and four rebounds.
Utility
Nassir Little, Portland Trail Blazers
Little will continue to play a solid role with Portland, and I’m not sure how to read into the fact that he only took three shots on Sunday against Houston a game after putting up 26 points. The good news though is that all three of those shots were converted three-pointers and Little also added nine rebounds to finish off a solid DFS performance. This is still something we can work with.
Drew Eubanks, Portland Trail Blazers
It is a favorable matchup for Eubanks and he should carry a heavy load once again with Jusuf Nurkic sidelined. We aren’t going to see Eubanks play much more than the 22 minutes he got on Sunday, but with nine points and eight rebounds it still is a solid DFS effort for the price.
Herbert Jones, New Orleans Pelicans
Jones will continue to play at least 30 minutes per night, but we need him to do a better job of shooting the ball in his time on the court. That notwithstanding, the forward finished with 10 points and six rebounds on Monday and the expectation is that is the floor we are dealing with.
Dart Throw
Matisse Thybulle, Portland Trail Blazers
Portland continues to bestow a heavy workload on Thybulle, and that meant 36 minutes of run on Sunday. We have seen him come through offensively in the past, and that is what will keep us on the hook despite the fact that all he did with his recent playing time was finish with eight points, three rebounds, and two assists.
Naji Marshall, New Orleans Pelicans
Marshall has seen a slight decrease to his role as of late, but with Richardson’s status in question, the forward could expect to see a little more run tonight. In 23 minutes on Monday, Marshall scored just four points although he did add six rebounds and three assists which gives us a little bit to work with.
Jaxson Hayes, New Orleans Pelicans
With New Orleans thin in the frontcourt tonight, there is a greater emphasis on Hayes. On Monday, we saw that take place as Hayes got 25 minutes of playing time, and the good thing is that we get him for practically free, so the bar of production isn’t too high. We don’t need much more than the six points and five rebounds Hayes put up on Monday, and there is a good chance we get it.
Player News
Sam Hauser (ankle) is out for Game 4 against the Knicks on Monday.
While Hauser was listed as questionable for Game 4 with an ankle injury, he hasn’t seen any game action since leaving early in Game 1 of the series. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla turned to Payton Pritchard for a series-high 35 minutes off the bench in Game 3 as the Celtics got back in the series with a 22-point victory. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see that recipe for success replicated in Game 4.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Donovan Mitchell has been diagnosed with a re-aggravation of a left ankle injury and will be a game-time decision for Game 5.
Mitchell didn’t return after halftime of Sunday’s blowout loss, and Ty Jerome started in his place for the second half. The Cavs were getting stomped 80-39, but apparently the injury is more serious than initially thought, and his absence in the second half was more than precautionary. If he’s unable to go, Jerome would likely get the starting nod as Cleveland faces elimination at home down 3-1 in the series.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Donovan Mitchell has been diagnosed with a re-aggravation of a left ankle injury and will be a game-time decision for Game 5.
Mitchell didn’t return after halftime of Sunday’s blowout loss, and Ty Jerome started in his place for the second half. The Cavs were getting stomped 80-39, but apparently the injury is more serious than initially thought, and his absence in the second half was more than precautionary. If he’s unable to go, Jerome would likely get the starting nod as Cleveland faces elimination at home down 3-1 in the series.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Giannis Antetokounmpo “has not made any firm decisions, but for the first time in his career, he is open-minded about whether his best fit is remaining in Milwaukee – or playing elsewhere.”
No surprises here, as rumors of Antetokounmpo’s future with another team swirled as the season came to a close. Milwaukee finished the regular season 48-34 as the fifth seed in the East, and the Bucks were knocked out of the first round in a gentlemen’s sweep to the rival Pacers. With Damian Lillard out for most if not all of next season, the Bucks may choose to trade Antetokounmpo in the offseason and get a jumpstart on the impending rebuild. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on an Antetokounmpo trade this offseason, as his future plans will be one of the biggest headlines heading into the 2025-26 season and could drastically shift fantasy values for a few other players.
Obi Toppin provided a boost off the bench with 20 points (9-of-14 FGs), five rebounds, two assists and one three-pointer in Game 4 against the Cavaliers on Sunday.
Toppin has been a solid reserve for Indiana all season, but he hadn’t been as productive in the postseason until Game 4. This was the second-highest scoring playoff game of Toppin’s career, narrowly finishing behind his 21-point game against the Bucks last season. Toppin will continue to play a large role off the bench, but the odds of him reaching 20 points again are slim.
Myles Turner lit up the Cavaliers with 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, three assists and four three-pointers in Game 4 on Sunday.
For the fourth time in Indiana’s last six games, Turner scored 20 points. This time, it only took him 22 minutes. Turner has been a big part of the offense recently, and the strategy is working; they are 4-0 when he scores at least 20 points during this postseason, and they’re 17-2 over the course of the entire season when he reaches 20 points. Turner will continue to feature heavily in the offense in Game 5 as the Pacers look to close out this series.