The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a bit of a pickle as they prepare to face against the Washington Wizards. Star Center Anthony Davis left early in a game against Philadelphia due to injury, and he may not be back on the court soon. This will have a huge effect on this game since LA loses one of their best defenders, and the Wizards might have better luck driving to the hole without having to worry about Davis being there.
Lakers at Wizards Start Em’
Jordan Poole (Draft Kings Price 6.9K, FanDuel Price 7.6K)
If there is anyone worth starting on this Wizards roster, it’s Jordan Poole. He is leading the team with 20 points per game. Poole does have a possibility of laying a goose egg, like the three points he scored against Toronto. It’s more than likely he has a bounce-back game against LA, though, so he can erase his performance against Toronto from everybody’s minds.
Austin Reaves (Draft Kings Price 8.5K, FanDuel Price 7.8K)
Reaves has continuously gotten more and more responsibility on this team, and he has proven worthy of it too. Without Davis, LA will probably mix in having Reaves shoot the ball with LeBron working down low in the paint. This makes a good opportunity for Reaves to take more shots, and more shots likely means more points where he is concerned.
Jonas Valanciunas (Draft Kings Price 5.7K, FanDuel Price 5.9K)
Jonas Valanciunas can be a decent start in this game since Anthony Davis would have been his primary defender. Alexander Sarr also appears to be injured still, making Valanciunas the starter. With Davis out, Valanciunas will have a bigger opportunity to shine. His biggest concern would be LeBron coming over to help on defense, but that likely won’t happen unless Valanciunas goes on a tear. He will probably get some extra looks without Davis there to lock him down.
Lakers at Wizards Sit Em’
Kyle Kuzma (Draft Kings Price 6.4K, FanDuel Price 6.5K)
Kuzma is going to have a tough time in this game, solely because his primary defender will be LeBron, one of the few forwards in the game who doesn’t mind going out into the perimeter if Kuzma tries to shoot from range. The only good opportunities Kuzma will have to score would be when the Lakers switch off him during pick and roll or in transition. Otherwise, Kuzma will be locked down.
Max Christie (Draft Kings Price 4.6K, FanDuel Price 4.2K)
Given his recent performance, Christie hasn’t impressed. His highest score in the past 5 games has been 11 points. LA likes to shoot after LeBron takes the ball and works inside, but usually, he will try to kick it out to Reaves who is shooting the ball better at the moment. Christie won’t be a big target for the Washington defense.
Jaxson Hayes (Draft Kings Price 4.5K, FanDuel Price 4.5K)
Granted, it’s tough for any player to fill in the gap left by Anthony Davis getting hurt. The issue for Hayes is that he is used to under 20 min of game time each night. Now, if he has to play 30 minutes or more, he might tire out as the game goes into the later half. He also only averages 5 points a game, so Alexander Sarr shouldn’t be too worried about guarding him.
Lakers at Wizards Lock
LeBron James (Draft Kings Price 10.5K, FanDuel Price 10.1K)
Most people don’t need to hear a reason why they should play one of the best players ever. Watching the Lakers play, though, it’s clear that LeBron is the heart and soul of that offense. If his teammates aren’t clicking, LeBron can just take the ball into the post and score on his own. He still is unstoppable if he gets into a rhythm, so age has not caught up to him yet.
Lakers at Wizards Fade
Bronny James (Draft Kings Price 3K, FanDuel Price 3.5K)
Hey, Bronny has shown some improvements since entering the league. He will continue to be a project for LA to work out, he just isn’t recommended for DFS at the moment. It shouldn’t be too surprising if he ends up getting more minutes after improving his shooting, but for now, his minutes will be on the shorter side. He had 15 min. against Philadelphia and he didn’t even score.
