New York Knicks & Milwaukee Bucks

Spread: Bucks -9

Total: 217

Injuries:

New York Knicks:

Derrick Rose – Out

Nerlens Noel – Questionable (knee)

Milwaukee Bucks:

Brook Lopez – Out

Wesley Matthews – Probable (knee)

Rodney Hood – Doubtful (knee)

*Please note that players not listed below are not necessarily a complete fade and any player listed can certainly be used as the MVP/Captain. These are merely suggestions for players to use when setting Showdown lineups.

MVP/CPT

Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF/C (MIL) – I know it sounds crazy to say, but the price could be worse here. We do have the risk of a blowout here, but the same logic then applies to all of Milwaukee’s studs, and Antetokounmpo will likely play a large role in getting the Bucks there. A few games ago against Memphis, he was able to rack up 68 DK points in 31 minutes of action which is generally what we see on the lower end of the spectrum for him. While that isn’t an every game occurrence, he only managed 41 DK points in 29 minutes against Cleveland on Wednesday, it should make you feel pretty good overall about Antetokounmpo. 

RJ Barrett, PG/SF (NYK) – Barrett has quickly become the preferred Knick as he takes the next steps in career. We would like to see Barrett shoot better from the line, 68.3%, but it is a good sign to see him being aggressive and attacking the hoop while averaging 20.6 points over his last five games. This isn’t to say Barrett has taken over as the number one option for the Knicks, but things are getting closer to that and he certainly looks more comfortable than Julius Randle. 

Khris Middleton, SF (MIL) – Things have been going well for Middleton as the second option in Milwaukee’s offense and there is a significant cost savings compared to his counterpart. He has been really picking up the slack offensively averaging 24.5 points over his last five games while rounding out the stat sheet with 6.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. 

Util

Julius Randle, PF (NYK) – We really are in a tough spot with Randle these days as he simply looks lost at times. The overall performance isn’t terrible, but it’s also clear that he is not the same player he was last year, and over his last five games, he is shooting just 38.2% from the field so it’s not a surprise that he is only averaging 15.6 points per game. There are games when Randle will do better than others offensively, and the fact that he is still active on the boards (9.9 rebounds per game) and in the assist department (five per game) does give him a decent floor. 

Mitchell Robinson, C (NYK) – Robinson has been playing some of his best basketball lately so it was a good sign that he was only forced to miss one game with an ankle injury. Nerlens Noel is still dealing with a knee injury, so the lean here is going to be on Robinson who is averaging 10 points and 9.8 rebounds over his last five games. 

Bobby Portis, C (MIL) – Portis has turned into a double-double machine for Milwaukee, and he shouldn’t have any issues finishing in the 30’s of DK points once again tonight. It looked like Portis might have been going a cold from a shooting perspective, but on Wednesday he turned that around by making 10 of 15 shots from the filed against Cleveland on his way to 22 points. 

Dart Throws

Immanuel Quickley, PG/SG (NYK) – The second unit for the Knicks has been getting a lot of run lately, as quite frankly, they have performed better than the starters. A large part of that is Quickley who is comfortable running the offense and is coming off a 12 point, seven assist performance against Miami when the Knicks got blown out. 

Grayson Allen, SG/SF (MIL) – Controversy has a way of following Allen, but quite simply, he can shoot when given the chance. He returns tonight after being out for a week, and there should be plenty of open shots available for Allen, and if it’s falling, he could rack up points pretty quickly. 

Donte DiVincenzo, PG/SG (MIL) – We are seeing Divincenzo’s workload steadily rise after a late start to the season, but his price hasn’t directly followed suit. Milwaukee does have a lot of similar pieces here so there is some risk if the playing time continues, but the guard has certainly earned it. Over his last two games, Divincenzo has averaged 15.5 points, four rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 26 minutes of action. 

Quentin Grimes, SG (NYK) – The rookie has really grown on the Knicks’ coaching staff, and his three-point shooting and attention to detail on defense are a big reason why. New York being blown out later in games also helps here, but Grimes is going to get minutes regardless and he is averaging nine points over his last two games. 

Obi Toppin, PF (NYK) – Toppin isn’t going to score 18 points and grab five rebounds every night like he did on Wednesday, but as the Knicks struggle, and if the game gets lopsided, we will see his role expand.