Tonight’s showdown matchup between the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers is the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Championship. The Pacers, led by Tyrese Haliburton, have had a cinderella run to this point and this is exactly what the NBA hoped for when creating it. The Lakers have had the best version of LeBron James and Anthony Davis and have steamrolled the competition, especially in their semi-final game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Finding some of the NBA DFS top picks could be made easier if you take a look at Fantasy Alarm’s NBA DFS Projections, powered by FanJections. Let’s dive into the complete breakdown for tonight’s showdown slate

 

Indiana Pacers vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Total: 243

Spread: LAL -4


Indiana Pacers Injuries

Los Angeles Lakers Injuries

NBA DFS Showdown CPT/MVP Top Plays

Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers

Nobody’s stock has risen more than Tyrese Haliburton during this tournament and overall this season. Haliburton is coming off a 27 point, 15 assist, 0 turnover game in the semi-final and had a 26 point triple-double in the quarter final as well. He’s put up 63+ DKP in three straight games and has consistently been the best player on the floor in almost every game he’s been in. He’s $1.2K expensive more than anyone else in the captain’s chair for what that’s worth.

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

Davis has definitely taken a backseat to LeBron James in the spotlight, but he’s been doing his thing regardless. He put up the quietest 50 DKP game last time out because of everything James did (11 straight points, 3 charges taken & everything in between). Davis has topped 50 DKP in five straight games and where he seperates himself typically from James is his ability to crash the glass and accrue defensive stats. He’s had at least two blocks/steals in 14 consecutive games.

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

The LeBron James we’re seeing during this tournament is the one we’ve seen for years and years during the postseason and he’s treating this like that. James has averaged 1.44 FP/min and I know there has been a lot of father time talk, but he’s defying logic and reason. Landing on LBJ in your captain’s chair is definitely not a bad idea considering the Lakers match-up against the Pacers who are first in pace and 28th in DRtg.

NBA DFS Showdown UTIL Top Plays

D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers

The dilemma with playing Russell comes down to if you think he makes enough shots for head coach Darvin Ham to keep him on the floor to close. He doesn’t close many games at this point if they’re competitive, but he also has an insanely high ceiling as he’s put up 60+ DKP and has scored 27+ actual points three times this year. The risk of him not closing, as previously mentioned, is the primary reason to fade.

Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers

Reaves has been great off of the Lakers bench this year and has been especially good over the last three games scoring 17+ points, 4+ rebounds, and 30+ DKP. Reaves has a better chance at closing competitive games than D’Angelo Russell, but hasn’t flashed nearly as high of a ceiling, which is something you’re looking for in showdown formats.

Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers

Turner has done a great job staying out of foul trouble of late and that’s kept him on the floor for an extended period of time, notching 30+ minutes in three straight games in which he’s topped 36+ DKP and a double-double in each. He’s averaged 1.27 FP/min this year, but will he able to contain Anthony Davis in any capacity in this game? That’s something we’re going to have to wait and find out.

Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers

Opponents shoot a LOT of threes against the Lakers. They’ve allowed the fifth-most three-point attempts and the eighth most made per game. Insert Buddy Hield who is a specialist at exactly that. If Hield gets hot, he can shoot his way into the optimal lineup.

NBA DFS Showdown Value Plays

Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers bench is hard to figure out on a game-to-game basis, but Hachimura has seemingly settled into a low-20s minutes role. Since returning from his face injury, he’s played low-20s minutes in each game and we know he can score in bunches at times. He’s a .85 FP/min guy this season.

TJ McConnell, Indiana Pacers

Andrew Nemhard is out, which means we’re going to see TJ McConnell operate as the backup point-guard and we may even see him share the floor with Tyrese Haliburton at times. McConnell does not need a lot of minutes to reach and surpass value. His 1.28 FP/min this year is the second-highest mark on Indiana. 

Taurean Prince, Los Angeles Lakers

Prince is a good defender and is on the floor quite a lot, so if he makes three’s he has a chance at hitting his ceiling, which sits around 25-30 DKP. He also has a single-digit fantasy point floor. Cam Reddish is a pivot off of Prince.

Isaiah Jackson, Indiana Pacers

It’s a 50/50 at this point whether Jackson’s going to even play, but against a bigger Bucks front-court he was forced into the rotation and played 16 minutes, putting up 20 DKP. He’s a very solid FP/min player averaging 1.22 this year. If he’s in the rotation, he could very well end up in the optimal. He may also give you a zero. It’s a risk you have to be willing to take in tournaments.

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