A quick look at DraftKings NBA All-Star Showdown game with DraftKings expert Julian Edlow.
DraftKings daily fantasy basketball players may have noticed The Showdown in NBA lobbies ahead of Sunday’s All-Star game. This is a new slate that DraftKings debuted on Friday in conjunction with the Rising Stars challenge. The inaugural showdown was a big success, with thousands of lineups submitted on Friday night.
The Showdown first appeared in the NFL playoffs and allows you to participate in a contest for a single game. A salary cap remains, but there are no positions. The only rule is you must select at least one player from each team. Scoring remains the same.
I talked with Julian Edlow, DraftKings NBA Analyst about The Showdown and any strategies he may have to offer.
“For the All-Star Game, I feel like all the big names are kind of interchangeable, but I love going for value with a guy like Andre Drummond down at $5,400,” said Edlow. “With the pace of play he should see a ton of opportunity on the glass and to get easy buckets around the rim.”
Personally, I prefer going heavy on shooters. You know Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Paul George will be launching from three. And three of those four will throw down a monster dunk or five as well.
The All-Star Showdown feels tougher to pick because there are no real matchups to take advantage of and no one plays defense.
Julian added, “You eliminate role plays and every single player carries such a high ceiling. I’d say the most important aspect is trying to figure out how the minutes will breakdown.”
The second part is key. LaMarcus Aldridge, who is dealing with an injury and whose game isn’t exactly “All-Star friendly,” is unlikely to see many minutes. The same goes for Al Horford.
With your options limited, Showdown makes it harder than ever to pick that perfect lineup against everyone else.
DraftKings All-Star Showdown Example Lineup
UTIL: Russell Westbrook
UTIL: James Harden
UTIL: Paul George
UTIL: Victor Oladipo
UTIL: Kyle Lowry
UTIL: Bradley Beal
Next: NBA Rookie Ladder: All-Star weekend
To keep up with all of FanSided’s DFS NBA coverage head over to the fantasy basketball hub where each day you can find a post like this tailored for DraftKings as well as one specifically designed for usage on FanDuel. In this post, all salary and “fantasy points” references are to DraftKings scoring system and salaries. If you have any additional questions or thoughts or are looking for updates as we approach tipoff, follow @FanSidedFantasy on Twitter or you can follow my account @jeremylambert88.