SAS 136, LAL 108: Wembanyama Fills Stat Sheet With Double-Double
Hiro Tanaka
Physical Therapy Assistant · Los Angeles Lakers fan
Spurs Blow Out Lakers Without Breaking a Sweat, Victor Wembanyama Reminds Us He's Playing a Different Sport
Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. The Lakers got absolutely demolished at home 136-108, and it wasn't even close. Watching my team get punked like that stings, but the fantasy story here is crystal clear: the Spurs' depth and efficiency was on another level, and the Lakers bench was basically carrying an offense held together by duct tape and prayer.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | 68.0 | 62.4 | 40/12/2 | 24.4/11.1/2.7 | +15.6 |
| Dylan Harper | 36.0 | 29.6 | 15/3/6 | 10.8/3.3/3.6 | +4.2 |
| Harrison Barnes | 39.0 | 29.6 | 11/3/2 | 10.6/2.9/2.1 | +0.4 |
| De'Aaron Fox | 33.0 | 28.4 | 8/2/6 | 19.3/3.9/6.2 | -11.3 |
| Carter Bryant | 30.0 | 28.3 | 16/4/3 | 3.3/1.9/0.3 | +12.7 |
| Bronny James | 29.0 | 25.6 | 12/3/6 | 2.3/0.5/1.3 | +9.7 |
| Luke Kennard | 27.0 | 22.9 | 14/2/5 | 8.1/2.1/2.1 | +5.9 |
| Jaxson Hayes | 25.0 | 20.3 | 13/4/3 | 6.7/3.8/0.9 | +6.3 |
| Luke Kornet | 23.0 | 19.5 | 6/5/1 | 7.4/6.7/2.0 | -1.4 |
| Devin Vassell | 25.0 | 18.9 | 9/2/1 | 14.3/3.9/2.3 | -5.3 |
Victor Wembanyama Just Put the League on Notice
Victor Wembanyama dropped 62.4 Yahoo points on 26 minutes. Sixty-two. Twenty-six minutes. The reigning All-NBA Third Teamer and All-Defensive First Teamer didn't even need to break a sweat. 40 points on 13-20 shooting, 10-12 from the line, 12 boards, 2 blocks, 2 steals. This wasn't a "he had a good night" situation. This was a masterclass.
What gets me is the efficiency. He shot 65% from the field, and the Lakers had no answer for his length. Pair that with 5 made threes and the free throw volume, and you're watching a guy who's firmly in the tier-one fantasy conversation. The 15.6 point bump over his season average isn't a fluke when the dude's shooting this clean. If you own him, you already know what you have. If you don't, well, you're not getting him now.
The Lakers Bench Carried Harder Than The Starters
Here's where this gets interesting for fantasy purposes. Bronny James went 5-10 for 12 points with 6 assists in 25 minutes, hitting 9.7 points above his season average. Luke Kennard dropped 14 on 5-8 shooting with 5 assists, up 5.9 from his norm. Jaxson Hayes had 13 on 6-7 and actually produced, finishing 6.3 points ahead of expectations.
The bench basically said "we're not going down without at least trying," and there's something to work with there for streaming purposes. Hayes in particular is worth noting. He's been inconsistent as hell (season average of 6.7 PPG), but when he gets minutes against a team that can't contain him vertically, he can put up 20 Yahoo points. Small sample, but keep him on your radar in 12-team leagues if centers are thin.
Kennard is the real story though. Solid shooting nights from him aren't rare, but consistency is. He's scoring above his season average for a reason tonight. Whether it's because the starters weren't clicking or the Spurs' rotations gave him space is the question.
Rui Hachimura and Devin Vassell Both No-Mixed It
Rui Hachimura shot 3-12 for 6 points, finishing 5.9 below his season average. That's rough. He's been your 11.9 PPG guy this year, so a dud night isn't the end of the world, but in a blowout where the Lakers needed scoring, he disappeared. Devin Vassell on the Spurs side went 4-5 for 9 points but still landed 5.3 below his season average. Both guys didn't get their rhythm in this one, which tells me nothing major, just an off-shooting night for two capable scorers.
The Waiver Wire Noise
Harrison Barnes got exactly one add notice (+0.3% ownership), and honestly that makes sense. He hit 3 threes, played 20 minutes, and made efficient plays. But his season average is 10.6 PPG on 2.9 boards with 2.1 assists. Tonight wasn't a breakout, just a solid night. Don't get cute and drop someone important to grab him unless you're desperate.
The Real Problem: Missing Stars
This is the thing nobody wants to talk about. DeAndre Ayton, Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves were all out. I don't have the injury details here, but the Lakers were basically playing with three quarters of their rotation missing. That changes everything about how we should read this game. This wasn't the Lakers getting beat by a better team on a Tuesday. This was a skeleton crew getting punished.
Until I know what's going on with these guys, I'm not drawing major conclusions about Lakers fantasy value going forward. Could be rest, could be something worse. That matters.
The Takeaway
The Spurs proved they can absolutely destroy you if their role players hit (Carter Bryant was 6-12 for 16, Dylan Harper added 15, Harrison Barnes did his thing). The Lakers bench kept it somewhat respectable, but without their stars, they're not a threat.
For fantasy purposes, Wembanyama is a tier-one center if you didn't already know that. Everyone else was just along for the ride. File this as a "Spurs are deep and dangerous" game and wait for the Lakers injury report before panicking about anyone in purple and gold.