Luka Drops 28 on Warriors, Banks a Half-Court Heave and JJ Redick's Cash
Doncic went for 28-8-7 in a 127-105 rout, and his old Mavs teammate turned coach admits he's lost plenty betting against that shot.
Top-two overall value. There's no sit button here, ever.
- 28 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast in Lakers' 127-105 win
- Banked a half-court heave before halftime
- Our #2 overall, #1 at guard for 2026-27
- 57.5 fantasy pts/game last season (2025-26)
- Averaged 33.5-7.7-8.3 over 64 games in 2025-26
Luka Doncic opened his Lakers season by stuffing the box score — 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a 127-105 beatdown of the Warriors on Wednesday night. One of his seven makes was a half-court heave that banked in right before the halftime buzzer, the kind of shot that makes the rest of the league shake their heads.
The funniest part came after the game, when JJ Redick explained why he wasn't surprised. The Lakers run a petty fine system — $500 of personal cash into a pot for being late to film or the bus — and players shoot for the money at every shootaround. Per Redick, Luka has won that pot more than anyone. He hadn't cashed it yet this season, but the coach said that when Doncic sets his feet with no defender near him, the make is basically expected.
Redick would know. He was Luka's teammate in Dallas during the 2020-21 season, and he admitted he lost a lot of money to Doncic in those shooting contests — this from a guy who was one of the best shooters the league has ever seen. So when that heave went up, Redick expected it to drop.
What It Means for Fantasy
For managers, the only news here is that Luka looks dialed in. He's our #2 overall player and the #1 guard for 2026-27, coming off a 2025-26 campaign where he posted 57.5 fantasy points per game across 64 appearances on a 33.5-7.7-8.3 line. A 28-8-7 opener against a playoff-caliber defense is exactly the floor you drafted him for.
The one flag worth noting: over his last five games, Luka ran about three fantasy points below his season average. That's noise, not a trend — small-sample dips from a player this central to his offense aren't a reason to blink. He controls usage, pace and shot selection for the Lakers, and that profile doesn't crater.
Bottom line: Doncic is a locked-in weekly start with zero daylight behind him in the first round. If anyone in your league is panicking over that minor cold stretch and floats him in a trade, that's your cue to pounce. Otherwise, plug him in and go win your matchup.
