Jaxson

Hayes

Hayes started Thursday’s game for the injured Anthony Davis, and fantasy managers hoping he would play starters’ minutes were left disappointed. The Lakers went small for portions of the game, with Dorian Finney-Smith (3/4/2/1 with one 3-pointer in 24 minutes) and Rui Hachimura (6/4/3 in 23 minutes) seeing time at center. Backup Christian Koloko (8/8/3/1/1 in 19 minutes) was also in the rotation, which limited Hayes’ upside significantly. There’s no need to add Hayes, even if Davis cannot play in Friday’s game against the Hawks.

Davis will not play on Thursday due to a sprained left ankle. Hayes moves into the starting lineup and is worth streaming in this spot. Austin Reaves, Max Christie, Rui Hachimura, and LeBron James will complete the quintet. Christian Koloko will re-enter the rotation, but he is not worth the streaming risk in most leagues.

AD was downgraded to doubtful earlier in the day, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that he has now officially been ruled out. Jaxson Hayes should step into the starting center role, with Christian Koloko filling out the backup minutes.

With Davis and Vincent likely sidelined for Thursday’s tilt with the Trail Blazers, more minutes should be available for the likes of Max Christie, Shake Milton, Dalton Knecht, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes. Knecht is the best streaming option of the bunch.

Davis was also questionable for Tuesday’s loss to the Cavaliers, but he started and played 37 minutes. Expect a similar situation on Thursday, with Jaxson Hayes as his backup. If Davis cannot play, Christian Koloko could re-enter the rotation.

Hayes will be available for the first time since November 26, giving JJ Redick another option in the frontcourt. Christian Koloko has filled in as Anthony Davis’ backup, but the production was not enough to impact fantasy basketball. This will also be true for Hayes as long as AD stays healthy.

Davis is once again listed as questionable, but he hasn’t missed a game in nearly two months. That probably won’t change for this game, but if it does, Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko would be the team’s options at center.

Hayes will remain sidelined on Saturday, but a return to game action is on the horizon. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Lakers backup has progressed to 5-on-5 action with contact in practice. Christian Koloko is the player most likely to lose minutes once Hayes returns, which could be as soon as Tuesday night against the Cavaliers.

Hayes has been sidelined for about a month, and he has only played once since November 10th. If he is able to make his return in this game, he should replace Christian Koloko as the backup center. However, as long as Anthony Davis is healthy, Hayes won’t play enough to impact fantasy basketball.

Wood is set to start doing live work with coaches soon, while Hayes is working on strengthening his ankle and will have a clearer update next week. While this is certainly progress, there still isn’t a firm timeline for either player. Christian Koloko will continue to be the backup center until Wood or Hayes returns.