Luke

Kennard

Hachimura missed Thursday’s loss to the Suns and was listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Warriors, so his absence isn’t much of a surprise. Jake LaRavia and Luke Kennard should continue to see more minutes with Hachimura sidelined.

Hachimura did not play in Thursday’s loss to the Suns and appears likely to remain sidelined on Saturday. His absence led to more minutes for Jake LaRavia and Luke Kennard, with the former offering a slightly higher fantasy ceiling.

Hachimura is out after initially being listed as questionable, leaving the Lakers down a reserve. Jake LaRavia and Luke Kennard should see their playing time increase with Hachimura unavailable.

After coming off the bench in his first two appearances as a Laker, Kennard moved into the starting lineup on Tuesday due to multiple absences. He shot the ball well and dished out five assists, but fantasy managers likely hoped for greater shot volume from the guard. For the Lakers’ final game before the break, Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, Kennard will likely be back in a reserve role. That limits his fantasy ceiling, but it may be the role that he’s more comfortable with right now.

Because of injuries, the Lakers will have an incredibly thin rotation for Tuesday’s game. Bufkin, Kennard and Hayes move into the starting lineup, stepping in for Marcus Smart, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton. While none of the spot starters are guaranteed to provide solid fantasy value, they’re all worth streaming.

With Reaves’ playing time still being restricted as he returns from a strained calf, his not playing on Tuesday is an unsurprising development. With Marcus Smart also out, there will be many minutes available to Luke Kennard, while Dalton Knecht, Bronny James and Kobe Bufkin may also slot into the rotation. Of those four, Kennard is the only one worth the streaming risk.

Knecht was absent from the initial injury report released by the Lakers on Sunday evening. His availability does not affect fantasy basketball, especially in the aftermath of the Lakers’ acquisition of Luke Kennard. Knecht should only be rostered in dynasty leagues.

Acquired from the Hawks for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick, Kennard made his Lakers’ debut on Saturday. As expected, he was used in a reserve role, playing 26 minutes. Kennard isn’t at the point where he’s worth relying on in most fantasy leagues. But he’ll have every opportunity to change that, as the Lakers are looking to him to provide consistent perimeter shooting.

Dončić suffered the left hamstring injury in Thursday’s win over the 76ers, and McMenamin notes that there is optimism the injury is not serious. Fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief for now, but the extent of Dončić’s injury is still unknown. Until we get more clarity on the situation, the Lakers will fill his vacated minutes by committee with Jake LaRavia, Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard logging some additional minutes.

The Lakers haven’t been a successful three-point shooting team this season, but the addition of Kennard off the bench should help with that. With Austin Reaves back healthy, the Lakers don’t have as much of a need for Vincent as a reserve, but Kennard should have a place in the rotation. Fantasy managers shouldn’t pay this any mind, though this will be a helpful addition for the Lakers.