LAL 105, GSW 99: Moody Notches 44.8 Yahoo FP
Hiro Tanaka
Physical Therapy Assistant ยท Los Angeles Lakers fan
Lakers Survive Warriors Chaos: Moody Explodes, But LA's Bench Saves the Day
105-99 final, and honestly, this was messier than the scoreline suggests. The Warriors came to Crypto.com Arena throwing everything at the wall, but the Lakers' depth ended up being the difference. Some massive performances on both sides that'll reshape waiver claims by tomorrow morning.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moses Moody | 52.0 | 44.8 | 25/4/2 | 11.4/3.3/1.4 | +13.6 |
| LeBron James | 37.0 | 42.4 | 20/7/10 | 21.8/5.7/6.8 | -1.8 |
| Austin Reaves | 38.0 | 38.0 | 16/5/8 | 26.1/5.2/6.0 | -10.1 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 38.0 | 33.6 | 13/8/2 | 5.1/5.1/1.4 | +7.9 |
| Pat Spencer | 37.0 | 32.5 | 14/5/7 | 6.0/2.2/3.0 | +8.0 |
| Brandin Podziemski | 33.0 | 32.2 | 14/6/4 | 11.9/4.6/3.5 | +2.1 |
| Gui Santos | 32.0 | 32.1 | 15/8/3 | 5.4/2.8/1.4 | +9.6 |
| Marcus Smart | 31.0 | 29.6 | 15/3/4 | 9.6/3.0/2.8 | +5.4 |
| Gary Payton II | 31.0 | 25.5 | 13/5/1 | 5.1/3.2/1.5 | +7.9 |
| Draymond Green | 23.0 | 23.8 | 9/4/6 | 8.3/5.6/5.2 | +0.7 |
Moses Moody Just Became a Problem
Let's start with the elephant in the room. Moses Moody dropped 25 points on 8-17 shooting with 5 threes, and that 44.8 Yahoo fantasy points is nearly 14 points above his season average. This isn't a fluke night where he got hot. He was 39 minutes on the floor making winning plays. The Warriors have quietly shifted into a perimeter-heavy offensive system, and Moody is the primary beneficiary.
In leagues where he's under 75% owned, add him now. This isn't "he had one good game" vibes. He's been trending toward consistent usage for three weeks, and tonight proved he can carry games when Golden State needs scoring. The concern? Durability and whether this is sustainable long-term. But for the next month, he's a solid 15-20 ppg contributor in a league that's desperate for wing scoring depth.
LeBron Did LeBron Things (But Austin Didn't)
LeBron James put up a steady 20/7/10 line, hitting his free throws and controlling the tempo when it mattered. That's basically right at his season average, which in a Lakers W is exactly what you want from him. He wasn't spectacular, but he wasn't asked to be, and that matters. His shot selection was clean, and the 10 assists felt genuine.
Austin Reaves, though? This is where it gets interesting. 16 points and 8 assists sounds decent on paper, but he shot 5-10 with zero threes in 23 minutes. That's 10 points below his season average. The Lakers seemed content letting their bench guys do damage, which suggests either Reaves wasn't sharp or the game plan was to preserve him. Either way, owners who drafted him expecting nightly 26/6 scoring need to accept that some nights he's taking a backseat. He's still a hold, but tonight was a dud.
The Vanderbilt and Marcus Smart Revelation
Here's the real story nobody's talking about: Jarred Vanderbilt (13/8/2, 33.6 Yahoo FP) and Marcus Smart (15/3/4, 29.6 Yahoo FP) combined for 63 fantasy points off the bench and just won this game for the Lakers. Vanderbilt was +7.9 points above average, shooting efficiently and crashing the glass. Smart went 8-9 from free throw line while playing solid perimeter defense. Both guys exceeded expectations significantly.
Vanderbilt's resurgence has been real. He's going to get added in more leagues after tonight. The Lakers' medical staff has clearly done work getting him right, and his minutes are stable. In 12-team leagues, he's worth a speculative add if you're betting on depth.
Marcus Smart is the kind of player who fluctuates wildly week-to-week. Tonight he was money from the line. Next game he might go 1-6. But the fact that he's playing 32 minutes consistently means he's carved a role. His 4 assists were elite for a guard primarily tasked with defense.
The Waiver Wire Noise
Deandre Ayton is apparently coming back soon (0 minutes tonight), and he's already creeping up in ownership. If you've got space and this is a 12+ team league, grab him as a stash. That +0.1% ownership change is people who actually watched the game realizing he's about to be activated. When a 7-footer who averages 13.4 ppg and 8.4 rpg is sitting on waivers, you move.
The Warriors' bench guys had a field day tonight. Pat Spencer (14/5/7) and Gui Santos (15/8/3) both exceeded season averages significantly. Don't fall for it. Golden State's depth is thinner than their actual rotation, and these guys won't eat consistently. It's tournament time, and Steve Kerr was experimenting. Pass on the adds.
The Bottom Line
Lakers get the W in a sloppy but decisive fashion. Moody is the only Warriors player worth fighting for on waivers, and he's already approaching 75% ownership. The Lakers' bench depth showed up, LeBron managed the game, and Reaves had an off night without it being catastrophic.
For your fantasy teams, hold your Lakers pieces. They're working. But don't panic-add Warriors role players just because they had 32-point nights. This game was about execution depth, not a changing Warriors landscape.