Max Christie

Davis is back in the lineup after missing nearly a month with a strained calf. While he's made it clear in the past that he prefers to be used at power forward rather than center, AD will start at the five in his first game against the Lakers in Los Angeles since being traded. The other change to the lineup is Nembhard, who replaces Brandon Williams.

Due to injuries, the Mavericks have made two changes to their starting lineup. Cooper Flagg (illness) will miss a game for the first time, with Thompson returning to the starting five. The other change is Lively, who is back after missing Monday's loss to the Timberwolves. His return means Moussa Cisse will head to the bench, but he isn't guaranteed rotation minutes since Daniel Gafford is also available.

After struggling mightily to begin the season, Thompson may be getting back on track. He's reached double figures in three straight games, making at least four three-pointers in each. At this stage of his career, Thompson is more of a specialist than a player who can provide solid fantasy value across multiple categories. And that's unlikely to change anytime soon, especially with Max Christie (14/4/4/1 with three three-pointers) taking Klay's place in the starting lineup. Dallas plays four games during Week 5, starting with Minnesota on Monday.

Davis is expected to remain out for at least one more game, but he was able to practice on Thursday, so he's getting closer to a return. Max Christie has been starting since Davis went down, and he has played well. He'll remain in that role at least one more game, though he has made a case to continue to start even after Davis returns.