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Rui Hachimura Rui Hachimura (calf) to miss upcoming road trip
Sun, Jan 4, 2026, 2:09 PM
Dave McMenamin
Rui Hachimura (calf) will not travel with the Lakers on their upcoming road trip to New Orleans and San Antonio.
Analysis: Counting Sunday's game against the Grizzlies, Hachimura has missed the last three games with a calf injury. And, based on Lakers head coach JJ Redick's words on Sunday, the forward will miss at least two more games. The Lakers have a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back on the road against the Pelicans and Spurs, and Hachimura will not travel. There's a chance that he gets in some practice time with the Lakers' G League affiliate while the team is away, but that isn't guaranteed. Jake LaRavia will continue to start until Hachimura is healthy enough to play. |
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Jake LaRavia Jake LaRavia posts 21/9/3/2/1 line vs. Memphis
Fri, Jan 2, 2026, 7:11 PM
Jake LaRavia amassed 21 points (8-of-12 FGs, 2-of-3 FTs), nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block and three three-pointers in Friday's win over the Grizzlies.
Analysis: Due to Rui Hachimura's recent injuries, LaRavia has started four of the Lakers' last six games. Nights like Friday are why he's on the streaming radar in deeper leagues, and maybe a few standard leagues as well. The 21 points were the most he's scored in a game since November 2, and LaRavia has been a top-75 player in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. Rostered in nine percent of Yahoo! leagues, he's worth picking up ahead of Sunday's rematch. |
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LeBron James LeBron James drops 31 points, nine rebounds
Fri, Jan 2, 2026, 7:11 PM
LeBron James accounted for 31 points (12-of-18 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), nine rebounds, six assists and one three-pointer in Friday's win over the Grizzlies.
Analysis: James recorded his second 30-point game of the season on Friday, and fantasy managers will also find the rebounds and assists useful. Over the past two weeks, the 41-year-old has offered fifth-round per-game value in eight-cat formats, pushing his season-long value into the top-100. With Austin Reaves (calf) out for a few more weeks, the Lakers will have to rely even more on LeBron and Luka Don?i? as they look to stay among the top teams in the Western Conference. |
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Luka Doncic Luka Don?i? drops game-high 34 points vs. Memphis
Fri, Jan 2, 2026, 7:10 PM
Luka Don?i? finished Friday's win over the Grizzlies with 34 points (8-of-18 FGs, 17-of-20 FTs), six rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one three-pointer.
Analysis: Don?i? matched his season-high with 20 free-throw attempts, which boosted his overall points tally. He's now scored at least 30 points in 18 of the 25 games he's played, one reason why the Lakers' guard has offered top-10 per-game value in eight-cat formats this season. Don?i? and the Lakers will look to end Week 11 with another win over the Grizzlies on Sunday. |
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Jarred Vanderbilt Jarred Vanderbilt (leg) available Friday vs. MEM
Fri, Jan 2, 2026, 2:31 PM
Law Murray
Jarred Vanderbilt (leg) is available for Friday's game against the Grizzlies.
Analysis: While Vanderbilt is still dealing with a sore right leg, he is healthy enough to play. His availability is more critical to the Lakers than to fantasy managers due to his defensive ability. |
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Jarred Vanderbilt Jarred Vanderbilt (leg) probable vs. Memphis
Fri, Jan 2, 2026, 9:05 AM
NBA Injury Report
Jarred Vanderbilt (leg) is probable to play against the Grizzlies on Friday.
Analysis: Vanderbilt is now expected to play after initially being listed as questionable. He'll occupy his typical role off the bench, where he'll play a decent amount but won't be much of a factor for fantasy managers. |
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Jarred Vanderbilt Jarred Vanderbilt (leg) questionable Friday
Thu, Jan 1, 2026, 1:53 PM
NBA Injury Report
Jarred Vanderbilt (leg) is questionable for Friday's game against the Grizzlies.
