The Los Angeles Lakers started the 2024–25 NBA Season with a new coach—JJ Redick—and renewed hope. But, after a strong start, the reality of a flawed roster ultimately kicked in. And now the Purple and Gold appear stuck in basketball purgatory: Just good enough but not really good enough. That flawed roster, incidentally, is top-heavy with two superstars up top and then a bunch of role players.
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Your Main Man: Anthony Davis
It seems sacrilege not to have LeBron James here given he’s fifth all-time in triple-double and still a threat to fill the stat sheet. But the numbers bear us out: Anthony Davis is the fantasy main man of the Lakers.
In 34 games as of this posting, Davis has been averaging 25.8 points and 11.9 rebounds—both top marks for the Lakers. He is also posting 3.5 assists and an impressive 1.3 steals and 2.1 blocks (3.3 stocks can be a big difference-maker). Basically, The Brow is leading the Lakers in every major statistical category except assists, which is the only stat James has over Davis thus far.
Surefire Studs: LeBron James, Austin Reaves
LeBron will probably cost you the same as Davis, but in this team, there really aren’t any other viable surefire studs other than James, Davis, and Austin Reaves. So, we’re slotting The King here along with Reaves. Having said that, expect to get somewhere in the vicinity of 23.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.8 dimes whenever LeBron plays. Fingers crossed he doesn’t take another extended “personal break.”
Reaves, meanwhile, has been sensational this season, norming 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. But the bigger story with Reaves is that he has upped his production to 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 7.6 assists since D’Angelo Russell was traded. Expect more of the same as he shares playmaking duties with James for the rest of this season.
Low Cost, High Value Picks: Rui Hachimura, Max Christie
Hachimura has been solid ever since he got to the Lakers. This season isn’t any different. In 31 games as of posting, Hachimura has been posting 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists for the Purple and Gold. He’ll get a steal and block every once in a while as well. He’s also firmly part of the rotation, which means he’s on the floor for at least 30 minutes every game.
It was tempting to put the newly acquired Dorian Finney-Smith at this spot, but with stuck with Christie purely off potential. The young guard is having a career year—8.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.3 APG—and seems to have the trust of Lakers coach JJ Redick largely because of his great defense. That means he probably will be playing more moving forward, which would mean more opportunities for stats.
