LaMelo Ball DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Charlotte Hornets guardLaMelo Ball(ankle) will be out of action for Friday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ball will sit out the second half of back-to-back games for right ankle injury management. The 23-year-old is coming out of a 25-point effort where he also logged five rebounds and eight assists in 28 minutes during Thursday's 115-98 win over the Knicks. The Hornets will have several holes in their roster for this evening due to injuries, meaning Nick Smith,Josh Green, and DaQuan Jeffries could see expanded roles. Unfortunately, these three players won't make much of an impact on fantasy during tonight's matchup.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (wrist) is good to go for Thursday's matchup with the Knicks. He wasn't available for Tuesday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks. As a result, Damion Baugh entered the starting lineup and finished with 11 points, nine boards, five assists, and one steal. But with Ball and Miles Bridges (illness) cleared to suit up, Baugh will lose most of his fantasy appeal. On the other hand, Ball is a must-start in any fantasy setup.

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (wrist) is expected to play on Thursday versus the Knicks. Statistically, the 23-year-old has had a fantastic 2024-25 campaign, averaging a career-high 25.4 points with 7.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. However, as has been the case over the years, he's missed time due to various injuries, limiting him to only 44 games. Ball was most recently sidelined for Tuesday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks, paving the way for Damion Baugh to enter the starting lineup and finish with 11 points, nine boards, five assists, and one steal. Yet, Baugh won't see much attention from fantasy managers if Ball officially gets the green light. That will still apply if Miles Bridges (illness) misses another contest.