After spending the first half of the season on the bench, Los Angeles Lakers forward Julius Randle has become a solid FanDuel NBA roster option since reclaiming his starting role.
Typically, players benched in favor of a rookie selected in the second round of the NBA Draft don’t appear on the radar for FanDuel NBA rosters.
Following an impressive preseason run, the Los Angeles Lakers benched Julius Randle — the seventh overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft — in favor of Kyle Kuzma.
Lakers head coach Luke Walton reversed the decision in late December, a move that has rejuvenated Randle, and has likely earned him a massive pay increase as a restricted free agent this summer.
In the 26 games since returning to the starting lineup, Randle has averaged 17.4 points on 56.7 percent shooting from the field along with 9.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
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FanDuel NBA rosters have taken notice of the 11 double-doubles and his 18-point, 13-rebound, 10-assist effort against the Dallas Mavericks Friday night, the fifth triple-double of his career.
Randle’s scoring bite has come from his ability to excel when attacking the basket off pick-and-rolls. For the season, the former Kentucky star is averaging 2.4 points off pick-and-roll sets and converting 64 percent of his shot attempts.
That scoring figure is equal to the number of points New Orleans Pelicans All-Star DeMarcus Cousins averaged prior to his season-ending injury.
As the Lakers prepare for sweeping roster changes this summer, hoping to clear enough cap space to bring in two maximum contract players, Randle will likely become expendable. While Los Angeles may not have a long-term roster spot for the 23-year-old forward, FanDuel NBA lineups should keep a spot open for him.