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Austin Reaves Austin Reaves tallies 19 points, five assists
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 7:17 PM
Austin Reaves finished Friday's win over the Pacers with 19 points (6-of-14 FGs, 6-of-7 FTs), two rebounds, five assists and one three-pointer.
Analysis: The combination of the Lakers winning by a comfortable margin and foul trouble limited Reaves to 29 minutes on Friday. In fact, he fouled out for the second time in his career and the first since January 13, 2024. Reaves did provide decent value in points and assists, and fantasy managers were likely hoping for more on a night when the Lakers were without LeBron James (elbow, foot). |
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Jaxson Hayes Jaxson Hayes posts nine points, four rebounds
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 7:15 PM
Jaxson Hayes tallied nine points (3-of-6 FGs, 3-of-3 FTs), four rebounds, two assists and one steal in Friday's win over the Pacers.
Analysis: With Deandre Ayton (knee) sidelined, Hayes was moved into the starting lineup for Friday's game. Fantasy managers hoping for a standout performance from the 7-foot backup were left somewhat disappointed, as Hayes did not offer much beyond the points and rebounds. If Ayton can't play in Sunday's game against the Knicks, Hayes will remain in the starting lineup, but his fantasy upside is limited. |
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Rui Hachimura Rui Hachimura scores 13 points in spot start
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 7:02 PM
Rui Hachimura amassed 13 points (5-of-8 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), three rebounds, one assist and two three-pointers in Friday's win over the Pacers.
Analysis: With LeBron James (elbow, foot) unavailable, Hachimura made his 32nd start of the season and first since February 12. While he did shoot the ball reasonably well in his 23 minutes, the 6-foot-8 forward did not offer much value outside of points and three-pointers. Jake LaRavia played 16 minutes off the bench, finishing with eight points (3-of-7 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs) and two rebounds. |
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Luka Doncic Luka Don?i? torches Pacers, scores 44 points
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 6:56 PM
Luka Don?i? accounted for 44 points (14-of-25 FGs, 9-of-10 FTs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, two blocks and seven three-pointers in Friday's win over the Pacers.
Analysis: With no LeBron James and Austin Reaves in foul trouble, Don?i? shouldered even more of the workload on Friday. He came out hot, scoring 22 points in the first quarter. Don?i? put up another 15 in the third and did not have to play at all in the fourth quarter. Given how much the Lakers rely on their star point guard, any opportunities to get additional rest are welcome. Also of note, Don?i? did not pick up a technical foul, as he's one away from a mandatory one-game suspension. The Lakers host the Knicks on Sunday in their final game of Week 19. |
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Rui Hachimura LAL starts Don?i?, Reaves, Smart, Hachimura, Hayes
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 4:06 PM
NBA Lineups
Luka Don?i?, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes will start Friday's game against the Pacers.
Analysis: The Lakers won't have LeBron James (elbow, foot) or Deandre Ayton (knee) for Friday's game. Hachimura and Hayes move into the starting lineup, and both players are worth streaming in deeper fantasy leagues due to the Lakers' lack of frontcourt depth. |
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Maxi Kleber Maxi Kleber (back) to remain out vs. Indiana
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 10:07 AM
NBA Injury Report
Maxi Kleber (back) is out for Friday's game against the Pacers.
Analysis: Kleber will miss a second straight game due to a lumbar sprain. With Deandre Ayton (knee) also out, Jarred Vanderbilt will likely slot in as the backup center. He is not worth the streaming risk in most leagues. |
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Deandre Ayton Deandre Ayton (knee) out Friday vs. Pacers
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 10:06 AM
Deandre Ayton (knee) is out for Friday's game against the Pacers.
Analysis: Ayton left Thursday's game in the first half after playing five minutes and didn't return due to a knee injury. He'll miss Friday's matchup against the Pacers with the same injury. With Ayton sidelined, Jaxson Hayes should start and handle the center minutes with Maxi Kleber (back) also ruled out. |
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LeBron James LeBron James (elbow, foot) ruled out vs. Indiana
Fri, Mar 6, 2026, 10:05 AM
NBA Injury Report
LeBron James (elbow, foot) is out for Friday's game against the Pacers.
Analysis: Already dealing with left foot arthritis, James fell hard on his left elbow during Thursday's loss to the Nuggets. He'll sit out Friday's game, likely resulting in Jake LaRavia moving into the starting five. If so, that raises LaRavia's short-term fantasy ceiling. |
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Jaxson Hayes Jaxson Hayes scores season-high 19 points
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 6:43 PM
Jaxson Hayes started the second half on Thursday 19 points (8-of-10 FGs), five rebounds and two assists against the Nuggets.
Analysis: Deandre Ayton played just five minutes in the first half of this game before exiting with a knee injury, though the Lakers declined to specify which knee was bothering him. Ayton missed two games just before the All-Star break due to right knee soreness, but it's unclear at this time if that injury popped back or if this is entirely separate. Hayes started the second half in his place and was able to chip in some points, though he didn't contribute much else. He set a new season high for scoring, and he could have some streaming appeal this weekend if Ayton misses time. |
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LeBron James LeBron makes more history, becomes FGM leader
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 6:41 PM
LeBron James posted a full line on Thursday with 16 points (7-of-11 FGs), five rebounds, eight assists, three steals and one block against the Nuggets.
Analysis: LeBron made more history in this game by surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most career field goals made. Unfortunately, he didn't do much scoring in the loss. It was a well-rounded, efficient night for LeBron, but the focus should be on him reaching Kareem's 15,837 made shots. This was his fourth straight game shooting at least 50 percent from the floor, and he'll look to stay hot against the Pacers on Friday. |
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Luka Doncic Don?i? picks up 15th tech, posts 27/11/7/4 line
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 6:36 PM
Luka Don?i? led the Lakers on Thursday with 27 points (11-of-24 FGs), 11 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three three-pointers in a 120-113 loss to the Nuggets.
