Milwaukee Bucks & Los Angeles Lakers

Spread: Bucks -3.5

Total: 233.5

Injuries:

Milwaukee Bucks:

Grayson Allen – Probable (hip)

George Hill - Out

Los Angeles Lakers:

LeBron James – Probable (knee)

Anthony Davis – Probable (wrist)

Carmelo Anthony – Out

Dwight Howard – Questionable (back)

*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

LeBron James, PG/SF (LAL) – To say that we have a top-heavy slate tonight would an understatement, and in what figures to be high scoring and fast-paced game, there is plenty of opportunity to rack up DFS production. James is at the top of my list tonight as he allows us to save $1,200 compared to Giannis Antetokounmpo and you know he is going to be amped up as well. I was guilty of underestimating James in his return on Saturday as he simply posted a triple-double with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. With Russell Westbrook struggling, and not even on the court at the end of Saturday’s game, James figures to have the ball in his hands a lot tonight and I would expect him to try and exert control over the game. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF/C (MIL) – By no means should Antetokounmpo ever be overlooked, and that is certainly true tonight as well on one of the few slates in which I won’t list him first. Milwaukee has played in some one-sided games as of late so Antetokounmpo’s playing time has suffered, but I don’t expect that to be the case tonight. Perhaps more importantly, Antetokounmpo has been quite efficient averaging 31.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in just 31 minutes of action (59 DK points). What will happen if Antetokounmpo is on the court for 40 minutes tonight? Fade him at your own risk as I expect both him and James to break the 60-fantasy point mark with ease. 

UTIL

Anthony Davis, C (LAL) – This is nothing against Davis, but more of an indication as to just how good James and Antetokounmpo have been. That’s not to say Davis has been bad, and it’s not like he slowed down on Saturday when James returned (28 points and 17 rebounds) but he is just a slight notch below and the cost savings isn’t drastic. If possible, tonight, and it requires a leap of faith or two, pairing Davis with James or Antetokounmpo could be the way to go tonight, but for all of the upside it brings, there is some additional risk. However, if you do go that route, then a clear case could be made for including Davis in the captain seat. 

Malik Monk, PG/SG (LAL) – Monk has really stepped up as of late for the Lakers and he has benefited both from Anthony’s injury and Westbrook’s ineffectiveness. With that being said, you could make the argument that Monk has emerged as the Lakers’ third option and that was clearly on display when he propelled Los Angeles back into the game with a strong third quarter against the Knicks. Overall, Monk shot 11 of 20 for the field for 29 points which gives him 25.2 points per game over his last four. 

Bobby Portis, C (MIL) – There is also something to be said for a balanced approach tonight, although it’s still hard to ignore the top tier upside, and Portis fits nicely into that build with a fair salary. In his last two games, Portis has been dominant. That is especially the case from downtown as he made 10 of 13 three-point attempts while scoring a combined 54 points. The offense will be flowing, and there is value in riding with the hot hand here. 

Jrue Holiday, PG (MIL) – I would be remiss if I didn’t include Holiday here as he gets to feast on Westbrook in quite the favorable matchup. Holiday is coming off a 27 point, 13 assist performance against the Clippers on Sunday, and that is the level of offense we are looking for out of the point guard to justify the price. 

Dart Throws

Talen Horton-Tucker, SF (LAL) – Based on the star quality tonight, we need to spend some time here. Despite scoring just two points on Saturday, Horton-Tucker is interesting as he played 24 minutes, added four rebounds, and three assists, but more importantly, was on the court in clutch time. Westbrook’s ineffectiveness led to Horton-Tucker getting minutes in overtime, and considering he is already one of the first players off the bench for the Lakers (especially with Anthony out), our attention is piqued. 

Greg Monroe, C (MIL) – In his two games with the Bucks, Monroe has played 14 and 15 minutes while averaging a solid 7.5 points and five rebounds. The price certainly works, and at a minimum, I would expect a similar performance tonight. 

Stanley Johnson, PF (LAL) – Johnson almost taunts us on a daily basis when we look at his price and the fact that he starts for the Lakers. The last stretch of games hasn’t been great for Johnson, but he should be back out there once again tonight. If we get a repeat of Saturday, nine points, and five rebounds, it would be a good night. 

Pat Connaughton, SF/PF (MIL) – Connaughton should get about 20 minutes of playing time tonight off the bench for Milwaukee, but the risk is quite simply tied to whether or not his shot is falling. 

Trevor Ariza, PF (LAL) – Ariza has been the beneficiary of some open playing time as of late in Los Angeles, and that led him to 35 minutes of playing time on Saturday. Had Ariza shot better than three of nine from the field, the night would have looked a lot different for him, but it’s still hard to argue with 11 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.