This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
We have a single-game Showdown on DraftKings for Tuesday. The Nuggets take on the Lakers in Game 3 of the Western Conference with tipoff set at 8 p.m. EDT. After a tough loss in Game 2, the Nuggets will look to avoid going down 0-3 in the series but they will need more from their role players, who so far have left it up to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray to keep them in the games throughout the postseason.
Slate Overview
DEN vs. LAL (-6.5) O/U 214
It's been the players you'd expect that have been the standouts in the series so far. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been their usual unstoppable tandem, combining for 56.7 percent of the usage during the playoffs. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are doing the heavy lifting on the other side, but after two grueling seven-game rounds, the Nuggets may be running out of steam at this point and may not be able to turn the series around.
Injury Situations to Monitor
LeBron James, LAL (groin) Probable
James has been listed on the injury report in every game of the postseason but it's yet to cause him to miss any time. That should be case here as well, and barring any new developments he should be good to go.
Elite Plays
Anthony Davis, LAL ($11,600) Captain: ($17,400)
It's really a coin flip between Anthony Davis and LeBron James. You always get the triple-double upside with James, but so far it's been Davis who has been the better fantasy producer. He's been commanding 30 percent usage since the playoffs began and has scored over 50 fantasy points in seven of his last eight games. He's normally a lock for a double-double and rarely leaves the court, logging close to 40 minutes on multiple occasions. They'll need him to continue battling down low with Jokic as JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard have been mostly ineffective handling that task. The $400 discount from James may not seem significant, but in a Showdown format any extra salary can go a long way.
Nikola Jokic, DEN ($11,000) Captain: ($16,500)
If you really need the savings, Jokic makes for a nice alternative as he's been the driving force for the Nuggets as they reached this point in the playoffs. From a usage standpoint it's been about equal between him and Jamal Murray, with Jokic absorbing 27.4 percent of the share. His ability to score, rebound and dial up assists with the occasional step-back three-pointer make him a versatile player that should thrive in the Captain spot. He was able to get to the line plenty in Game 2, going 11-12 on free throws, which really added to his overall ceiling. If he can stay aggressive again he should be able to pay off this salary with ease.
Expected Chalk
Jamal Murray, DEN ($9,400)
Much like James and Davis for the Lakers, it's been the Jokic and Murray Show throughout the postseason for the Nuggets. Murray has claimed nearly the same usage as his teammate with 27.6 percent of the pie but offers a different skill set with the ability to add steals and knock down multiple shots from behind the arc. He's mostly scoring dependent, but Murray can rack up rebounds and assists and rarely leaves the court, logging over 40 minutes in just about every playoff game so far.
Michael Porter, DEN ($7,600)
Despite him being wildly inconsistent, you're really just paying for the ceiling here in hopes he can replicate a few of the performances he's flashed during this postseason so far. Normally playing around 20 minutes, Porter can score in bunches and grab rebounds, giving him double-double upside in any match. His main deficiency is on the defensive end, which has made him a liability on most occasions and limited his playing time. The Nuggets will need all the scoring they can get to come away with a victory here, so taking a shot on Porter to provide some of the help makes a lot of sense in this format.
Key Values
Danny Green, LAL ($4,600)
Green can be extremely streaky but has been solid of late, scoring over 20 fantasy points in four straight games. He's a three-point specialist and that's what you're paying for here, hoping he gets hot from downtown while adding a few peripheral stats along the way. That's something he's done fairly successfully in both playoff games against Denver, collecting five steals and two blocks while averaging around 25 minutes of court time.
Alex Caruso, LAL ($3,600)
The Lakers have mostly relied on crafty vet Rajon Rondo at point guard during their playoff run, but so far in this series it's been Caruso getting slightly more playing time. Coming off one of his better games of the postseason, he scored nine points with two assists, two rebounds and two steals in 29 minutes. If he can get close to that here, he should smash his modest price tag.
