Is LeBron James Playing Today? (Latest Injury Updates and News for Lakers vs. Bulls on March 26)

Update (3:03 p.m. ET): LeBron James is now expected to play on March 26 against the Chicago Bulls. Our original story follows below.

The Los Angeles Lakers are back in action on Sunday afternoon as they face the Chicago Bulls at 3:30 p.m. ET. One player's status to keep an eye on ahead of tip-off is LeBron James, who has missed each of LA's last 13 games with a right foot injury.

LeBron James Injury Update (3/26/2023)

LeBron James is listed as doubtful to suit up today, but it is worth noting that his status has finally been upgraded from out. That is a good sign as James nears a return for the first time in a month after going down with tendon issues in his foot. Eight games remain in the Lakers' regular season.

James has been a leader both in the locker room and on the court for LA this season. He ranks first on the team on a points per game basis (29.5) and is averaging 8.4 rebounds as well as 6.4 assists. The 38-year-old also remains on pace to shoot over 50.0% for the eighth time in the last nine years.

The Lakers have held their ground without LeBron, posting an 8-5 record over their last 13 games. They currently sit eighth in the Western Conference with a 37-37 record and are 1.5 games back of the No. 6 seed, which would allow them to avoid the play-in tournament. The time to step up is now.

LeBron James Fantasy Outlook and Prop Bets Today

LeBron James is not listed among the prop bets available for the Lakers-Bulls matchup on FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds, which is another sign that he will likely be on the sideline. The only LA player listed is Anthony Davis, who I am backing to log under 13.5 rebounds (-124). The Bulls allow the third-fewest rebounds to opposing centers (13.6) and the 12th-fewest rebounds per game overall (50.5).

James is listed among the top options on the FanDuel DFS slate tonight, though, checking in with the sixth-most expensive price tag overall ($10,200). That should come as no surprise considering the veteran All-Star is averaging 50.7 FanDuel fantasy points per game and has averaged 28.5 points per game against the Bulls in his career. Make sure to have a backup plan ready to in case James is out.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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