Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has become an elite FanDuel NBA point guard roster option since the All-Star break while taking a leadership role with the team.
The Lakers are providing D’Angelo Russell all the minutes and opportunities as possible, sparking a significant increase in his value as a FanDuel NBA prospect.
With 17 games remaining until Los Angeles can add another cornerstone to its roster, with the team expected to land a top-3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft lottery, the team has turned to Russell for leadership.
The 21-year-old point guard has responded by producing in a variety of ways with the uptick in minutes.
Los Angeles dealt away Lou Williams, opening up a block of minutes for Russell and allowing him to thrive.
During the last seven games, Russell has averaged 21.9 points, 5.1 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
For FanDuel NBA leagues, he has produced 35.7 fantasy points per game, 8.2 above his season average.
The roster value of Russell has dramatically risen, with his salary hit increasing by $1,000 in FanDuel NBA tournament play during his seven game run.
The heroics of Russell were on full display Thursday night in Phoenix, as he poured in 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range, including a dagger long range shot to snap an eight game losing streak.
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The Lakers are relying heavily on Russell, with the 6-foot-5 guard leading the team in scoring (15.3 points), assists (4.8) and steals (1.4) per game while hitting 104 shots from beyond the arc.
Since the All-Star break, Russell has been much more effective as a shooter, converting 46.9 percent of his attempts from the field, 39.3 percent from 3-point range and 78.6 percent at the foul line. All three percentages are up from the first half of the season.
The 2016-17 season is nearing an end, with the Lakers slated to miss the post season for the fourth consecutive year.
Los Angeles has its point guard of the future on the roster and the impact of Russell is starting to pay dividends in FanDuel NBA tournament play.