It was a night to remember as Luka Dončić notched a triple-double against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, helping the Los Angeles Lakers secure a gritty 107-99 victory. Luka posted 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists, continuing to flash his all-around brilliance. Dončić had a few signature moments, notably his filthy no-look pass to Austin Reaves.
Luka, staring down Mavs GM Nico Harrison and the LA crowd chanting, “Thank You, Nico,” also stood out. Despite the memorable performance, Dončić has been shooting just 38% from the field since donning the purple and gold, while his shot attempts have dropped by six per game from his time in Dallas. I’m not worried and fantasy managers shouldn’t be either.
Meanwhile, LeBron James continues to roll back the clock with 27 points, 12 rebounds and an effortless ability to take over the game. Fantasy managers should also take notice of Austin Reaves, who has thrived as a steady third option. He chipped in 20 points, 5 assists, and 3 triples, proving his value across all formats. Just know that Luka won’t shoot 38% much longer and Reaves shot volume could dip in time.
Conversely, the Mavericks relied heavily on Kyrie Irving, who scored 35 points and made five threes. However, with limited scoring support besides Klay Thompson, Dallas struggles to find consistency. Fantasy players in deeper leagues should hold Max Christie and PJ Washington (Mavericks) despite their combined 4-for-22 performance on Tuesday.
Here’s the breakdown of other key fantasy insights from Tuesday’s seven-game NBA slate.
Ty Jerome – Efficiency shines through
Ty Jerome has been a hidden gem for Cleveland, filling in admirably for Darius Garland. On Tuesday, Jerome posted a hyper-efficient 20 points with 4 threes, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. His ability to blend playmaking with shooting efficiency (20/3/3 on 59% from the field in his last three games) makes him a valuable hold in all 12-team leagues. Keep him rostered until Garland returns and there’s some rest-of-season appeal here.
Jaylen Brown’s Knee Injury – Celtics’ rotational shakeup
Brown exited late in the Celtics’ win with a knee issue, leaving fantasy managers in limbo for Wednesday’s contest. It’s worth noting that Boston is on a back-to-back set, so expect heavy usage for Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard if Brown sits out. Monitor Wednesday’s injury report because we don’t know if Kristaps Porziņģis (illness), Jrue Holiday or Al Horford (rest) will be in action after being inactive on Tuesday. Pritchard has proven capable of stepping up after dropping 20/7/2 with 4 3s in Tuesday’s win over the Raptors.
Jimmy Butler unlocking the Warriors
Butler’s influence is unleashing something special for the Dubs. Most of the discourse has been about how easy he’s making it for Steph Curry, but he’s also doing wonders for Draymond Green’s fantasy stock. Here’s Draymond’s number pre-and post-Butler’s arrival.
His shooting percentages have also improved, going from 42% FG and 59.5% FT to 48% and 85%, respectively.
Green’s recent resurgence on both ends has made Green a top-40 player over the past two weeks. Fantasy managers should thank Butler for raising the floor for everyone in Golden State.
Avoiding the Magic (mostly)
The Orlando Magic continue to be a frustrating puzzle for fantasy managers. Outside of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, we’re getting nothing. Cole Anthony had a brief stint of fantasy relevancy, but that was cut short on Tuesday when he left the game after hyperextending his knee.
No other Magic player besides Wagner and Banchero hit double figures against the Cavs. Granted, the Cavs have an elite defense, but over the past 30 days, the Magic have only two players listed inside the top 150: Wagner (74) and Anthony (111). Wendell Carter’s been worth holding for the low-end double-double potential. Still, Goga Bitadze should be dropped without consideration for anyone else on waivers until the Magic figure out their offense. Scoring 82 points in Tuesday’s contest was terrible.
Bol Bol’s intriguing upside
It’s time to give Bol another chance. The Suns are running out of options, and when Bol gets 20+ minutes, he’s a fantasy dynamo. His recent games have been inconsistent, but his performance in an OT thriller — 23 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and 39 fantasy points in 31 minutes — reminds us of his upside. Sure, he logged a team-low plus/minus (-12), but even so, he started and emerged over Royce O’Neale in this one. Add him if you need blocks and scoring upside. He’s available in 86% of Yahoo leagues.
Ja Morant’s shooting woes continue
Morant has hit a rough patch offensively since the All-Star break, shooting just 35% from the field, 15% on 3s with an atrocious 47.5 TS%. However, Morant played hero on Tuesday, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter and hitting a game-tying shot at the buzzer to force OT. The Grizzlies came through with a 151-148 OT victory, and Morant led the way, finishing with 29 points.
Despite the win, Morant shot an abysmal 7-for-25 on his FG attempts, including 1-for-12 from 3. Morant’s inefficiency is becoming a concerning trend for fantasy managers. While he continues contributing in other areas, including points, assists, rebounds and steals, his shooting is starting to chip away at his value in category leagues. He’s 160th over the past 30 days in 9-cat leagues and with considerable injury concerns, he’s a player that you may want to move ahead of the fantasy trade deadline in that league format. As a quick aside, it’d be great to see Jaylen Wells get a consistent 20-30 minutes a night. He’s a dog and one of the most unheralded rookies of this 2025 class who scored seven critical points in OT.
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