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The Los Angeles Lakers' hopes of turning around their 2022-23 season have been dealt a crushing blow with the latest injury update on Anthony Davis. Davis, who had quickly become an MVP candidate for the Lakers this season, was ruled out for the next few weeks as he deals with a foot injury he recently picked up.
To say that's a crushing loss for the Lakers is somehow an understatement. Davis had been truly crucial to their success early on, and without him, they could be in some serious trouble. In the world of fantasy basketball, managers who managed to snag Davis this year are also scrambling to figure out their next move, as Davis had been an elite producer this season.
Many folks are going to be impacted by Davis' injury, and the hope is that his absence isn't any longer than it needs to be. But with Davis set to be on the sidelines for at least a month it seems, let's take a look at his fantasy basketball outlook for the remainder of the season, and explore potential replacement options for the time he spends off the court.
Anthony Davis fantasy basketball outlook
It's clear that Davis' absence is going to be a huge loss for fantasy basketball owners. For those lucky enough to get their hands on Davis, who was being drafted between the third and fifth rounds in most leagues, you ended up with one of the top fantasy basketball players in the NBA. Chances are if you have Davis, you don't have to be given any reminders on how good he has been so far.
Using ESPN's standard fantasy basketball scoring metrics, Davis has scored the sixth most fantasy points of any player this season, and has been the third best power forward option and second best center option. When you account for the fact that Davis has missed four games along the way, his 56.9 fantasy points per game is the third best in the league.
Again, considering where Davis was drafted, that makes the production he's been giving fantasy owners so far simply unreal. Davis is performing like a top five pick, and chances are if you ended up with him, you didn't grab him as a top five pick. That immediately makes Davis one of the most valuable fantasy assets so far this season.
And in the blink of an eye, he's quickly been snagged away from fantasy owners for an extended period of time. This is a huge loss considering how Davis was scoring over 55 fantasy points a night. For some, that production cannot be replaced, and it's going to be a struggle to hold down the fort in his absence.
Chances are there will be enough positional flexibility on your roster for you to be able to shift Davis to the bench or injured reserve for the duration of his absence. It should be clear already, but in case it isn't, there is literally no reason to release Davis. He will be back at some point this season, making releasing him an extremely foolish idea.
If you need replacements for Davis, there are options, but they obviously won't come close to reaching his level of productivity. At power forward, a guy who has really emerged as of late as a solid option is Larry Nance Jr. Nance is dealing with his own injury issues right now, but when he's played, he's averaging 25.9 fantasy points per game this season.
At center, a guy who is surprisingly available in over 50 percent of leagues and would be a consistent option in Davis' absence is Steven Adams. Adams isn't a flashy player, but he's averaging 26.3 points per game this season, which is a pretty solid rate for a guy who's just sitting on the free agent market in most leagues.
If you have options to replace Davis already and simply need someone to fill in the bench, two interesting options are Dennis Smith Jr. and Kemba Walker. Smith hasn't played since November, but when he's played this season, he's been awesome, and it may be worth stashing him in hopes he can return soon. Walker just had a huge outing with the Dallas Mavericks, and it could be worth taking a flier on him in hopes he can continue to play at that high level.
Of course, it's no secret that these guys are nowhere near the caliber of player Davis is, but you aren't going to find a clear cut replacement for him anywhere right now. Fantasy owners of Anthony Davis will simply have to weather the storm for the time being and hope he can return soon. But this is a huge absence, and it will certainly be difficult for folks to move on without him for the next few weeks.
