NBA DFS Showdown Playbook Feb. 26: Kings vs. Nuggets
Published: Feb 26, 2022
Sacramento Kings @ Denver Nuggets (-7.5)
Total: 237.5
Sacramento Kings injuries
Terence Davis - OUT
Richaun Holmes - QUEST
Denver Nuggets Injuries
Michael Porter Jr. - OUT
Jamal Murray - OUT
Vlatko Cancar - OUT
Zeke Nnaji - QUEST
DeMarcus Cousins - IN
MVP/CAPTAIN
We just saw this match-up and Jokic fell one assist shy of a triple-double and still put up 65 DKP. He has that type of upside. Or should I say he has that type of floor? He’s averaging 65.5 DKP/game against the Kings this year. The Kings are 29th in DRtg and 24th in rebounding, so the domination should continue. The only question is can we fill out the rest of our roster comfortably with Jokic at captain?
Sabonis dominated the Nuggets the last time out, pouring in 33 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and 62.5 DKP. Sabonis’ ability to do a little of everything really helps him stand out in fantasy when everything is in fact clicking. He’s $1.2K cheaper than Jokic at the captain spot if you needed money to save.
The only really OK spot in which you don’t hate the rest of your lineup and you can fit both Sabonis and Jokic while not using either one of them at CPT is playing Barton. You have a little north of $4.8K per player if you fill out your lineup like that. Barton lit Sacramento the hell up last time out as he scored 31 actual and 44 DKP. Barton has that in his bag and against the Kings 29th ranked defense, it’s possible he goes off again here.
UTILITY
Since returning from his ankle injury six games ago, Fox has scored 20+ actual points in all six, but the 20 he scored against the Nuggets was his lowest output of the bunch. Also, factor in that Sabonis had 33, it’s hard for both to go off when Sabonis was eating the way he was. Fox dropped 30 on Denver’s head earlier in the year and we know how inconsistent Sabonis can be at times. This may be his time to shine.
It’s impossible to trust Gordon’s production from game to game, but he’s been decent lately. He’s put up 28 and 33 DKP in each of his last two outings and has topped 24 DKP in six of seven, with five of the seven at 28+. It’s very hard to not want to attack the Kings with everything we can.
Morris has been really, really good lately, notching 23+ DKP in 10 of 11 games and 27+ in four of five. He’s averaged 16 points and 27.9 DKP across two meetings against Sacramento this year and we know De’Aaron Fox is not a good defender. Fox has a 116 DRtg this year and had a 118 mark last season.
Although he didn’t start last game, he played 30 minutes off the bench and wasn’t shy about shooting the ball with 10 attempts from the floor. With Tyrese Haliburton out of town, there’s plenty of run in Mitchell’s future.
I’m putting them together because they are essentially the same guy right about now. They’ve never seen a shot attempt that they don’t like and if they are feeling it, they can bust out a 20-piece in 20 minutes' time. It’s hard to predict on a given night when that will happen and which one it’ll happen for, but in a showdown format it’s worth taking a stab at.
DeMarcus Cousins, DEN
If Zeke Nnaji can’t play here, Cousins is in line for the backup center run and then some. Even when we’ve seen him play 14-16 minutes, Cousins has 20 FP upside, which at his price is a steal. With the Nuggets so far, Cousins has a 30% USG rate and averages 1.25 FP/min. If you’re using Jokic/Sabonis or Jokic/Fox in your lineup, Cousins could be a great punt option to open up some salary.
Player News
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Zach Edey will undergo surgery to re-stabilize his left ankle.
Charania’s report indicates that Edey re-sprained the same ankle that forced him to miss some time last season. It came during an offseason workout, and he is expected to miss time to start next season. Edey secured the starting center spot for Memphis late last season after playing an inconsistent role for most of his rookie year. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo could opt to use Brandon Clarke as the starting center if he’s healthy, or he could use a smaller starting lineup with Jaren Jackson Jr. to start next season. The Grizzlies’ PR team announced that a preliminary timeline will be provided after he has the surgery, but as of now, the expectation is that he won’t be available for opening night.
De’Aaron Fox (finger) has been cleared for on-court work and will be ready for the start of next season.
Fox underwent season-ending surgery on his left pinkie finger in mid-March, about six weeks after being traded to the Spurs from Sacramento. He recently told Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle that he’s been cleared to resume on-court activities, which have included some 5-on-5 play. Also, Fox hopes to ink a contract extension with the Spurs this offseason. With one year remaining on his current deal, the point guard will be eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $229 million on August 3.
NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Mannix said recently that Sam Hauser could be a trade candidate this offseason if the Celtics decide to shed salary.
The cost of contending for championships has gotten steeper, especially with the salary cap rules instituted in recent years. For the Celtics, the Achilles tendon rupture suffered by Jayson Tatum may impact how the front office approaches this offseason. If the team decides that a group that won’t have Tatum for most of the season can’t be a factor in the East, the decision could be made to shed salary. And Hauser, whose four-year, $45 million extension goes into effect next season, may be a prime candidate to be moved. “Hauser, to me, is the most likely candidate to go, just because you have (Baylor) Scheierman there to effectively fill his role,” Mannix said. “I think they’d love to find a home for Jrue Holiday, just because of the contract and where they are as a team. (Kristaps) Porzingis, who knows? I don’t think they want to take on contracts that go on longer than Porzingis’ deal, but he’s certainly available.” Hauser being traded would make Scheierman worth a look in deep fantasy leagues next season.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Knicks are interested in talking to Mavericks coach Jason Kidd regarding the team’s head coaching vacancy.
Multiple names have been mentioned in the aftermath of the Knicks’ decision to fire Tom Thibodeau after he led the team to its first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000. One who has been mentioned prominently is Kidd, who is under contract with the Mavericks. His connection with Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson may be a factor, as the captain has repeatedly credited the coach with his development as a professional. However, Dallas would need to grant the Knicks permission to speak with Kidd. And if a deal were to be made, New York does not have much draft capital to give up as compensation. Also mentioned in connection with the opening are Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch and Rockets coach Ime Udoka. Stein also reported that Houston would quickly deny permission to speak with Udoka if the Knicks were to make that request.
Obi Toppin provided a boost off the bench with 17 points (6-of-9 FGs), five rebounds, two assists and five three-pointers in Game 1 against the Thunder on Thursday.
Toppin has been solid throughout this postseason, but he hasn’t had many big scoring nights. However, after he had 18 points in the Game 6 clincher over the Knicks, he added 17 more to kick off the Finals, with 15 of those points coming from beyond the arc. If Toppin is able to continue to make an impact off the bench like he did in this game, there should be more wins coming for the Pacers.
Aaron Nesmith recorded a double-double on Thursday with 10 points (3-of-9 FGs), 12 rebounds, one assist, one block, three three-pointers and five turnovers in Game 1 against the Thunder.
Indiana dominated on the glass in this game, but it wasn’t just because of the bigs. Nesmith was the leading rebounder in this game and was one of three Pacers to grab at least 10 rebounds. However, they lost the turnover battle 24-6, and Nesmith contributed five of those. The only player with more was Myles Turner, who coughed it up six times. Indiana won this game and still has things to clean up, which is an encouraging sign for them moving forward in this series.