DeAndre Ayton Calls Out Lakers; Fantasy Basketball Owners Hope for Positive Change

DeAndre Ayton appears unhappy with his role with the Lakers, but change may be a big ask for all key stakeholders, including Ayton himself.

Jan 6, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center DeAndre Ayton (5) reacts to a play against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Lakers have DeAndre Ayton quite unhappy in Los Angeles. He was quoted as saying (angrily) that "They're trying to make me Clint Capela." What did Capela ever do to him? Oh well, the headline is brutal, but it is a point that Ayton has not met his upside in fantasy basketball, and it is not his fault. Will he be rising, falling, or in purgatory? Let's analyze his situation.

Fantasy Basketball Analysis

Deandre Ayton expressed his frustration with his role in LA after the Lakers’ loss vs. the Magic 😳 pic.twitter.com/D5BXsDSuzW

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 26, 2026

In 2025-26, Ayton is playing to a 17% usage rate. He is only playing to about 28 minutes per game, which can be called lower than what fans may expect. He should be playing over 30 minutes, no doubt about it. Ayton then rebounds to a 36% rate, which is very good, and a 40% block rate. He is an elite rim protector with about zero drop-off in efficiency from his Suns days.

In fantasy basketball, Ayton is currently the C24. This is not far off of his ADP of C22, but it is still well below what Lakers fans expected from Ayton when he team got him. The center is top-10 capable, but his performance has not been seen much due to his minutes limitations.

As to his Clint Capela reference, this has Ayton calling the Lakers out for using him as a rim protector and nothing more. Ayton is scoring 13.2 points per game this season, clearly the lowest of his NBA career. On the Suns, Ayton is averaging 16-18 points per game, so his reduction here is about 30% in scoring.

Given the Lakers' record of 34-23 and their sixth-place standing in the Western Conference, it is unlikely that the team will shift itsConference usage of Ayton. The trade deadline has also since passed, so Ayton is stuck being frustrated for the foreseeable future.

Buy or Sell?

It can be said that Ayton is not very volatile in his fantasy basketball output. His floor is high, and his cieling is low. He may remain as a fantasy basketball bench item with starting upside. However, he will not be winning you the week.

Selling Ayton may be difficult. The only way to do so is if you have vast depth at the center. In that case, Ayton may be sold in a lateral move for a position that is more needed. Other than that, hold onto Ayton as a solid, reliable bench piece to provide well-expected output when called upon.