Monday night's battle between the Thunder and Spurs indicated a hotly contested series that could go to seven games. Tonight, we'll see if the Knicks and Cavaliers can spin up an equally competitive affair. The Cavs enter the series a bit gassed but filled with momentum after eliminating the Pistons, while the Knicks will get back in action after eight days of rest. Today's article will focus on the best selections for DraftKings' Showdown format. If you're unfamiliar, I've got you covered.
For DraftKings Showdown contests, participants are given six positions to fill. While five of them are normal (UTIL) spots, the remaining slot allows for a 1.5x multiplier to be given to the selected player. We typically call it the Captain slot. That's a significant bonus for the selected player, but there is a catch. The player's base salary is also multiplied by 1.5x when used in the multiplier spot.
The most common mistake made by DFS players is assuming that finding the game's top scorer and placing them in the multiplier is the key to winning. While that strategy can happen occasionally, it's often not the case. The top scorer will usually have a high salary, and the 1.5x sum will restrict your ability to maximize production in the UTIL spots. If a player's base salary is $10,000, it increases to $15,000 under the multiplier, eating up a third of your available salary.
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Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks (-6.5)
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NYK OG Anunoby - EXPECTED TO PLAY
Anunoby missed the last two games but is expected to be a full participant in Game 1 against the Cavaliers. While it may make sense to be cautious, his exposure could be lower than normal and offer a decent value opportunity.
Captain (1.5x) Selections
Donovan Mitchell, CLE (CPTN $15,600, UTIL $10,400)
Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK (CPTN $16,200, UTIL $10,800)
Jalen Brunson, NYK (CPTN $15,300, UTIL $10,200)
OG Anunoby, NYK (CPTN $11,100, UTIL $7,400)
Unlike previous single-game scenarios, the player pool doesn't have any wide gaps, which presents some pluses and minuses as we proceed with our build. While we will be able to find a workable player at almost every salary level, our ability to reduce our per-player average will be capped to a smaller number of options. Unlike the big spends we saw with the Thunder and Spurs, the top four options are all within $1,000 of each other, with all of them resting below $11,000 at their UTIL salaries. There aren't many recent results between the two teams this season, but I am looking at some trends that encourage me to take certain elites over others. Of the four players I listed above, Mitchell had the best overall results against the Knicks this season, with Brunson not far behind as a top producer against the Cavaliers. Both are great anchor picks, and the remaining slot average is similar, ranging from $6,880 (Mitchell) to $6,940 (Brunson) per player. I've included Anunoby in this list due to his upside potential and reduced salary, and he's worthwhile despite carrying some risk due to his recent injury. His remaining slot average rises to $7,780 per player. As I just mentioned, we are unlikely to encounter a gap after saving money. Previous slates placed us in uncomfortable gaps where significant cash could be left on the table, but that isn't the case here. There are some valuable adds that we can reach with more ease by going with Anunoby.
Let's try for all four players in one build. If we take Mitchell in the multiplier, we're left with only $3,000 per player. Taking Anunoby as Captain isn't much better, as you're left with only $3,750 per player. One fact becomes apparent almost immediately - taking all four of these elites is a difficult task! My first exclusion would probably be Towns. With Mitchell as Captain, accompanied by Brunson and Anunoby, we're left with $5,600 per player. That option leaves room for one or two guys just above that number. Flexibility would be increased further by an Anunoby captaincy.
Utility Options
My utility candidates will be split into two tiers. The first group is necessary if you plan on employing a four-player combo of elites.
Sam Merrill, CLE ($4,000)
Dennis Schroder, CLE ($3,000)
Landry Shamet, NYK ($3,600)
The second tier consists of players whom we can reach if we eliminate one of the elites we began with.
Jarrett Allen, CLE ($7,000)
Mikal Bridges, NYK ($6,800)
Max Strus, CLE ($6,000)
Miles McBride, NYK ($5,000)
The difference in quality between the two groups is obvious. The only player in the first tier whom I am comfortable with is Merrill, and I would probably take him as a budget option in standard builds without the extenuating circumstances. Let's assume his participation, which raises our average to $6,400 (Mitchell) or $7,150 (Anunoby) for the remaining two slots. There are two clear paths to take from here. Adding Allen is doable, but it locks you into McBride as the final add. Going with Bridges allows you to take Strus, who was in the starting lineup for Game 7 and could be back there again. The situation between Mitchell and Brunson as captain is very similar, but we get the opportunity to take Bridges AND Allen if we swap Mitchell/Brunson for Anunoby as Captain and demote them to utility positions. This leaves us with two builds that I am comfortable with. I slightly favor the extra points I would get for Mitchell or Brunson in the multiplier.
Mitchell or Brunson/Mitchell or Brunson/Anunoby/Bridges/Strus/Merrill
Anunoby/Mitchell/Brunson/Allen/Bridges/Merrill
Mobley and Harden
Both players were obvious omissions. You face tough decisions in these Showdown contests, but I used seasonal data to justify leaving them off the roster. Mobley's record against the Knicks was conspicuously mediocre, and while Harden fared a bit better, his bread-and-butter three-point stroke failed him a couple of times against New York. Harden is still a possible swap, as some of his career highlights occurred in Madison Square Garden. Back in 2019, he tied Kobe Bryant's record for most points scored (61) by a visiting opponent, and he replicated the same number later that season. I think the most logical swap is Harden for Anunoby, which would give you a build like this:
Harden/Mitchell/Brunson/Bridges/Merrill/Schroder
Retaining Anunoby as captain and swapping Mitchell for Harden gives you this:
Anunoby/Harden/Brunson/Bridges/Merrill/Allen or Josh Hart ($7,800)
Ultimately, it comes down to your opinion of player preference and game outcome. Ways to mitigate your risk include firing a few different builds if you're torn, and restricting your contest choice to single-entry options if you're only submitting one lineup.
