The NBA presents a regular season matchup featuring the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns. Let’s take a look at this game from a Draftkings perspective.
Before we dive into the Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns game let’s review the rules for 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 pots. 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 Phoenix Suns vs. Utah Jazz matchup.
Draftkings NBA Showdown Picks
Captain-Lauri Markkanen, Forward, Utah Jazz $9,400
How important was forward Lauri Markkanen to the Utah Jazz’s success on the offensive side of the basketball last season? Let’s review Markkanen’s statistical data from the 2023 NBA regular season to answer that question.
In the 55 games that Lauri Markkanen played for the Utah Jazz in the 2023 NBA regular season, Markkanen averaged 23.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.5 blocks a game.
Now that we have determined how Markkanen played in 2023, let’s turn our attention to this season. In the six games that Lauri Markkanen has played for the Utah Jazz in the 2024 NBA regular season, Markkanen averaged 16.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 0.8 steals a game.
More recently, in the Memphis Grizzlies 126-124 win over the Utah Jazz last month, Lauri Markkanen played exceptionally well. Markkanen compiled a whopping 35 points, nine rebounds, and two assists in the Grizzlies victory over the Utah Jazz.
Looking closer at the data just presented, in the Grizzlies victory over the Utah Jazz just mentioned, Markkanen accumulated 50.3 Draftkings points a game.
In summary, I think Lauri Markkanen is the most likely player to post the most Draftkings points in this evening’s NBA regular season game. For that specific reason, I am backing Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen at the captain position for this one game Draftkings NBA Showdown contest.
Flex Plays
Devin Booker, Guard, Phoenix Suns $10,800
Talented Suns guard Devin Booker has been the leader in the backcourt that the Phoenix Suns have needed to win games this season. Let’s take a look at Booker’s recent game data to better shed light on my previous statement.
In the ten games that Devin Booker has played for the Phoenix Suns in the 2024 NBA regular season, Booker has averaged 23.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.1 steals a game.
It should be noted that Suns forward Kevin Durant has been officially ruled out of tonight’s game due to injury. In my opinion, the absence of Durant in the Suns lineup should open up more offensive opportunities for Devin Booker.
Additional flex plays I like to play well in this evening’s NBA game (Draftkings price noted): Bradley Beal, Guard (Phoenix Suns) $9,000: Keyonte George, Point Guard (Utah Jazz) $8,400: Collin Sexton, Shooting Guard (Utah Jazz) $7,400.