Luka Doncic Owns the Lakers Now — and He's Calling His Shot
Doncic handpicked Reaves and Kessler, hosted a Slovenia minicamp, and is banking on a title. The fantasy fallout: a career-defining #2 overall ceiling.
Down 3 FPTS/G over his last five — a dip, not a trend. Buy the discount.
- Doncic: our #2 overall, #1 at guard entering 2026-27
- 57.5 fantasy pts/game in 2025-26 (actual, 64 games)
- Reaves signed 4-yr, $180M — richest deal ever for undrafted player
- Kessler cost two unprotected firsts, two pick swaps
- Lakers added 9 new players after 2nd-round sweep by Thunder
Luka Doncic isn't hedging. Speaking at Lakers practice Saturday, the 26-year-old said he's believed this team could win a championship since the very first day everyone gathered in Slovenia. That's not blind optimism — it's a man grading his own homework. Doncic's fingerprints are all over an offseason that added nine new players and completely rebuilt a roster that got swept out of the second round by the Thunder in May.
He wanted Austin Reaves, and the Lakers paid up: a four-year, $180 million contract, the richest ever handed to a player who went undrafted. He wanted Walker Kessler as his franchise center, and L.A. gave up two unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps to pry him from Utah before signing him to four years, $130 million. This is Doncic's team by design, especially after LeBron James left for Philadelphia in free agency.
The Chip on the Shoulder
There's an edge to all of this. Doncic missed the entire postseason last year with a strained left hamstring suffered against the Thunder on April 2. He's since admitted he regretted playing through it, saying he felt like he let the team down — and that it's fueling him this season. For a guy who posted 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game across 64 contests in 2025-26 (actual), that kind of motivation should terrify the rest of the West.
He also put his money where his mouth is this summer, personally footing the bill to fly the whole roster to his home country for a minicamp in August. First time he's ever done it. By the time the scrimmages started, he was convinced this group could be special — special enough, he says, to hang an 18th banner.
The Fantasy Angle
Doncic enters 2026-27 as our #2 overall player and the top-ranked guard, coming off 57.5 fantasy points per game last season (actual, 2025-26). His last five games of that stretch dipped 3 FPTS/G below his average — nothing to panic over, especially with no LeBron to share touches. If anything, the usage is going up. Reaves remains a strong complementary play at our #39 overall despite a recent form slide (-3.9 FPTS over his last five in 2025-26).
Bottom line: if a nervous manager in your league is spooked by that small Doncic dip, pounce. He's a top-two asset with the keys to the offense, a healthier body, and a revenge arc baked in. Buy low while you still can — this price won't last past October.
