Dallas Mavericks DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis (Achilles) has been cleared to play ahead of Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors. The superstar big man will suit up for this game after being listed as probable earlier in the day. Davis will be asked to carry a heavier workload on offense with LeBron James (ankle) sidelined once again. Fantasy managers should make sure they don't have Davis on their bench ahead of this Thursday night contest.

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (knee) will sit out an 11th consecutive game on Thursday versus the Suns. He's been sidelined with a right knee issue, and Exum's good comeback campaign has turned into misery, as the Australian guard has missed all but three games in 2024 with health issues. According to Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, Exum is "going in the right direction" and did non-contact work in Wednesday's practice. But it might still take a while until he's ready to play again.

Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis (Achilles/hip) popped up on the injury report again but is considered probable against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. As the Lakers get ready to make another run down the stretch, having Davis in this game, when LeBron James (ankle) was ruled out, is huge. The superstar big man is a must-start whenever he's on the floor as he's dominated with a stat line of 24.9 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 55.3% from the floor. In his only game against the Warriors this season, he posted a huge double-double with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Much of the same type of production should be on the way.

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson came off of the bench in the three-point victory over the Utah Jazz on Thursday and he led the team in scoring while only playing 28 minutes. The veteran sharpshooter finished with 35 points on 13-for-22 shooting and 7-for-13 from beyond the arc. He also chipped in six rebounds and two assists while registering zero turnovers. Thompson has been on a crazy rollercoaster ride of a season that has now turned him into a bench player instead of their starting shooting guard. If he can continue knocking down threes and providing sparks off of the bench, it shouldn't affect his fantasy value too much. His inconsistencies are something that can get frustrated though.

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson will play with the second unit during Thursday's game against the Utah Jazz. The Warriors have elected to have the struggling guard come off the bench for at least this game. Brandin Podziemski will get the starting nod in place of Thompson. Podziemski has played well recently and is worth looking at in standard leagues. Thompson should still be able to carry value off the bench, but his ceiling will be limited.