Dennis

Schröder

The Kings starters weren’t getting the job done in this game, and head coach Doug Christie quickly turned to the reserves. That allowed Schröder to have his first 20-point game in over a month. Schröder has been a solid reserve for the Kings this year, but that hasn’t been enough for him to be worth rostering in most fantasy formats. Still, he’s more than capable of producing, as he reminded us in this game.

According to the NBA, Schröder confronted and attempted to strike another player 40 minutes after the Kings’ 125-101 loss to the Lakers in a Crypto.com Arena hallway. ESPN has reported that the player was Lakers guard Luka Dončić. His suspension will begin with Sunday’s game against the Rockets, and Schröder will be eligible to return on January 16 against the Wizards.

Murray sprained his left ankle on a third-quarter drive to the basket, landing awkwardly after colliding with Milwaukee’s Myles Turner. He was immediately taken back to the locker room and has since been ruled out. Dennis Schröder has picked up additional minutes in Murray’s absence, helping spark Sacramento’s rally to begin the fourth quarter.

After a nine-game absence, LaVine has been cleared to return to action Sunday night. His return will likely bump Precious Achiuwa to the bench, with Dennis Schröder also taking a hit to his fantasy value, despite his role not changing.

LaVine hasn’t played since Dec. 14, and he won’t make his return against Phoenix. Precious Achiuwa should continue to start, though he hasn’t been consistently productive for fantasy managers. Dennis Schroder has been playing well off the bench with LaVine sidelined and is the better fantasy option.

Schröder shot well both inside and outside the arc to finish as one of Sacramento’s top scorers on the evening. And in addition to his scoring, he tallied a team-high in assists in his 28 minutes of game action. Schröder has now scored in double figures in seven straight games and continues to produce regardless of whether he’s starting games or not. He’ll have a chance to find more production against the Suns on Friday.

Precious Achiuwa has been starting in place of LaVine, but he hasn’t seen the minutes that starters typically do. Dennis Schroder and Nique Clifford have seen extra minutes off the bench, and Schroder has been particularly productive, which should continue for at least one more week.

Since returning from an ankle injury, Schröder has scored at least 17 points in three of his four appearances. He’s still coming off the bench, but Kings head coach Doug Christie has not hesitated to play Schröder and Russell Westbrook together. While he still hasn’t reached the point where he should be rostered in standard leagues, Schröder remains a player worth holding onto in deeper formats.

Schröder continues to come off the bench, but he’s scored at least 17 points in two of the three games he’s played since returning from a hip injury. Since being moved to the bench on November 14, he’s recorded four 20-point games in eight appearances. While the demotion has lowered Schröder’s fantasy ceiling considerably, he’s still worth holding onto in some deep leagues. The Kings play three games in Week 10, starting with the Pistons on Tuesday.

Schröder is good to go after initially being questionable for Thursday’s game. He’ll slot in as Russell Westbrook’s backup, with there likely being times when they’re on the court together. However, fantasy managers in most leagues can afford to leave Schröder on the waiver wire.