Luka

Dončić

Back with the Lakers after missing two games to be present for the birth of his second child, Dončić made up for lost time by recording his second triple-double of the season. Over the past two weeks, only Nikola Jokić has provided greater fantasy value than Dončić, whose season-long production places him third in eight-cat formats. The Lakers return home to host San Antonio in an NBA Cup quarterfinal contest on Wednesday, with the winner advancing to the semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Dončić has rejoined the team after missing two games for personal reasons, while James is back in the lineup after not playing in Friday’s loss to the Celtics. Their returns mean that Gabe Vincent and Jake LaRavia head back to the bench, with the latter offering a higher fantasy ceiling when used in a reserve role.

Dončić missed the first two games of the Lakers’ road trip, as he was in Slovenia to witness the birth of his second child. His return to the team means that Gabe Vincent will head back to the bench, where he offers limited fantasy value at best.

With Luka Dončić (personal) still sidelined, Vincent remained in the starting lineup for one more game. He was much better in this one and ended up scoring in double figures for the first time this season. Lakers coach JJ Redick said before the game that Luka should be back soon, and Sunday’s game against the 76ers is a possibility. If he returns, Vincent will head to playing a reserve role, but even if he gets another start, he can’t be relied on to repeat this performance.

As expected, James will sit out the second leg of this back-to-back for the Lakers. Jake LaRavia, who played 28 minutes off the bench on Thursday, should start in place of LeBron. Austin Reaves should be in for a big night with LeBron and Luka Dončić (personal) both sidelined.

Dončić is still away from the team for personal reasons after missing Thursday’s game against Toronto. Without the 26-year-old point guard, Gabe Vincent should remain in the starting lineup. Austin Reaves will get a nice usage bump without Dončić as well.

The Lakers won’t have Luka Dončić for Thursday’s game, as he is away from the team for personal reasons. Vincent slides into the starting lineup, and while he offers limited streaming value, he’s worth a look for Thursday’s five-game slate. Dončić’s absence will also mean increased usage for LeBron, who struggled to keep his double-digit points streak alive in Monday’s loss to the Suns.

Dončić is away from the Lakers for personal reasons, and Thursday’s game is the first of three that they’ll play on their upcoming road trip. What his absence means for games against Boston and Philadelphia is unknown, but it leaves a massive hole in the Lakers’ lineup. LeBron James and Austin Reaves will see their usage rates increase, which is especially important for the former, given his production in Monday’s loss to the Suns. As for the spot in the starting lineup, Gabe Vincent is the most likely replacement.

Dončić was the only Laker to score north of 20 points on Monday, as he more than doubled the next highest-scoring teammate, Austin Reaves, who finished with 16 points. He also led the Lakers in rebounding and finished the game one turnover shy of double digits. The extreme positives surely outweigh the negatives from a fantasy standpoint, as the superstar guard continues to put up the best statistical season of his young career. He’ll have a chance to log his eighth 30-point game in a row against the Raptors on Thursday.

The Pelicans could not find an answer for Dončić or Austin Reaves, and that has been the case for many teams this season. The tandem combined to score 67 points, more than shouldering the load as the Lakers played without LeBron James. Dončić has scored at least 33 points in six consecutive games, one reason why he has been the top-ranked player in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. The Lakers play four games in Week 7, starting with the Suns on Monday, and they’ve got another back-to-back to navigate later in the week.