Analysis: Vanderbilt is dealing with a sore right leg, hence his appearance on the Lakers' injury report. His availability does not affect fantasy basketball, but the Lakers would be without one of their better defenders if he can't play on Friday. |
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Jake LaRavia Jake LaRavia records four steals vs. Detroit
Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 7:19 PM
Jake LaRavia amassed nine points (3-of-9 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), four rebounds, one assist, four steals, one block and one three-pointer in Tuesday's loss to the Pistons.
Analysis: With Rui Hachimura sidelined by a calf injury, LaRavia made his tenth start of the season on Tuesday. He didn't have a great night shooting the basketball, but the Lakers forward did record four steals and one blocked shot in 38 minutes on the floor. Those stats are encouraging for fantasy managers, especially since Hachimura is expected to miss multiple games. LaRavia is rostered in 10 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so he won't be too hard to find on the waiver wire. |
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LeBron James LeBron James struggles on 41st birthday, scores 17
Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 7:19 PM
LeBron James finished Tuesday's loss to the Pistons with 17 points (6-of-17 FGs, 2-of-5 FTs), four rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block and three three-pointers.
Analysis: LeBron's 41st birthday was not a joyous occasion for the Lakers' star, as the Pistons took control in the third quarter and won with relative ease. Simply put, Detroit did on Tuesday night what âFather Timeâ has failed to do to the future Hall of Fame forward. In addition to the poor shooting, James was responsible for five turnovers, with only Luka Don?i? committing more (eight). He and the Lakers will look to bounce back when they host the Grizzlies on Friday and Sunday. |
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Luka Doncic Luka Don?i? drops 30 points, 11 assists vs. DET
Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 7:19 PM
Luka Don?i? produced 30 points (9-of-22 FGs, 9-of-13 FTs), five rebounds, 11 assists and three three-pointers in Tuesday's loss to the Pistons.
Analysis: While fantasy managers will likely be pleased with Don?i? recording another 30-point double-double, that did not tell the whole story of his night. There were a few defensive lapses, and the Lakers' point guard compounded those errors by committing eight turnovers. With Austin Reaves (calf) out for at least four weeks, Don?i? and the Lakers have an extremely slim margin for error. They were able to hang around until the second half of the third quarter, with the Pistons' takeover leading to Don?i? and the other starters watching the final four minutes from the bench. The Lakers end Week 11 with games against the Grizzlies on Friday and Sunday. |
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Jake LaRavia Jake LaRavia starting in place of Rui Hachimura
Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 4:10 PM
Los Angeles Lakers
Luka Doncic, Marcus Smart, LeBron James, Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton will start against the Pistons on Tuesday.
Analysis: With Rui Hachimura (calf) set to miss multiple games, LaRavia will replace him in the starting lineup. Lakers coach JJ Redick said Hachimura should be back at some point next week, so LaRavia should remain in the starting lineup for their games against the Grizzlies on Friday and Sunday at least. |
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Rui Hachimura Rui Hachimura (calf) to miss âabout' one week
Tue, Dec 30, 2025, 2:56 PM
Law Murray
Lakers head coach JJ Redick said on Tuesday that Rui Hachimura (calf) will be out for âaboutâ one week.
Analysis: Due to a sore right calf, Hachimura did not practice on Monday and was ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Pistons. Unfortunately, that won't be the only game he misses, as the forward is expected to miss about one week, according to his head coach. Jake LaRavia has been Hachimura's replacement in the starting lineup in the past, and that may be the case for this most recent injury as well. |
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Jaxson Hayes Jaxson Hayes (ankle) absent from injury report
Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 2:14 PM
NBA Injury Report
Jaxson Hayes has been removed from the injury report for Tuesday's game against the Pistons.
Analysis: Hayes has missed the Lakers' last two games with a sore left ankle. He participated in Monday's practice and has been cleared to play against the Pistons. Hayes will assume his usual duties as Deandre Ayton's backup, which is not a good place to find fantasy value. |
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Rui Hachimura Rui Hachimura (calf) out Tuesday vs. Detroit
Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 2:11 PM
NBA Injury Report
Rui Hachimura (calf) is out for Tuesday's game against the Pistons.
