Tonight, we close out today’s NBA schedule with the Charlotte Hornets traveling to Portland to face the Trail Blazers for the NBA DFS Showdown Slate. With an over/under of 238, a lot of offense is expected in what should be a fast-paced game in which Portland is favored by six points. The game will focus on an exciting point guard battle between LaMelo Ball and Damian Lillard, but there are other options to consider as well for our NBA DFS Showdown Slate lineups, so let us dig in. 

Injuries

Charlotte Hornets

Dennis Smith Jr – Questionable (ankle)

Nick Richards – Doubtful (ankle)

Portland Trail Blazers

Jusuf Nurkic – Probable (calf)

Josh Hart – Probable (ankle)

Justise Winslow – Out

 

NBA DFS Showdown Slate 

MVP/Captain

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

When deciding between Lillard and his counterpart, I am hunting the cost savings we get on DK along with the fact that he has a better matchup against Ball and the Hornets from a DFS production standpoint. Lillard is coming off a 34-point, eight assist, seven rebound effort against Denver, and with 28 points and 7.1 assists per game this season, he is performing at as high a level as we have seen from him. 

LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets

Ball has not missed a beat since returning from injury and we have been getting pretty close to maximum production from him. In his last five games, Ball is averaging 25.8 points, eight assists, and 6.2 rebounds with one triple-double in the stretch as we are getting pretty close to an upside performance on a nightly basis from him. And we know against Lillard, that will be the case again tonight for Charlotte to keep pace on the road. 

Jusuf Nurkic, Portland Trail Blazers

Stop me if you have heard this, but opposing centers are DFS gold against the Hornets. There is no reason not to expect this to continue tonight for Nurkic against Charlotte, and the good news is that he does not appear to be limited by his calf. Nurkic has six straight games of double figure scoring and is averaging 14.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game overall which provides a nice baseline before factoring in the strong matchup. 

 

Utility

Terry Rozier, Charlotte Hornets

Even with the Hornets at full strength, you never have to worry about volume from Rozier as he is going to play a ton and shoot almost as if he gets paid by the shot. The good news is that Rozier makes a good enough amount of those shots and you could make the argument that Ball being back helps the former from an overall offensive perspective. 

Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers

Although we would like Grant to be more consistent at times, he is having a strong season as a nice secondary option for Portland. Shot attempts and pace should both be high tonight and that should favor Grant who is averaging 21.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game this season. One thing to keep an eye on, is how active Grant is on the boards as he is averaging just under seven rebounds per game in his last three. 

Mason Plumlee, Charlotte Hornets

Plumlee is just one of those solid DFS options that comes in at a reasonable price and generally does not disappoint. We should get around 25 to 30 minutes per game out of Plumlee and with 10.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, the production gives a nice sense of security in our lineup. 

PJ Washington, Charlotte Hornets

Washington generally plays around 30 minutes a night, but with Nick Richards likely out and Charlotte even thinner up front, an increased role could be in the cards for Washington. While inconsistent at times, he is coming off a 24 point, five rebound, four assist effort last week and seeing him score at a solid level is never surprising. 

 

Dart Throw

Drew Eubanks, Portland Trail Blazers

The main draw here is the regular playing time off the bench for Eubanks. While we are likely looking at around 20 minutes, we know how good the matchup is, and Eubanks has shown the ability to chip in both offensively and on the board. 

Kai Jones, Charlotte Hornets

Let us really take a trip out on the ledge, but if Nick Richards truly does not suit up, that is the way things are trending, the Jones should take a step up in the pecking order. In limited playing time this month, Jones has shown the ability to score and hit the boards, and the fact that he is essentially a free square is a big help here. 

 

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