NBA Showdown Playbook March 10: Toronto Raptors vs Los Angeles Lakers NBA DFS Picks
The Los Angeles Lakers will welcome D’Angelo Russell back into the lineup tonight for this NBA DFS Showdown with the Toronto Raptors. The Lakers are still missing LeBron James, but this matchup does not lack star power. With Anthony Davis, Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet headlining the game, we have a number of viable options available for MVP/CPT slots as well as the rest of your NBA DFS showdown lineup. Here are the NBA DFS picks and top plays we can invest in for our daily fantasy basketball lineups on FanDuel and DraftKings tonight!
NBA Injury Report
Toronto Raptors Injuries:
- Otto Porter, Jr. – OUT
- Will Barton - PROBABLE
Los Angeles Lakers Injuries:
- LeBron James – OUT
- Mo Bamba - OUT
- D’Angelo Russell – PROBABLE
- Anthony Davis – PROBABLE
NBA DFS Showdown Picks
MVP/CAPTAIN
Anthony Davis, C, Los Angeles Lakers
We know when LeBron James is out that Anthony Davis is going to shoulder a big load on offense and defense. But just how large is it? When James does not play, Davis is now up to a 33% usage rate and 1.56 fantasy points per minute which would be one of the highest points-per-minute rates in the league if he did that full-time. He also sees large spikes in his steal and rebound rates. Despite the Raptors being very tough all year long against centers, they have allowed the fifth-most actual points per game to the position over the last two weeks in addition to almost 15 rebounds per game.
Pascal Siakam, PF/C, Toronto Raptors
This is about as good a spot as you will ever find for Pascal Siakam and with the salary difference on DK, he will be a primary focus for me in the MVP slot. On the season, the Lakers allow the fourth-most fantasy points to the power forward position (46.33), but it has gotten much worse over the last 15 games. They have given up 49.8 fantasy points per game in that span including over 25 points per game. In his first game against the Lakers this season, Siakam poured in 53 fantasy points in just 32 minutes so we should have no issues going right back to him in almost all of our lineups.
Fred Van Vleet, PG, Toronto Raptors
The Lakers are just as bad against point guards as they are against power forwards this season. They allow the third-most fantasy points per game including over 29 actual points allowed each contest. In the last game these teams played, Van Vleet scored 40.5 fantasy points despite playing just 29.5 minutes and shooting 40% from the floor. Add in the fact that the Lakers represent a 23-spot pace bump for Toronto tonight, and this is another game where Van Vleet should easily cross 35+ fantasy points.
UTILITY
Jarred Vanderbilt, PF/C, Los Angeles Lakers
Vanderbilt has been a breath of fresh air for this defensively-challenged Lakers’ squad. In his last 10 days, he averages 26 minutes and 22 fantasy points per game in addition to being all over the court on defense and disrupting the other team whenever he is on the floor. The Raptors have been the fourth-worst team against power forwards their last seven games, especially in the rebounds (11.67) and steals (1.68) they allow. This sets up the perfect opportunity for Vanderbilt to be all over the floor as he attempts to cover Pascal Siakam.
D’Angelo Russell, PG, Los Angeles Lakers
Russell should suit up for the first time since February 23rd tonight. We should watch to see if his minutes will be monitored or if he will be limited at all in this game, but I’m not too afraid of the matchup. Russell has already torched the Raptors for 42 fantasy points in under 34 minutes once this season and the Raptors are just 17th in defensive rating overall this season. In addition, the Raptors allow the sixth-most assists to opponents this season and the fourth-highest field goal percentage against them.
Jakob Poeltl, C, Toronto Raptors
In the three games Poeltl played against the Lakers this year as a member of the Spurs, Coach Popovich only had him on the floor for 19 minutes per game. But, he still scored 1.25 fantasy points per minute since the Lakers are one of the worst teams against centers this season. Now, Poeltl is routinely playing 30-32 minutes per night so his ceiling in this one is much higher than in the games earlier in the season. Just in the last two weeks, the Lakers have allowed 58 fantasy points per game to centers.
DART THROWS
Rui Hachimura, PF, Los Angeles Lakers
With the Lakers down both LeBron James and Mo Bamba lately, it has been Hachimura getting quite a bit more run in recent games. He already played 28 minutes in his last game, which was his fifth in a row with at least 20 minutes on the floor and he put up 25 fantasy points on just 11 shots. The Raptors have been struggling to rebound lately (49.2% rebound rate, ninth-worst in the league in their last eight games), so a few extra boards and put-backs could be coming Hachimura’s way tonight.
Chris Boucher, PF, Toronto Raptors
When looking at “dart throws” for the Raptors you have to use a very loose interpretation of the words, as Toronto routinely plays only eight men and they are all at least $5,600 tonight. But for their bench players, Boucher is the most reliable with minutes (around 16 per game) and in fantasy points (at least 14 in every game since January 17th). He scored 26 fantasy points in his only other game against the Lakers this season and we have seen how LA is a bottom-five team against the position this entire season.
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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.