Utah Jazz & Denver Nuggets

Spread: Jazz -6

Total: 222.5

 

Injuries

Utah Jazz:

Donovan Mitchell – Probable (back)

Rudy Gobert – Questionable (shoulder)

Jordan Clarkson – Probable (back)

Bojan Bogdanovic – Questionable (finger)

Joe Ingles - Out

Royce O’Neale – Questionable (knee)

Hassan Whiteside – Questionable (concussion)

Denver Nuggets:

Michael Porter Jr. – Out

Monte Morris – Out

Jeff Green – Out

Austin Rivers – Questionable (thumb)

*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

Nikola Jokic, C (DEN) – Jokic is going to cost you tonight as it’s been a while since I’ve seen a player this expensive on a Showdown Slate. The Denver center is rare breed and while Jokic is deserving, it really comes down to a roster management situation. We are dealing with one of the highest floors in the game here as Jokic is coming off a 27-point, 16 rebound performance against Dallas even as the Nuggets were blown out. With that being said, we are paying up for Jokic here for about eight to 10 DK points, so I would tread carefully. At the same time, you want some exposure as he can easily finish in the 60-75 DK point range.

Donovan Mitchell, PG/SG (UTA) – After carrying Utah as of late, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Mitchell is dealing with a sore back. Listed as probable, he should be fine to take the court tonight, and while Mitchell isn’t cheap, he is still substantially cheaper than Jokic. The Jazz aren’t exactly the picture of health as of late, so Mitchell could benefit if anyone is forced to sit out tonight, but it’s also hard to envision the guard doing better than the 30.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds he is averaging over his last four games (49.3 DK points). 

Rudy Gobert, C (UTA) – We do have to keep an eye on Gobert’s shoulder here, but unless you are going really far down on the salary list, I would stop here if you want any hope of really competing with Jokic and Mitchell. Gobert is simply a double-double machine who is averaging 15.5 points and 15.1 rebounds a game to go along with 2.3 blocks, and he is also as consistent as they come. 

Util

Will Barton, SG (DEN) – Barton is almost like a utility player for Denver as we know he is going to play at least 30 minutes tonight, but he generally steps in across various roles. Things look artificially worse on Monday as Barton turned the ball over seven times while scoring 12 points with six assists and four rebounds for the second straight game with an identical line. At the same time, Barton is also capable of scoring 21 points like he did in his previous game. Morris being out tonight should help him maintain his assist volume and we should be looking at another 30 to 35 DK point night. 

Mike Conley, PG (UTA) – Even if Utah isn’t shorthanded tonight, Conley will continue to take double-digit shots from the field. Shooting efficiency hasn’t always worked in his favor this season but he is averaging 16.6 points per game over his last five along with 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists. We have seen some upside from Conley as of late, but there is a nice floor, and if Bogdanovic or Clarkson is out tonight, we might see an uptick in his offense. 

Facundo Campazzo, PG/SG (DEN) – Don’t go chasing the 22 point, 12 assist, five steal performance we got from Campazzo two games ago (good for 60 DK points), but it’s nice to know that he is capable of it. Not only does he benefit from Monte Morris being sidelined, but there is a good chance Austin Rivers misses tonight’s game as well, so Campazzo will be busy. Either way, he has been consistently playing over 30-minutes a night but ultimately his value tonight will depend on whether he takes four or 11 shots from the field like he did in each of the last two nights. 

Jordan Clarkson, PG/SG (UTA) – Despite dealing with a back injury, Clarkson should be fine tonight, and he should benefit if a few more available shots come his way. We know that Clarkson can score, and the shot volume to get him to 20 to 25 points tonight should be there; even if he is a little streaky. 

Bojan Bogdanovic, SF/PF (UTA) – I prefer Bogdanovic to Clarkson tonight, but there is some risk here as the forward is questionable with a finger injury. Bogdanovic has broken the 20-point mark in each of his last three games and 17.8 points per game this season, his offense is no joke. 

Aaron Gordon, SF/PF (DEN) – Gordon has settled into a solid role with Denver, but he offers limited upside and instead would just be part of a balanced build scenario. The minutes will be there once again, and for the most part, Gordon stays true to the 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds he is averaging per game. 

Dart Throws

Rudy Gay, SF/PF (UTA) – Gay could really find his way into some playing time depending on how healthy Utah ultimately is tonight. On the season, Gay is averaging a solid nine points and 4.5 rebounds per game, but if he gets a boost in playing time, the forward has proven that there is some upside to be found. 

Bones Hyland, PG/SG (DEN) – Hyland returned from the COVID list to play 25 minutes on Monday, but the problem is that for the third straight game, he only made three field goal attempts. The volume for Hyland has been there, 30 shots in total, so the upside is there even if he hasn’t consistently delivered on that. 

Davon Reed, SF (DEN) – Reed has been getting some solid playing time as of late, and players of his ilk are critical tonight if you want the upside the stars offer. Of course, we do run into the risk that Reed only makes one of his five shots like he did on Monday.