Los Angeles Lakers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (ankle) has been tagged as questionable for Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. He continues to suffer from peroneal tendinopathy in his left ankle which knocked him out of a few games in mid-February. The trend seems to be receiving a questionable tag to start out, then he and the team decide after shootaround and warming up if he'll play or not. Fantasy managers with James on their team are used to this song and dance by now, so they'll have to wait until closer to game time to check his status. If he's unable to play, potential streaming options would include Rui Hachimura and Spencer Dinwiddie.

Dallas Mavericks forward/center Maxi Kleber (knee) has been upgraded in his status and is available to play on Thursday against Miami. Kleber's availability gives Dallas an extra body to combat the Heat's star center Bam Adebayo. Offensively, he's not expected to have a major role, especially considering his recent awful form. Kleber hasn't hit a single shot in his last three appearances, posting only three total points. He's also been quite passive on the boards over the stretch, getting just 2.7 rebounds.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (ankle) will play in Thursday's showdown against Miami. He has been upgraded from probable to available. Following a red-hot start to the month, Doncic will have a lot to live up to in the matchup. He's averaged 38.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 10.7 assists in 40.0 minutes for March. Despite Doncic's extraordinary efforts, Dallas has dropped three games in a row. Looks like Doncic has to do even more to drag the team into the playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James missed the end of Wednesday's matchup against Sacramento due to his lingering left ankle injury. James exited the contest and limped to the locker room with 3:58 left to play in the fourth quarter. The Lakers were tailing 122-108 at the time, which could've played a big part in James' decision to leave. He was playing outstanding basketball before the exit and finished a 130-120 loss with a team-high 31 points, five rebounds, and 13 assists. James, who logged 36 minutes in the contest, admitted postgame that he didn't feel the injury at all before the fourth quarter began while noting he was completely pain-free in Monday's matchup against Oklahoma City. James has been a regular on the injury report but has played in seven consecutive games. However, fantasy managers need to monitor his status very closely, as James' body seemingly told him Wednesday to take some time off to rest. The Lakers return to action on Friday versus Milwaukee.

Dallas Mavericks forward/center Maxi Kleber (knee) is on the injury report as probable ahead of Thursday's clash with Miami. He missed one game last week, but Kleber has been fairly durable since returning from a toe injury in mid-January, and it looks like he will be good to go against the Heat. Kleber has been used off the bench in each of his last seven appearances. He's continued to play a large part in the rotation but was limited to only 15 minutes on Tuesday against Indiana. Even with health minutes, Kleber helps out fantasy managers very little, and he's definitely a much better asset in real life.