Walker Kessler
Los Angeles Lakers · C · Age 25 · 7′2″
Fantasy outlook
The No. 48 player on the 2026-27 projection, down from No. 20 in 2025-26. He is top 5 in blocks and field-goal percentage and top 25 in rebounds among rotation players; the cost is free-throw percentage at 59.6%, which makes him a natural punt-FT% pick. Yahoo drafters take him at 41.9 on average: priced about where he ranks.
Stats over time
Rising: up 2 seasons in a row.
- Up and down: between 8.1 (2023-24) and 14.4 (2025-26).
- Per 36 minutes: 14.4 in 2022-23, 16.8 last season, on 23.0 → 30.8 minutes: the change is mostly his playing time.
- The projection (14.6) is in line with last season (14.4).
Per game, from ESPN box scores. * Our 2026-27 projection, dashed.
Season by season
Rank, Value and colours start with 2023-24, the first season on our board; earlier seasons show ESPN's box scores.
Category profile · 2026-27
PTS
14.6#89 of 213-0.063PM
0.6#174 of 213-0.34REB
11.8#11 of 2130.95AST
1.4#185 of 213-0.69STL
0.7#165 of 213-0.30BLK
2.4#2 of 2131.30FG%
69.3%6.0/8.6#3 of 2131.15FT%
59.6%2.0/3.3#211 of 213-1.31TO
1.4#81 of 2130.26Rank among rotation players (20+ minutes, 20+ games). Colour is the value in the category, as in Rankings.
Team role · Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers starter at C; Kevon Looney, new to the team, is behind him. 201 minutes a night of the 2025-26 rotation left, most of it LeBron James, Marcus Smart, and Rui Hachimura; Quentin Grimes is the arrival projected for the most minutes (30).
C
- 1Walker KesslerNew
- 2Kevon LooneyNew
- 3Sandro MamukelashviliNew
Left since 2025-26
- LeBron JamesSigned by PHI Jul 2633 min → PHI
- Marcus SmartSigned by HOU Jul 1029 min → HOU
- Rui Hachimura28 min → LAC
- Deandre AytonAcquired by WSH Jul 727 min → WSH
- Luke KennardSigned by PHX Jul 1423 min → PHX
- Gabe Vincent19 min
- Jaxson HayesSigned by UTAH Jul 1018 min → UTAH
- Nick Smith Jr.13 min
- Maxi Kleber11 min
- Minutes a night201
Arrived
- Walker KesslerAcquired Jul 831 min from UTAH
- Quentin Grimes30 min from PHI
- Collin Sexton24 min from CHI
- Ziaire Williams23 min from BKN
- Sandro Mamukelashvili22 min from TOR
- Matisse Thybulle16 min from POR
- Jaden HardyAcquired Jul 716 min from WSH
- Kevon Looney15 min from NO
- Cameron Carrnew
- Arthur Kalumanew
- AK Okerekenew
Depth chart from ESPN. Who left and arrived: last season's box scores against today's roster; how and when: ESPN's transaction feed, where it lists the move. Minutes are last season's, per game. Los Angeles Lakers depth chart
Box-score averages from ESPN.
Walker Kessler in fantasy basketball
The outlook above is written from our 2026-27 projection and his recent seasons, and changes with every projection run. His Value and ranks are the same numbers Rankings shows.
The No. 48 player on the 2026-27 projection, down from No. 20 in 2025-26. Yahoo drafters take him at 41.9 on average: priced about where he ranks.
He is top 5 in blocks and field-goal percentage and top 25 in rebounds among rotation players; the cost is free-throw percentage at 59.6%, which makes him a natural punt-FT% pick.
The Los Angeles Lakers starter at C; Kevon Looney, new to the team, is behind him.
Our projection has him at 68 games, after 5 last season.