Fantasy Basketball: How to Approach Drafting Lakers Star LeBron James

The 20-time All-Star had a fantasy hoops season to remember in 2023-24.

Apr 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the second half in game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers 20-time All-NBA combo forward LeBron James submitted a season to remember in 2023-24. The 6-foot-9 superstar appeared in his most games ever as a Laker (and his most since playing all 82 contests in 2017-18 while still with the Cleveland Cavaliers), 71, while logging a statistical output pretty consistent with prior seasons.

That in and of itself is quite miraculous. The 39-year-old James was the league's oldest player, appearing in his 21st NBA season, and had been saddled with injuries that caused him to miss an average of 22.2 games a year across his prior five seasons in the league. James averaged 25.7 points on .540/.410/.750 shooting spilits, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks a night, across 35.3 minutes per. For his efforts, he was named to an All-NBA Third Team, and an All-Star squad. He also finished 10th in Clutch Player of the Year voting.

Along with All-NBA Second Team center Anthony Davis, James also guided Los Angeles to a 47-35 overall record and the first round of the Western Conference playoffs last spring.

Is an encore individual performance in store for the four-time league MVP in 2024-25?

James will be turning 40, and will be playing in a record-tying 22nd season after inking a two-year, $101.4 million contract to stay with the Lakers through 2025-26. By the postseason, Davis had clearly emerged as the team's best player, though James was still quarterbacking the offense under now-former head coach Darvin Ham.

However, James emerged as the best player on a gold medal-winning Team USA Olympic squad at this summer's Paris games, among a cadre of future Hall of Famers and champions. It was an impressive site to see, and suggested that he could be looking for more of the same this year, along mostly the same Lakers personnel.

Is he a worthwhile fantasy basketball risk, given his age and recent injury history (last year notwithstanding)?

Dan Titus of Yahoo Sports pegs James' value in most fantasy leagues as essentially a third round selection, given his health issues of late.

"The production's always been consistent — bank him for at least 25-7-7 with a field-goal percentage north of 50% and a couple of threes and a steal per game." Titus writes. "I wouldn't be mad if you're a LeBron stan and want to take him in the second round but an early third-round pick balances the risk and reward perfectly."

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