NBA Showdown Playbook March 17: Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers DFS Picks
To close out our NBA DFS slate this Friday, March 17th we have a DFS Showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers. It should be a great game with both teams battling for playoff positioning. Unfortunately, both teams are without their star players with Luka Doncic and LeBron James both sitting out with injuries.
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Injury Report
Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic - OUT
Kyrie Irving - Questionable
Tim Hardaway Jr. - Questionable
Markieff Morris - Questionable
JaVale McGee- Questionable
Los Angeles Lakers
Anthony Davis - Probable
Mo Bamba - OUT
LeBron James - OUT
NBA DFS Showdown Slate Picks
MVP/Captain
Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
With Anthony Davis probable heading into this one, he is the top captain play tonight and will be the chalk of the night. In the last two games, he has scored over 50 fantasy points. Davis has grabbed 16 and 17 rebounds in those two games, and he can do that every single night, and I expect him to do it to the Mavericks tonight. In the lone previous game against Dallas this season he grabbed 15 boards. Play him tonight.
Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
Irving hasn't played in the last three games however, he fully practiced on Thursday and went through shootaround, and could see the floor tonight. Without Luka in the lineup tonight Irving has the chance to go off if he is healthy. But without him playing the last three games because of a foot, it could reaggravate, so I am a little leary playing him if he plays.
D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
Since coming back from injury D-Lo has been extremely solid. In his past four games, he has scored at least 31 fantasy points including two games over 49 fantasy points. Russell should have no issues attacking this Dallas defense, and his ceiling gets higher with AD back in the lineup. They play off each other well.
Utility
Jaden Hardy, Dallas Mavericks
We're only playing Hardy if Irving is out once again. In the three games with Irving out of the lineup he has played at least 37 minutes and scored over 20 game points in each. He was a value in those games, but tonight priced up at $7,200 it makes him tougher to play.
Josh Green, Dallas Mavericks
With Luka and Irving out of the lineup over the past three games, Green has also been awesome. As Jaden Hardy, he has scored over 20 game points in each game. He has gone over 37 fantasy points in three straight. Even if Irving comes back tonight, he will still play a ton of minutes. Play Green tonight.
Tim Hardaway Jr., Dallas Mavericks
Hardaway is questionable heading into this one after missing the last game with a bruised calf. I would lean towards Hardaway playing tonight, and he could be a value only having to pay $6,600. He scored at least 33 fantasy points in three of his four games before getting injured.
Jarred Vanderbilt, Los Angeles Lakers
Jarred Vanderbilt is the perfect pairing next to Anthony Davis when it comes to real basketball. But we need to get him more attempts when AD is in the game. With AD out he put up 13 shots, scoring 13 points, and grabbed 10 rebounds. However, in his previous three games, he only put up a total of 14 shots. I could see him getting more involved in the offense once again tonight.
Malik Beasley, Los Angeles Lakers
With Beasley starting I think you have to play him at his price of $5,200. The way he shoots he can go off for almost 40 fantasy points. However, when its bad it can go bad because he doesn't bring you much more than just scoring. He is shooting just under 50% from downtown over his past two games on 24 attempts. I look for the hot streak to continue tonight.
Dart Throws
Troy Brown Jr. Los Angeles Lakers
Brown hasn't been great recently scoring under 15 fantasy points in three of his past four games. He has stayed in the starting lineup so far playing 25-28 minutes a game. With him starting and getting the minutes why not take a dart throw on him as he can put up close to 30 fantasy points? You might not have to pay down for him tonight in your showdown lineups with some other values on the board.
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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.