Luke Walton (hamstring) did not travel with the team and will not play in Friday's game against the Suns, and Theo Ratliff (knee) is still questionable.

Look for Ron Artest and Matt Barnes to get a few more minutes, and both should get a slight upgrade also because of the Suns' style of play.

As expected, Luke Walton (hamstring) will be inactive for Tuesday's season opener.

Among the most injury prone players in the league these days, Walton has more value to the Lakers than he does in fantasy leagues. Ron Artest and Matt Barnes will get a few more minutes, but not enough to drastically alter their value.

Luke Walton isn't expected to play in Tuesday's game after aggravating his strained right hamstring last Friday.

Walton can't seem to shake the injury bug and L.A. would be wise to rest him as long as it takes to get him back to 100%. In his absence, guys like Ron Artest and Matt Barnes will pick up a few extra minutes.

Luke Walton lasted just four minutes Friday before aggravating a hamstring injury and did not return to the game.

Uh oh. He could be out a while with this one, not to mention the fact that his back will also be a concern all season. Unless you're in a 20- or 30-team league, forget about him.

Luke Walton (hamstring) returned to action on Thursday, and chipped in with five points on 2-of-3 shooting with a 3-pointer, a rebound, and two assists in 11 minutes.

He won't be much better in the regular season unless multiple guys go down, and even then there's no guarantee that his gimpy back could withstand any meaningful action.

Luke Walton (hamstring) practiced Monday and is targeting Thursday's preseason game against the Warriors for his return.

There's a chance he could play Tuesday, too, but it's unlikely. His back is healthy and he looks ready to contribute for the Lakers this year, but he's nowhere near productive enough to contribute for your fantasy team.

Luke Walton (hamstring) is recovering well and could return to action in about a week.

Walton should be ready to go for opening night, but his health (especially his back) will likely be a recurring issue this season. He provides depth for the Lakers' bench but shouldn't be drafted in fantasy leagues.

Luke Walton aggravated his strained hamstring and is expected to miss at least two weeks.

The strain is classified as "moderate" -- Walton, who is in Europe with the Lakers, will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Los Angeles.

Luke Walton has minor right hamstring strain and Matt Barnes has the same injury to his left one.

Neither injury is serious and Walton's gimpy back is much more of a concern at this point.

Luke Walton's gimpy back seems to be fine right now, but there is still a major concern over his health within the organization.

"When you start getting cautious and start worrying about things, that's when you seem to get hurt more often when you're not playing free and reacting," Walton said "That thought definitely comes in, but as an athlete you can't let that stay. You have to get your body in a position where you're not even thinking about it." Walton has no fantasy value, and it sounds like he may not be healthy all season. Ignore him in fantasy leagues.

Lakers forward Luke Walton is optimistic that his back will be healthy enough to make it through the season.

"My back feels great right now. It's a lot stronger," said Walton. "That being said, at the same time I'm a little nervous, just because I know how much of a grind the season and training camp can be." He's spent his summer doing Pilates, yoga, and working with other trainers and back specialists.

Luke Walton's back injury could keep him out for the entire season.

Mitch Kupchak calls it a "unique" injury and Walton may require surgery. The Lakers brought in Matt Barnes this summer, and he'll quickly make fans forget about Walton if he is shut down for the season due to his bad back.

Luke Walton is contemplating having back surgery, but says it will be a last resort.

Walton will try to get his back fully healed without surgery, but it's a realistic option if he's not feeling 100 percent by August or so. The surgery would be a fairly major step, so he'll try to avoid it if possible.

Luke Walton (back) has stated that he will play against Denver Thursday despite sitting out a portion of Wednesday's practice due to soreness.

Walton's been fighting through a pinched nerve. He hasn't seen fifteen minutes in a game since early November and doesn't look to have much fantasy value any time soon.

Luke Walton (back) played in his first game since Feb. 10 on Sunday, but saw just eight minutes and had no points, no rebounds, and two assists.

He's a facilitator for the second-unit and no more, so he's not worth consideration in fantasy leagues.