Jaxson

Hayes

Despite banging knees during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over the Pelicans, Ayton is good to go for Sunday’s matchup with the franchise that selected him first overall in the 2018 draft. As a result, Jaxson Hayes will miss out on an opportunity to start and become a deep-league streaming option.

Ayton, who missed the Lakers’ November 25 win over the Clippers with a right knee injury, may have aggravated the injury during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s victory. He banged knees with Derik Queen, and while Ayton returned to the game after the first timeout called to get him off the floor, he didn’t last long before needing to ask for a sub. With the Suns hosting the Suns on Monday, this could be a spot where Jaxson Hayes (8/6/2/0/2 in 21 minutes) receives the starting nod, with Ayton getting the night off. However, Ayton did not sound concerned about the injury while in the locker room after the win, which may bode well for his availability for Monday night.

Ayton, who injured his knee during a November 23 win over the Jazz, is on track to miss just one game. If he returns on Friday, Jaxson Hayes will head back to the bench, where he offers little in the way of fantasy value. The Lakers have a back-to-back on Sunday and Monday, so there’s a possibility that Ayton sits out one of those games, provided he’s officially cleared to return.

The Lakers are without Deandre Ayton, who suffered a right knee contusion during Sunday’s win over the Jazz. Hayes moves into the starting lineup and will retain that role as long as Ayton is sidelined. That’s the lone change to the Lakers’ starting lineup.

Ayton injured his knee during the first half of Sunday’s win over the Jazz. With the MRI coming back clean, the Lakers hope to have their starting center back by the weekend. Jaxson Hayes will be the starting center until Ayton is cleared to return. While not the most enticing streaming option, Hayes is worth the risk for Tuesday since there are only three games on the schedule.

Injured during the first half of Sunday’s win over the Jazz, Ayton will not play on Tuesday. Jaxson Hayes should enter the starting lineup, with Maxi Kleber sliding into the backup center role. With only three games on Tuesday’s schedule, Hayes is worth the risk in deeper leagues.

Ayton suffered a knee contusion during the first half of Sunday’s game and was not on the floor to begin the third quarter. Just before the start of the fourth, the Lakers announced that he would not return. Jaxson Hayes started the third quarter, with Maxi Kleber entering the rotation when he needed a break. That will likely be the rotation if Ayton can’t play in Tuesday’s game against the Clippers.

Ayton remained at home due to an illness, but he will travel with the team for Sunday’s road game against the Jazz. He’s only missed one game this season, a November 2 win over the Heat, with Jaxson Hayes filling the void in the starting lineup. Hayes played 15 minutes off the bench in Tuesday’s win over the Jazz, and he’ll be a deep-league streamer at best if Ayton doesn’t play in Sunday’s rematch.

As expected, Hayes will be available after initially being listed as probable. He’ll fill out the backup center minutes behind Deandre Ayton once again, which isn’t enough time for Hayes to make an impact.

Hayes tweaked his right ankle during Monday’s win over the Trail Blazers, but the probable tag suggests he’ll be available to play. With starting center Deandre Ayton available, however, Hayes is unlikely to get the minutes needed to impact fantasy basketball.