Rui

Hachimura

Hachimura’s 17 points were the most he’s scored in a game since November 10, when he dropped 21 in a win over the Hornets. While he is playing good minutes, averaging just over 33 per game, playing in a lineup headlined by Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves limits Rui’s fantasy ceiling and floor. He’s ranked just inside the top-200 in eight- and nine-cat formats, which explains why Hachimura is rostered in 19 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

From January 6, 2007, through December 1, 2025, LeBron had scored at least 10 points in 1,297 consecutive games. After being held to 10 points in Monday’s loss to the Suns, the streak came to an end in Toronto. And it wasn’t for a lack of trying, as only Austin Reaves attempted more shots among the Lakers who saw action. However, give James credit for not forcing the issue on the possession, instead finding Rui Hachimura (12/3/0/1 with two three-pointers) in the corner for the game-winning triple as time expired. LeBron will look to snap out of his funk when the Lakers visit the Celtics on Friday.

Obviously, LeBron’s season debut after missing time with sciatica is the most significant change to the Lakers’ lineup. However, it isn’t the only one. Hachimura is also back after missing the November 15 win over the Bucks. Due to the availability of James and Hachimura, Jake LaRavia and Bronny James head to the bench. While LaRavia is guaranteed to be in the rotation, Bronny is not.

Hachimura, who played 35 minutes in Friday’s win over the Pelicans, is dealing with a sore left calf. His absence opens up a spot in the starting lineup, with Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt being potential replacements. Of the two, LaRavia offers the higher fantasy ceiling, even if he remains with the bench unit.

After scoring a season-low eight points in Saturday’s loss to the Hawks, Hachimura rebounded nicely in Charlotte. While the return of Austin Reaves from a groin injury knocked the forward down a peg in the offensive pecking order, Rui benefited from the improved spacing. The result was his third 20-point game of the season, with Hachimura shooting 75 percent from the field and 100 percent from three. Rostered in 27 percent of Yahoo! leagues, he’s providing 10th-round value in nine-cat formats.

With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined for the second leg of the Lakers’ back-to-back, Hachimura was one of the players that stepped up on offense. Hachimura had another efficient scoring night and set a new season-high for points. In fact, he has yet to make less than 50 percent of his shot attempts in a game this season. He won’t see the same volume most nights, but this was an excellent outing for him.

After putting up 23 points in Friday’s win over the Timberwolves, Hachimura followed that up with another solid performance against the Kings. The only issue was that he did not provide much value in the rebound category. However, Hachimura is in a spot where he can produce more offense, as the Lakers will be without Luka Dončić for at least one week. Hachimura is rostered in just 24 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and he’s worth picking up ahead of the Lakers’ four-game Week 2.

Hachimura excelled in one area statistically on Friday: scoring. He shot efficiently and added a couple of three-pointers en route to finishing as one of four players to score in double figures. And although the veteran forward’s final line may not stand out in fantasy basketball leagues, it was beneficial for the Lakers as they cruised down the stretch to a win.

This was the second straight game that Hachimura finished with exactly 23 points and five triples. Unfortunately, it was also a second straight single-digit loss for the Lakers, which brought their season to an end. Hachimura improved his numbers and took on a larger role this season with JJ Redick taking over as the team’s head coach. There will certainly be roster changes for Los Angeles this summer, but if Hachimura is kept around, he’ll be a decent, low-upside option in fantasy next season.

Hachimura and Austin Reaves (17/7/4/1/2 with five three-pointers) combined to shoot 10-of-22 from beyond the arc in Game 4, providing solid shooting alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic. And this was a needed effort for the former, as he totaled 28 points in the first three games of the series. The Game 4 version of Hachimura is who needs to show up for Game 5 on Wednesday, as the Lakers are a loss away from elimination.