Draftkings NBA Showdown Picks: Grizzlies vs. Thunder 4/22/25

Later today, the NBA presents Draftkings basketball fans with a Western Conference playoff matchup featuring the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Let’s take a look at this game from a DFS perspective.

Before we dive into the Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder game let’s review the rules for the Draftkings single game showdown contest.

Draftkings Single Game Showdown Contest Rules

You have $50,000 to utilize on five players from either team. However, one of those players will be designated as your team captain. The captain accumulates 1.5 times the standard fantasy points. Additionally, the captain is 1.5 times the standard cost of the flex position.

The remaining four players in your lineup will receive the standard fantasy points. Having stated that, it is highly important for you to identify the correct player for your captain position if you hope to win a large field DFS GPP (guaranteed prize pool) showdown contest.

If you have additional questions regarding the rules for the single game showdown contest, I recommend that you check out the Draftkings website for more details.

*I recommend that all readers review the starting lineups for both teams prior to setting your DFS lineup for this one game slate.

Here are my Draftkings picks for tonight’s Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder matchup.

Draftkings NBA Showdown Picks

Captain-Jalen Williams, Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder $10,200

Talented forward Jalen Williams has been a standout performer for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season. With that said, how has Williams performed from a statistical perspective? Let’s examine Jalen Williams game data from this season to answer that question.

In the 70 games that Williams has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024 NBA season (including playoffs), Williams is averaging 21.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks a game.

Looking closer at the data just presented, in the 70 games that Jalen Williams has played for the Thunder this season, Williams has averaged 40.4 Draftkings points a game.

These two teams met two days ago. Who prevailed? How did Jalen Williams perform in the contest? In the Oklahoma City Thunder’s dominant 131-80 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams tallied 20 points, five rebounds, six assists, three steals and one block in only 26 minutes of play.

What did we learn from the data just presented? Clearly, Jalen Williams can post a high number of DFS points on any given night. I fully expect that trend to continue in tonight’s playoff matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies.

In my view, Jalen Williams is the most likely player to post the most Draftkings points in this NBA playoff game. For that specific reason, I am backing Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams at the captain position for this one game Draftkings NBA Showdown contest.

Flex Plays

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Point Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder $12,400

In addition to forward Jalen Williams, point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played a pivotal role in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s success on the basketball court this season. Let’s examine Gilgeous-Alexander’s relevant player data from the 2024 NBA season to better illustrate his contributions to his team.

In the 77 games that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging a rather impressive 32.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks a game.

Looking closer at the data just presented, in the 77 games that point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season, Gilgeous-Alexander has compiled a 51.9% field goal percentage, a 37.5% three-point percentage and an 89.8% free throw percentage.

Additional flex plays I like to play well in this NBA playoff season game (Draftkings price noted): Ja Morant, Point Guard (Memphis Grizzlies) $9,600: Zach Edey, Center (Memphis Grizzlies) $7,200.