Analysis: Though Don?i? continues to fill up the counting stats, he's having an issue that doesn't show up in the box score in a way that directly alters fantasy matchups. He was whistled for his 15th technical foul of the season after being whistled for his 14th on Tuesday. Now, he sits just one technical away from serving a one-game suspension. The Lakers have two more games this week and have a three-game week after that, which would make the timing difficult for managers that are relying on him in the fantasy playoffs. Hopefully being that close to a suspension will help him stay calmer during games since both the Lakers and fantasy managers need him out on the floor as much as possible. |
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Deandre Ayton Deandre Ayton (knee) will not return vs. Denver
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 5:40 PM
Dan Woike
Deandre Ayton (knee) will not return to Thursday's game against the Nuggets.
Analysis: Ayton played just five minutes in the first half before exiting with this knee injury. Jaxson Hayes started the second half in his place, though the Lakers may end up having to utilize smaller lineups with Maxi Kleber (back) unavailable. |
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Maxi Kleber Maxi Kleber (back) downgraded to out vs. Denver
Thu, Mar 5, 2026, 2:07 PM
NBA Injury Report
Maxi Kleber (back) is out for Thursday's game against the Nuggets.
Analysis: Initially questionable for Thursday's game, Kleber will not be available. Since Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes are healthy, his absence will not affect fantasy basketball or the Lakers' rotation. |
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Maxi Kleber Maxi Kleber (back) questionable vs. Denver
Wed, Mar 4, 2026, 2:12 PM
NBA Injury Report
Maxi Kleber (back) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Nuggets.
Analysis: Kleber was also questionable ahead of Tuesday's win over the Pelicans before being cleared, but he picked up a DNP-CD. Even if he's available for the matchup with Denver, there's no reason to consider rostering the veteran forward/center. |
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Luka Doncic Don?i? pours in 27/10/7 line vs. New Orleans
Tue, Mar 3, 2026, 7:13 PM
Luka Don?i? led the Lakers with 27 points (10-of-22 FGs), 10 rebounds, seven assists, one block, three three-pointers and seven turnovers in a 110-101 win over the Pelicans on Tuesday.
Analysis: Don?i? was whistled for his 14th technical foul in this game, which puts him just two away from facing a one-game suspension. He had been doing a good job of keeping the turnovers in check since the All-Star break, but that went out the window in this one. After turning it over a total of 12 times over his last six games, he had his most turnovers in a game since January. He'll look to get back on track in that area in Denver on Thursday to help the Lakers push this winning streak to four games. |
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Marcus Smart Marcus Smart puts up 10/3/7/4/3 line vs. Pelicans
Tue, Mar 3, 2026, 7:10 PM
Marcus Smart poured in 10 points (3-of-9 FGs), three rebounds, seven assists, four steals, three blocks and two three-pointers on Tuesday against the Pelicans.
Analysis: Smart has been solid all season, but this may have been one of his best performances. He made big contributions on both ends to help the Lakers finish the game on a 24-8 run. He now has nine steals over his last two games, and he set a new season high for blocks in this game. Of course, he also has nine triples over his last four games, making him an excellent fit as a three-and-D guard in this starting unit. Smart likely won't continue racking up the defensive stats at this rate, but he'll remain an excellent option for the Lakers. |
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Austin Reaves Austin Reaves turns in 15/8/3/2/2 line vs. Pels
Tue, Mar 3, 2026, 7:05 PM
Austin Reaves struggled on Tuesday and contributed 15 points (4-of-15 FGs), eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks, two three-pointers and five turnovers against the Pelicans.
Analysis: He was able to get some offense going in the second half, but it was still a rough outing for him. He missed all six of his shots in the first half and entered the break with just two points. However, he was able to make up for it by making an impact in other ways. This was his sixth straight game with fewer than 20 points, which is quite different from how he started the season. His efficiency and volume have both dropped, but he has still been effective. |
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Maxi Kleber Maxi Kleber (back) upgraded to available vs. NOR
Tue, Mar 3, 2026, 3:58 PM
Law Murray
Maxi Kleber (back) is available for Tuesday's game against the Pelicans.
Analysis: Kleber is good to go after initially being questionable. His playing time has increased recently, but not to the point where he affects fantasy basketball. Kleber can be left on the waiver wire. |
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Maxi Kleber Maxi Kleber (back) questionable vs. New Orleans
Tue, Mar 3, 2026, 10:10 AM
Law Murray
Maxi Kleber (back) is questionable to play against the Pelicans on Tuesday.
Analysis: Kleber wasn't on the initial injury report, but he may end up sitting out against New Orleans. Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes would likely take on a few extra minutes each if Kleber is sidelined, though there is a chance that there are some Drew Timme minutes sprinkled in as well. |
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Luke Kennard Luke Kennard hits three triples, scores 11 points
Sun, Mar 1, 2026, 6:00 PM
Luke Kennard accounted for 11 points (4-of-10 FGs), one rebound, five assists, one steal, one block and three three-pointers in Sunday's win over the Kings.
Analysis: In his first eight games as a Laker, Kennard averaged 0.9 three-pointers while making seven of his 17 attempts. He was far more active in the team's blowout wins over the Warriors and Kings to end Week 18, shooting 7-of-12 from beyond the arc. And Kennard isn't solely a shooter, as evidenced by the five assists he recorded against the Kings. While his recent production won't change much regarding his fantasy value, a more active Kennard off the bench is essential if the Lakers are to be a factor in the postseason. |
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