Editor’s Note: This article was published prior to Russell Westbrook being ruled OUT for the Lakers-Suns game on 12/9/2022.
Is Russell Westbrook primed for a massive performance on Monday night? With Anthony Davis out for about the next month with a foot injury, the Los Angeles Lakers announced ahead of their matchup with the Phoenix Suns that LeBron James will also be out as he nurses an ankle injury.That leaves very little star power in LA, but certainly opens the door for Russell Westbrook to show he can still stuff the stat sheet. Let’s take a look at Russell Westbrook’s DFS projections before the matchup gets underway.
Although the early slate has locked, there is still time to late swap given the inevitable injury news that might come throughout the night. And of course, there is much to consider if you are playing the late slate.
Russell Westbrook DFS Projections vs. Suns
Russell Westbrook ($7,300) projects to have a whopping 44.71 fantasy points in our Stokastic NBA DFS projections, making him a top value option on this slate, even in the mid-range price tier.
Westbrook’s strong projection isn’t just because of the injuries to several Lakers players, but also because he has been turning a corner as of late. Despite being the subject of heavy trade rumors all season long, Westbrook has embraced his bench role, and shown flashes of his former self.
Since the Lakers lost to the Sacramento Kings to fall to 2-10 on Nov. 13, they have gone 11-6. During that 17 game span, Westbrook is first in assists on the team, third in rebounding and third in steals. He’s also showing some better chemistry when playing alongside LeBron James.
“Just logged minutes. I stressed that a lot last year,” James said via SB Nation. “We just didn’t have enough time to log enough minutes and know exactly how we wanted to play, how we wanted to work off one another, and how we were going to be effective, so just a lot of logged minutes and being at the right place at the right time.”
Russell Westbrook might not be the same electric player that he was earlier in his career, but he’s quietly putting together a successful season. After his first year in LA was marred with failures and fans trying to run him out of town, Westbrook is averaging 13.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. He also became the first Laker to record multiple triple-doubles off the bench with his 15 points, 11 rebounds 12 assist performance in the team’s upset win against the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Westbrook is finally in some semblance of a groove in a Lakers uniform, and he’ll have an opportunity to put the team on his back that makes him stand out in NBA DFS projections against the Suns.