Analysis: Due to a sore right calf, Hachimura did not participate in Monday's practice. His absence will open up a spot in the Lakers' starting lineup, with Jake LaRavia being the most likely replacement. With only four games on the schedule, LaRavia will be worth streaming in deep leagues. |
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Jaxson Hayes Jaxson Hayes (ankle) active in Monday practice
Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 10:10 AM
Daniel Starkand
According to Lakers head coach JJ Redick, Jaxson Hayes (ankle) participated in Monday's practice.
Analysis: Hayes has missed the Lakers' last two games with a sore left ankle. His return to practice on Monday makes it possible that he'll be able to play in Tuesday's game against the Pistons. While Hayes' status does not affect fantasy basketball, his return would give the Lakers another post player to counter Detroit's Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. |
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Rui Hachimura Rui Hachimura (groin) sits out Monday practice
Mon, Dec 29, 2025, 10:06 AM
Daniel Starkand
Rui Hachimura (groin) did not participate in Monday's practice.
Analysis: Before Thursday's loss to the Rockets, Hachimura missed two games with a groin injury. Lakers head coach JJ Redick said that the forward is âbanged upâ but did not specify what injuries he may be dealing with. Hachimura should be considered questionable for Tuesday's game against the Pistons, with Jake LaRavia being the likely replacement if he can't play. |
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Nick Smith Nick Smith Jr. chips in with 21 points vs. SAC
Sun, Dec 28, 2025, 6:10 PM
Nick Smith Jr. finished Sunday's win over the Kings with 21 points (8-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist and five three-pointers.
Analysis: Lakers head coach JJ Redick said before Sunday's game that Smith's role would expand as the team moved forward without Austin Reaves, who is sidelined with a calf injury. The two-way contract guard playing 24 minutes was unsurprising, but the output certainly was. Smith notched his second 20-point game as a Laker, finishing four points shy of his season-high. Fantasy managers shouldn't hop onto the Smith bandwagon yet, but they should watch him in Tuesday's game against the Pistons. |
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LeBron James LeBron James scores 24 points vs. Sacramento
Sun, Dec 28, 2025, 6:09 PM
LeBron James amassed 24 points (11-of-13 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), three rebounds, five assists, two steals and one three-pointer in Sunday's win over the Kings.
Analysis: As was the case in Thursday's loss to the Rockets, James only attempted 13 shots on Sunday despite Austin Reaves (calf) being unavailable. The difference was that he made 11 against the Kings, and the final stat line only lacked a blocked shot. How much James can help the Lakers defensively at this stage in his career is up for debate, but the team will accept scoring efficiency on par with Sunday's performance as well. Over the past two weeks, James has provided top-40 per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats. |
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Luka Doncic Luka Don?i? drops game-high 34 points vs. SAC
Sun, Dec 28, 2025, 6:08 PM
Luka Don?i? tallied 34 points (11-of-23 FGs, 7-of-8 FTs), five rebounds, seven assists, three steals, one block and five three-pointers in Sunday's win over the Kings.
Analysis: A good tonic for a team struggling defensively is an opponent playing its second game in as many nights. Don?i? and the Lakers rebounded from a poor performance on Christmas Day by soundly defeating the Clippers, and he surpassed 30 points for the first time since returning from a left leg contusion. While no one will describe him as a lockdown defender, Don?i? recorded three steals on Sunday. He and the Lakers play three games in Week 11, starting with the Pistons on Tuesday. |
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Jaxson Hayes Jaxson Hayes (ankle) ruled out vs. Sacramento
Sun, Dec 28, 2025, 7:49 AM
NBA Injury Report
Jaxson Hayes (ankle) has been ruled out against the Kings on Sunday.
Analysis: This will officially be a second straight absence for Hayes after he was initially listed as doubtful. Jarred Vanderbilt should fill out the backup center minutes behind Deandre Ayton, though that won't make him worth streaming. |
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