Dallas Mavericks DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (heel) remains out for Monday's home battle with the Boston Celtics. Exum has been nursing a plantar sprain in his right heel since Jan. 3, but he reportedly practiced fully in Sunday's session, so he would appear to have a decent chance of ending a nine-game absence when Dallas hosts the Phoenix Suns for a matchup between two Western Conference contenders on Wednesday. After falling out of the Association and participating in play overseas for two years, the former No. 5 overall pick was playing the best ball of his NBA career before going down. Averaging 9.3 points on 57.5% field-goal shooting, 2.9 assists, and 0.9 three-pointers on 45.2% shooting from deep in 19.5 minutes across 30 games, Exum is worthy of a fantasy stash in deeper settings. With Seth Curry (ankle) out on Monday, Jaden Hardy and Josh Green have clearer paths to playing time.

Washington Wizards center Daniel Gafford (concussion) won't suit up on Saturday against the Spurs. The 25-year-old will now miss a second consecutive game, meaning his next chance to return will be on Sunday against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. Nonetheless, without Gafford in the mix, Marvin Bagley III will likely handle things in the middle. The 2018 No. 2 overal pick appeared in his first game for the Wizards in Thursday's narrow loss to the New York Knicks, finishing with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks in 39 minutes of work. As a result, Bagley earned himself another start in all fantasy formats versus San Antonio.

Washington Wizards center Daniel Gafford (concussion) is questionable ahead of Saturday's matchup against the Spurs. He's in danger of missing a second consecutive contest, most recently sitting out in Thursday's narrow loss to the New York Knicks. The newly acquired Marvin Bagley III got the start in his place, and it didn't take the 24-year-old long to get acclimated with his new team, finishing with 20 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Without question, Gafford's status will impact Bagley's ceiling versus San Antonio. However, Bagley deserves another start in all fantasy leagues, either way, especially after his most recent performance.

Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis (Achilles) is expected to play on Friday at home against the Nets. He's currently listed on the injury report as probable, and he is likely to suit up and start barring any pregame setbacks. Davis has been questionable or probable for most games this year but has only missed two games all season. A prime candidate for 35 or more minutes and a 30-point double-double, the Lakers' star belongs in all lineups if he ends up playing Friday.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (ankle) and center Anthony Davis (ankle) are both available for Wednesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. Both players were uncertain coming into this game, but that seems to be normal these days. As usual, James and Davis will both be active for this game despite the injury tags. The expectation is that they will have their normal roles in the rotation, so fantasy managers can feel comfortable with them in their lineups.