Luka Doncic Posts 45 Points, 15 Rebounds and Five Steals, Jayson Tatum Scores 32 for Boston's Fifth Straight, and the Nets Get Their First Win: Sunday NBA Fantasy Notes

Sunday's four-game NBA slate was short on games and long on fantasy production. Luka Doncic posted one of the most complete lines of the young season with 45 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals in a 131-125 Lakers win over Toronto. Jayson Tatum scored 32 to lead Boston to its fifth straight win, the Brooklyn Nets finally got into the win column behind Michael Porter Jr., and Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg scored 37 in a win over the Clippers (covered separately in our Lendeborg breakdown).

Here is what mattered for fantasy managers from each game.

Lakers 131, Raptors 125: Doncic's defensive night

Doncic's scoring was spectacular: 12 of 23 from the field, 8 of 12 from three and a perfect 13 of 13 from the line. But the defensive numbers were the story. ESPN Research noted that Doncic forced eight turnovers, recorded five steals and drew three charges, the first time a player has posted that combination in a game since player tracking began in 2013-14. In nine-category leagues, a Doncic who contributes steals is a top-three fantasy player.

The supporting cast matters, too. Austin Reaves scored 19, and Walker Kessler had 16 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. Kessler's rebounding and shot-blocking make him a strong fantasy center, and the Lakers moved to 5-2.

For Toronto, Scottie Barnes scored 29 and RJ Barrett added 22. With Kawhi Leonard expected to miss three to four weeks with left knee swelling, Barnes and Barrett are carrying the scoring load, and both should be started every night.

Celtics 108, Magic 97: Tatum at the line

Tatum led all scorers with 32 points and seven assists, but his shooting was uneven at 8 of 19 from the field. He made up for it at the line, going 15 of 17. Paul George added 17, including 10 in the fourth quarter, and center Neemias Queta made a pair of late blocks to help close it out. Boston is 5-1.

The Celtics shot poorly from three, making 12 of 44, which is a fluky number for a team built around perimeter shooting. Expect that to normalize, which helps George and Boston's other shooters going forward.

On the Orlando side, the Magic are without Paolo Banchero (high ankle sprain, four to six weeks) and Jalen Suggs. Anthony Black and Tristan da Silva each scored 23, and Franz Wagner had 14 points with a career-high 12 assists. Wagner's playmaking role is the fantasy story while Banchero is out; he is functioning as Orlando's primary creator, and the assists give him more category coverage than usual. Black and da Silva are worth adding in deeper leagues while the Magic are shorthanded.

Nets 98, Pacers 90: Brooklyn breaks through

Brooklyn earned its first win of the season, leading for the entire second half in Indianapolis. Porter scored 23 with nine rebounds, three assists and three 3-pointers, Julius Randle added 20, and Day'Ron Sharpe posted 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Sharpe is the waiver-wire name from this game. A double-double from a backup big on a rebuilding team is often a sign of a growing role, and he is likely available in many leagues.

Indiana dropped its fourth straight game. The Pacers are without Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring), and center Ivica Zubac was also out. Until Haliburton returns, Andrew Nembhard is the most important fantasy piece on the roster.

The Verdexed angle

The theme of the night was injury-driven role changes. Orlando without Banchero, Indiana without Haliburton and Toronto without Leonard are three teams where fantasy value has shifted to the next man up, and those shifts last for weeks, not days. That makes them the best places to look for waiver adds and DFS value.

For betting, Boston's poor 3-point night is worth noting. A team that shoots 12 of 44 and still wins by double digits on the road is playing well defensively, and that profile tends to hold up. Verdexed's game-level win probabilities are on the NBA predictions page, and the daily NBA picks are published on the blog.

What to do in your league

1. Add Day'Ron Sharpe in deeper leagues as a rebounding specialist. 2. Add Anthony Black or Tristan da Silva while Banchero is out, depending on your category needs. 3. Start Franz Wagner with confidence; the assists add to his usual scoring value. 4. Keep starting Barnes and Barrett every night while Leonard is sidelined. 5. Treat Walker Kessler as a weekly starter for rebounds and blocks.