Max

Christie

Vincent will miss a third straight game after suffering an oblique injury against the Kings. Max Christie and Shake Milton have a chance to step up during his absence.

With Anthony Davis (ankle) sidelined for Thursday’s game, the Lakers needed someone to step up alongside LeBron James. Enter Christie, who had the most productive night of his NBA career. Not only did he score a career-high 28 points, but this was also Christie’s first 20-point game. Rostered in 12% of Yahoo leagues, he has provided top-75 per-game value over the past two weeks. Christie should remain a starter for the foreseeable future, making him a player worth adding.

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.

This was a sixth straight start for Christie, but prior to this game, he hadn’t been a reliable source of offense for them. However, he set a new season-high for points in this game and still provided his typical dose of steals. Christie has fit into this starting unit flawlessly, and even if he isn’t a great fantasy option, he has fit exactly what the Lakers need from that spot. This type of performance is helpful in category leagues, but he needs to do this more consistently before managers consider him a must-add player.

James missed two in a row before returning to face Memphis on Sunday. If he’s unavailable for the third time in four games, the committee of Gabe Vincent, Max Christie and D’Angelo Russell could absorb his minutes.

Due to his foot issue and personal reasons, James was not with the Lakers for Friday’s loss at Minnesota. If he remains sidelined, Max Christie should stay in the starting lineup after playing well against the Timberwolves. Christie would be worth streaming consideration in extremely deep leagues, but that’s it.

This was Christie’s second straight start, but he didn’t have a great performance in the first. However, he remained in the opening unit despite Austin Reaves’ return, and he should continue to start until LeBron James returns. This was Christie’s best scoring performance of the year, but he has been able to turn in some well-rounded numbers in recent games. He is widely available in Yahoo leagues and should be a decent streaming option as long as he can continue to have nights like this as a starter.

Reaves returns after a five-game absence, returning at a perfect time for the Lakers. With LeBron James (foot, personal) away from the team, Reaves’ scoring ability will be critical. Gabe Vincent or Max Christie will be headed to the bench, with the former being the more likely option. Neither Vincent nor Christie provides consistent fantasy value.

Reaves has been out for five straight games, but he’s trending in the right direction ahead of Friday’s tilt with the Wolves. If he ultimately takes the court, Gabe Vincent or Max Christie could slide back to the bench.

Reaves may be back after missing the Lakers’ last five games, which would be a much-needed bost. With LeBron James still out, one of Gabe Vincent or Max Christie will be pushed back to the bench if Reaves returns.