We have an awful lot of star power tonight as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Denver Nuggets for our NBA DFS Showdown Slate. There are multiple directions in which to go tonight while setting your lineups, but ultimately the discussion has to start at the top with Nikola Jokic and LeBron James. In order to fit those expensive pieces into your lineup, finding some value options at the opposite end of the spectrum is going to be quite important. Now, let us jump into who some of those picks might be. 

 

Injuries

Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James – Probable (foot)

Anthony Davis – Probable (foot)

Russell Westbrook – Doubtful (hamstring)

Dennis Schroder - Out

Denver Nuggets

Michael Porter – Questionable (back)

Jeff Green – Probable (finger)

NBA Showdown Slate Picks

MVP/Captain

Nikola Jokic (DEN)

Through four games, we have not seen the best Jokic has to offer and you can also make the argument that he is under priced based on where we saw him last year for Showdown Slates. He has earned it though, to a point, as the center was limited on Monday by foul trouble and it both didn’t help and contributed to, Denver being blown out. Jokic only attempted four shots from the field and finished with just nine points although he did add nine rebounds and nine assists. With that being said, Jokic is still on the cusp of averaging a triple-double (20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 9.5 assists) and has yet to really get going this year. I am thinking that comes tonight. 

LeBron James (LAL)

James has not missed a beat to begin the season and with Russell Westbrook likely out tonight, I would expect him to have the ball in his hands a little more tonight. In two of his three games, James has put up 31 points with all facets of him game working as he is also averaging 11 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. It also helps that James has not played less than 35 minutes so far this year. 

Anthony Davis (LAL)

If you want to go in a different direction than Jokic or James, I am not sure how great I feel about it, but Davis is the only other option that can come close. Davis took things to the next level on Sunday against Portland thanks to his six blocked shots, but aside from that, he is averaging a strong 24.7 points and eight rebounds per game. Perhaps surprisingly, there is not that much of a price difference on DK between Davis and the other top options, but every dollar counts. 

Utility

Lonnie Walker IV (LAL)

This is what we are looking for tonight as Walker starts for the Lakers and we get him at a reasonable price. If we really wanted to get contrarian and experiment from a lineup perspective, this would be “out of the box” choice for the captain spot as well. Walker is slated to start tonight for the Lakers and with a season high of 26 points, the potential is there. He has not played less than 29 minutes per game this season and with 15.3 points and a few rebounds and assists per game while emerging as a secondary option for the Lakers. 

Michael Porter Jr (DEN)

The back is something to keep an eye on tonight, but it has not slowed Porter down yet to begin the season as he has scored between 15 and 22 points. To go along with that, Porter is averaging 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting well from the field. 

Patrick Beverley (LAL)

There is value in Beverley as he has played between 25 and 33 minutes so far this season, but we do have to note that he only has made one shot from the field per game. Beverley does a good job of filling the stat sheet despite that finishing with between 16.5 and 21 DK points, but if Westbrook is out tonight, then we should see a spike in some volume. 

Aaron Gordon (DEN)

Gordon has double-digit shot attempts in three of four games this year with two games over 20-points while showing a little more offense than we previously were used to. At 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, it is hard to ignore Gordon, but his price might make that prospect a little easier. 

Jamal Murray (DEN)

Murray is still working the rest off from his ACL injury, but when he is right, we know that he can knock down shots in buckets. At his best, Murray made six of 12 shots for 16 points, and his worst three of 12 for eight points, but the potential is there for more. Whether we get it is a different story though. 

Dart Throw

Bones Hyland (DEN)

Hyland generally comes off the bench firing and has hit double figures offensively in three of his four games this season. It would be nice if he played more than the 14 to 19 minutes per game he has to this point, but when Hyland is on the court, he generally provides some DFS production. 

Troy Brown Jr (LAL)

Brown made his season debut on Sunday after missing time with a back injury, and he received 22 minutes of playing time. That only translated to four points and four rebounds on two of seven shooting, but this is a case of following the minutes and taking advantage of the price. 

 

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