Tonight’s NBA DFS Showdown slate features three of the best wing players in the league as the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Los Angeles Clippers. All of Anthony Edwards, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George make for good MVP options and Russell Westbrook has also reenergized himself on a new team. It should be a high-scoring, fast-paced game with fantasy points flowing. Here are the NBA DFS top plays we can invest in for our lineups on FanDuel and DraftKings!

 

Injury Report

Minnesota Timberwolves

Karl Anthony-Towns – OUT

Jaylen Nowell – QUESTIONABLE

Rudy Gobert - PROBABLE

Los Angeles Clippers

Ivica Zubac - QUESTIONABLE

NBA DFS Showdown Slate Picks

MVP/Captain

Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

After the All-Star break, Kawhi Leonard is back on the court with no limitations and with a ferocity that we did not see in his early games this year. It was a bit concerning his last two games pre-All-Star to see his minutes drop to 33 per night (with 38 fantasy points per game), but those concerns are now gone with 39 and 46 minutes in his last two games where he averaged over 56 fantasy points. The Timberwolves (fifth in pace) are a big-time pace jump for the Clippers (24th this year), so even if he is back down to 36 minutes tonight, we can expect one of his normal 50 fantasy point games 

Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers

George finally improved his shooting accuracy after a rough stretch earlier in the month, and it has meant good things for his fantasy production. He averages 43.4 fantasy points in his last four and shot at least 46% in all of them. With their new roster, the Timberwolves are the third-worst team against shooting guards in their last seven games, and George already dropped 50.8 fantasy points on them the other time they played this season.   

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves

There is no other way to say it – Edwards has flat-out stunk against the Clippers this year. He averages 27 fantasy points per game against them (43.4 on the season overall) and has shot just 38% from the floor and 20% from three. Yes, the Paul George defense has something to do with that, but it also is attributed to Edwards getting in significant foul trouble in both games (five fouls in each). If he can get that under control tonight, there is no reason to think he can’t give his regular 39 minutes and 40 fantasy points. 

Utility

Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

With Ivica Zubac listed as Questionable tonight, there is a chance we see a lot of Mason Plumlee for the Clippers. If that’s the case, just lock Gobert into your lineups. You may remember Plumlee from such hits as the Charlotte Hornets being the worst team against centers in 2020, 2021, and 2022. He has since brought those talents to Hollywood and Gobert is someone who can dominate him on the defensive end while also chipping in 12-15 points. Over the past seven games, only the Hornets are worse than the Clippers against opposing centers. That aligns with when Plumlee joined the team at the trade deadline. Coincidence? I think not. 

Kyle Anderson, Minnesota Timberwolves

Kyle Anderson can be the most maddening player to roster in fantasy lineups over the course of a season, but he has been consistent with the fantasy points lately, if not consistent with the minutes. He has over 24 fantasy points in five straight games despite minutes ranging from 17 to 31. On most nights, he will be around 28-30 and that’s a solid starting point for this matchup. The Clippers are the sixth-worst team against power forwards this season as Marcus Morris’ defense has left a lot to be desired. I wish the DK salary was a little lower than $6,800, but Anderson has the potential to 5x that number tonight. 

Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Clippers

Westbrook’s two games with the Clippers have been All-Star-level stuff so far. He shot over 53% in both games, he averaged 41.75 fantasy points per game, and he is still piling up steals, assists, and rebounds all over the place. The Timberwolves are a bottom-seven team against point guards this season including allowing the third-most actual points per game to the position. With two other superstars on the court and the Timberwolves checking in with the 24th-ranked defense over the last seven games, this could easily be another big spot for Westbrook on his revenge tour. 

Dart Throws

Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves

Yes, it does look like Rudy Gobert will play tonight after missing the last game. Reid went off in that game, scoring 61 fantasy points in 36 minutes. But his previous five games show he doesn’t need all of that run to be a valuable piece of your fantasy roster. In those five games, Reid averaged 20.4 fantasy points in just 16 minutes on the floor. As we said, we may get a lot of Mason Plumlee tonight, and if Reid gets 18 minutes against him tonight, his $5,000 tag on DK will prove to be too cheap. 

Bones Hyland, Los Angeles Clippers

Bones packed his bag and moved from Denver to Los Angeles where he is hoping to become the backup point guard with a significant role in the second-team offense. He hopes to earn a larger slice of the minutes in LA after becoming persona non grata with the Nuggets, and after three games we may know exactly what he will be with this team. He is going to play 16 minutes and score 16 fantasy points. He has done that for three straight games, but for just $1,600 on DK, who is going to turn down 10x value when it means you can get all three studs? Hyland is way too cheap for this new role. 

 

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