When the Lakers are healthy, the starting lineup can be counted on to be fantasy relevant for the year. However, due to the injuries in the starting five to point guard Steve Nash and small forward Metta World Peace, Jodie Meeks and Steve Blake have been pressed into duty.
With that being said, as fantasy championships are wrapping up next weekend, let’s take a look at which Lakers do and don’t have any fantasy value this late in the season.
Pickups:
Steve Blake
Without Nash in the lineup, Blake has been pushed into duty as the primary point guard. With Kobe Bryant refusing to leave games, Blake doesn’t have anyone backing him up.
In his past five games, Blake is averaging 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.8 three-pointers per game. Blake is playing starters minutes, 32.6 per game and is a threat to give you three-pointers while the assists won’t be there.
With Bryant and Pau Gasol facilitating, Blake is primarily relied upon to shoot. His turnovers are low, only averaging 2.4 in his past five games and will continue to chip in assists here and there.
Knowing that Nash’s status is up in the air for the next couple of games, Blake is a low risk option to give you points, three-pointers and a couple of assists per game. Without a pure backup point guard taking his spot in the lineup when he isn’t out there, Blake is a solid fantasy option.
—- Know more about Antawn Jamison’s career in this player profile! —-
Earl Clark
Left for dead after the return of Gasol, Clark has been the most active Laker in their past two games. Clark is averaging 15 points, 8.5 rebounds and three blocks along with two three-pointers.
He’s back to playing 32.5 minutes per game and without MWP on the floor, Clark has been closing games with the starting unit. This recent strong play comes after three consecutive games in which he didn’t score and didn’t play more than 20 minutes.
Coach Mike D’Antoni has contested he doesn’t love when Dwight Howard and Gasol are together so when he enters the game, Clark has free reign of the paint. Without the services of Jordan Hill, Clark has emerged as Gasol’s primary backup and since Howard is always seemingly in foul trouble, Clark will get extra run.
Clark is a strong pickup candidate with the only downfall is if he regresses to the way he has been playing in the past two games.
Antawn Jamison
Jamison has been plagued in the past two weeks with an injured wrist. Several times throughout the course of a game he’ll land awkwardly or someone will smack his wrist and he’ll wince in pain.
While he hasn’t played more than 25 minutes per game in his last five, Jamison is still putting up decent numbers. He’s averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 three-pointers per game and is inserted into the lineup within the first six minutes of the game.
Without World Peace, Jamison is the first sub off the bench and replaces Jodie Meeks. With one of the quickest triggers in the NBA, when Jamison has the ball, you know he’s going to shoot. Now that Bryant is in facilitator mode, Jamison’s slip-screens and leak outs to the three-point line become even more dangerous.
With Bryant looking for his teammates more, Jamison is one of the beneficiaries of his passing abilities. He’s averaging 9.6 shot attempts per game so the shots are there for Jamison to take, it’s just up to him to make them.
Caution: his wrist is very balky and he could miss a game or two at anytime, but with the Lakers fighting for their playoff hopes, get Jamison in your fantasy lineups.
Next Page: Laker Fantasy Drops
Drops:
Jodie Meeks
Since World Peace’s injury, Meeks has taken his spot in the starting lineup. Primarily a spot-up shooter, it’s hard for Meeks to create shots of his own.
In his past five games, Meeks is averaging eight points and 1.4 three-pointers made. He’s usually the first starter to be replaced in the game and his defensive liabilities make it hard for D’Antoni to use him down the stretch.
His greatest asset is his free throw shooting as he shoots at a 90 percent clip, but since he doesn’t get to the rim that often, he’s hardly on the foul line. He’s shooting a putrid 27.9 percent from the field and doesn’t have much upside.
If you feel like you have to keep Meeks since he is the starting shooting guard, he isn’t producing like he should in the starting role and can be cut immediately.
—- Get to know Steve Nash in this player profile! —-
Steve Nash
Nash has been plagued by injury this entire season. When he came back from the leg injury at the end of December, Nash has played very well.
This latest injury seems to be nagging him and with news that he admitted that he rushed back, the Lakers will keep Nash out longer than expected.
With fantasy championships in full swing, there isn’t a reason to wait for Nash to come back. Blake has been a capable backup and when pressed into duty has performed admirably.
When he’s been on the court, Nash is averaging a career low 6.7 assists, but his shooting percentages are off the charts. He’s on pace to shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line.
The Lakers have six games left in their season and it’s conceivable that Nash doesn’t play until the middle of next week. If there is someone on the waiver wire that you are toying with picking up, drop Nash in order to get him.