Matisse Thybulle's Lakers Role Takes Shape — But Can Fantasy Trust Him?
The two-time All-Defense wing signed for one year and $3.2M, but 45 games over two seasons make him a tough fantasy sell.
Defense-first wing with injury history and a thin offensive floor.
- Signed 1-year, $3.2M deal with the Lakers
- Two-time NBA All-Defense (2021, 2022, 76ers)
- 34.9% career 3-point shooter over 7 years
- Played just 45 games over the last two seasons
- Competing for an open starting spot alongside Doncic, Reaves
Matisse Thybulle is the Lakers' newest defensive weapon, and after four days of training camp he's already being singled out as one of the most disruptive players on the floor. That's exactly why L.A. handed the 6-foot-5 wing a one-year, $3.2 million deal — and why he's now in an open competition for one of the final two starting spots.
The 2026-27 numbers aren't in yet, but the context is clear: Thybulle is a two-time All-Defense second team pick (2021 and 2022 with Philadelphia) who's spent his seven-year career as a career 34.9% three-point shooter. His job in L.A. is simple on paper — guard the ball, fill the lane in transition, and knock down corner threes when they come.
Thybulle said practicing against Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves every day is the best possible prep, joking that guarding those two makes drills harder than the games. He also talked about evolving as a defender — learning when to gamble in passing lanes versus playing patient, cat-and-mouse coverage against elite pace-changers like Doncic.
The Role Question
JJ Redick has already locked in Doncic, Reaves and Walker Kessler as starters, leaving two spots up for grabs. Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and Adou Thiero are all in the mix, and Redick praised the trio for how their full-court pressure sharpens the starters. Thybulle, for his part, said he'll leave the lineup decisions to the coaches and trust whatever maximizes his impact. First preseason action comes Monday night in Sacramento.
The Fantasy Fallout
Here's the problem for fantasy managers: defense doesn't pay the bills in most formats, and Thybulle's offensive ceiling is low. For context, Doncic put up 57.5 fantasy pts/game across 64 games last season (2025-26, actual) as our #2 overall player, and Reaves added 38.7 fantasy pts/game in 51 games. Thybulle is nowhere near that tier — his value lives in steals, blocks and the occasional corner three.
Health is the bigger red flag. He played just 30 games last season (2025-26) after a torn thumb ligament, and only 15 the year before (2024-25) with knee and ankle issues — 45 total over two years. Even if he wins a starting job, that's a shaky foundation. In deep leagues and steals-heavy formats he's worth a late flier, but for everyone else this is a watch-and-wait situation. Let him prove he can stay on the floor before you spend a roster spot.
