Los Angeles Lakers @ Los Angeles Clippers

Spread: LAC -3.5

Total: 219.5

 

Injuries

Lakers

Clippers

MVP/CPT

Anthony Davis, LAL

We’re unsure at this point if LeBron James is going to play, but what we do know is if he doesn’t – Davis has monster numbers. Without LBJ, Davis has a 29.9% USG rate and averages 1.39 FP/min. Davis put up 30 points and 15 rebounds last night and went for 57.75 DKP. He has two double-doubles over his last three games and has 44+ DKP. He has a nice floor and a high ceiling to go with it.
 

Russell Westbrook, LAL

Westbrook wasn’t great from the floor on Wednesday, but he sure was good everywhere else. He notched a double-double and was just one point away from a triple-double. Westbrook, like Davis, has big numbers without LeBron James on the floor. Westbrook actually leads the team in usage rate at 30.9% and is second in FP/min with 1.32.
 

Reggie Jackson, LAC

Maybe Jackson needed Marcus Morris to return to the floor to help create some space for him because Jackson’s played his best with Morris back the last two games. He’s scoring at a high clip, notching 19 and 21 points and 34 and 33 DKP in each game, one being a blowout in which he was only asked to play 27 minutes. Over the last two weeks, the Lakers rank 21st in DRtg, so great spot for the Clippers.
 

UTIL

Amir Coffey, LAC

There is a very high floor/low ceiling combination with Coffey here, just look at the last five games as an example. He had 45 DKP his last time out, less than 20 the team games prior, and then back over 37 four and five games ago. Over the last month, Coffey has had a very respectable 18.6% USG rate and .85 FP/min average.
 

Malik Monk, LAL

Without LeBron James on the floor over the last month, Monk has been a superstar in the fantasy space. He’s notched a 23.5% USG and averaged 1.06 FP/min. He had a BAD game on Wednesday, but sometimes that’s what you need to depress some ownership. That’s what you need to get someone at lower ownership than you should. Monk is an elite play as long as LeBron James is out.
 

Carmelo Anthony, LAL

Every so often, Anthony shows us he’s still got plenty left in the tank and he had one of those games on Wednesday – scoring 24 points off the bench and popped for 43 DKP. He’s done that twice in three games and the team could once again be without LeBron James, which only benefits him. Over the last month he has a 22.3% USG and averages 1.13 FP/min over the last month.
 

Nicolas Batum, LAC

The more I think about this, the more I lean Batum’s way. I know Morris’ minutes are on the rise and he’s re-entered the starting lineup while Batum has been moved to the bench, but what’s the difference in production right now? No difference AND Morris is significantly more expensive. Going from Morris to Batum could be risky, but it could also grant you the ability to afford both Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook and not have to shoot out a complete punt.
 

Serge Ibaka, LAC*

*If Ivica Zubac sits, I’m interested. That’s what the star is there for. This is a contingency play. Ibaka started the other day and looked awfully good, notching a double-double in just 22 minutes. He can stretch the floor, bang down low and grab a bunch of rebounds as well, but his shelf life (time on the floor) is seemingly capped in the low to mid 20s.
 

Isaiah Hartenstein, LAC*

*If Ivica Zubac sits, I’m interested. Same goes for Hartenstein, who surprisingly only played 14 minutes last game with Zubac out. That said, he had topped 16 in four straight before that game and played 19+ in three of four. The need for a big like Hartenstein wasn’t so apparent against the Pacers, but against Anthony Davis they could use him here.
 

Avery Bradley, LAL

He makes it here because he’s $1,000. The stone cold minimum. He’s still playing 20+ minutes a night and when the shot is falling and he is stretching the floor for LAL, he can approach 30 like he did on Wednesday. He scored 11 actual and 26.5 DKP and if he puts that up at 1K, he’s likely going to be in every winning showdown build out there.