When I was a preteen, I remember a super rare baseball card of Cal Ripken’s brother, Billy Ripken. The normal card had him holding a baseball bat without anything worth noting on the card. But there were a few prints of an original that showed where the goofball Billy decided to scribble a curse word that was gold to 12-year-old baseball card collectors. There were only a few copies of this card and I was lucky enough to find one in a fresh pack. It was so rare, that I managed to sell it to a classmate for $50, which I then wasted on more baseball cards. Sometimes an amazingly rare thing happens and you just have to enjoy the moment. Marcin Gortat managed to turn back the clock and post this out-of-nowhere gem on the Suns.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/10 | 2/2 | NA | 18 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Now, this was unexpected. Gortat has been a complete nonfactor this season, but managed a gem of a game. I wouldn’t expect a repeat any time soon, but it’s nice to be able to talk about the Polish Hammer once again.
Stars Gonna Star
These stars played like we expected them to, punking their inferior opponents, and racking up the stats that build the foundation of our fantasy teams. Enjoy the ride.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 7/16 | 1/2 | 4/8 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Luka had some big moments on the national stage, including an off-the-backboard three-pointer to end the first quarter. Overall, he was the most dynamic player on the Mavs, but was no match for the onslaught from Boston. He’s still so fun to watch.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/6 | 2/2 | NA | 12 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
DAJ looked sharp and came through with a solid double-double and 3 stocks for his fantasy GMs. He also continued his odd improvement in free throws.
Gordon Hayward
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/15 | 2/2 | 2/6 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
With Kyrie out, it was up to the rest of the talented passers on the team to run the offense. Hayward is part of that crew and almost messed around. The efficiency from the field was not good, but it looks like he may be starting to find his groove.
Hassan Whiteside
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 9/13 | 3/5 | NA | 21 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Whiteside beasted out and abused the Wizards big men to the tune of an easy 21 and 18. He also offered up 3 stocks. His role seems to fluctuate a lot and there are always trade rumors but, for this game, he looked terrific.
Victor Oladipo
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 14/28 | 4/5 | 4/13 | 36 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
It took Dipo’s three-pointer at the end to finish off the Bulls, but the Pacers are on fire. Oladipo was once again impressive in this one. He’s been top 20 over the last two weeks and, if he can keep the steals going, he might actually get close to meeting expectations built from last season.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/9 | 2/3 | 2/2 | 16 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Wow. 17 assists marks Dunn’s career high. He didn’t offer up any of his usual steals, but we can’t complain at this type of double-double. His stock is pointing up.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 12/21 | 2/2 | 5/9 | 31 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
LaVine nailed the game-tying 3 to push this one to overtime. The points and 3’s are obviously great. He’s hit the ground running since returning from injury.
D’Angelo Russell
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 7/16 | 6/6 | 3/7 | 23 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
The rest day seemed to do the trick because this marks back-to-back excellent games for DRuss. He seems to be building some consistency and is showing himself to be the man in Brooklyn. Fantasy GMs can still hope for his eventual move towards top 50 value.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 10/20 | 8/9 | 3/6 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Conley followed up his scoreless 0-for-8, zero point game with a 31 point gem. The boards and assists could have been better, but he made sure to include 4 steals in this excellent rebound statline.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 10/16 | 1/1 | 1/4 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Vuc is the man in Orlando and has just been consistently so great all season long. Still, he could be a risk for rest down the road if the Magic keep losing.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 11/20 | 6/8 | 1/6 | 29 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
KAT gave a nice performance and continues his excellent top 10 season. He even has room to improve with his FG%, so his value could go even higher.
Giannis Antentekounmpo
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/8 | 4/6 | 0/1 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
The Greek Freak was amazing while he played but, because the Bucks had this one easily in-hand, they only needed him for 19 minutes. The low minutes makes this line even more impressive.
Danilo Gallinari
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/11 | 8/9 | 1/4 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Gallo delivered in multiple categories against the Suns. The scoring and free throws have been huge. 6 assists show that he can help fantasy GMs in many different ways.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/14 | 6/11 | 1/2 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
While this was a rough game, Booker put up his usual nice production. The free throw shooting was rough, but the scoring helps.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 13/28 | 5/6 | 0/2 | 31 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
This was a nice rebound after going 3-for-20 from the field in his last outing. He kept things under control and dropped a nice line that was a board and 3 assists away from a triple-double.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 10/23 | 12/14 | 5/9 | 37 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
PG continues his amazing season. Overall, he’s the #4 player in standard 9 cat leagues. It’s safe to say that he’s elite again, and should be paying off handsomely to any GM that took him in the early second round.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 9/14 | 4/6 | NA | 22 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
It’s not quite the insane 5×5 of his last game, but he kept things going with more excellent play. This marks four of Nurk’s last five games scoring over 20 points. While he’s a lot of fun while he’s hot, he makes for a nice sell-high player.
Enes Kanter
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/11 | 5/7 | 1/2 | 16 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Kanter was sounding fed up with his role and, while Kornet started, it was Enes who posted the nice double-double. He even added a three-pointer, 3 assists, and an uncharacteristic 3 blocks. While the Knicks may be wanting to run their young guys, Kanter may have some consistency issues but, this game is a good reminder of what he’s capable of.
Dropped the Ball
Oooof. That’s not exactly what we were hoping for. Hopefully, these guys rebound next game and your fantasy team can stay afloat.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 3/13 | 4/4 | 3/4 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
The Cavs are just a straight up mess and Sexton is at the helm dropping bombs like this beauty. His earlier relevance has passed and this is what happens when a point guard that only scores goes cold from the floor.
Tomas Satoransky
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 4/9 | NA | 0/1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
This wasn’t what Sato GM’s wanted to see, as he just looked a little off. A late run in the fourth quarter helped improve a really pathetic looking line. He’ll do better next time.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 3/4 | 0/1 | 2/2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
We have to give Turner a pass in this one as the broken nose held him back. He was really rolling over the past month, so this game is a big letdown. Hopefully, the mask won’t keep him down for too long.
Rodions Kurucs
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 2/7 | 1/1 | 0/3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
After a hot run in the starting lineup, it looks like Hot Rod has cooled off. I still believe in his talent, but his role may be fading for now. He’s probably not worth holding onto in standard leagues, but keep a close eye on him.
DeAndre Ayton
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 2/3 | NA | NA | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Not really sure what happened here. Just chalk it up to an off night, and expect a monster performance next game.
Solid and Noteworthy
These are the good performances we wanted to make note of.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 7/12 | 1/2 | 3/4 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Mitchell brought some nice efficiency this game after a few clunkers. His FG% has really been dragging his value this season, but maybe this is a sign of good things to come. He sported an impressive +/- of +28 and would have done more if the Jazz hadn’t cruised to victory.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 4/4 | 4/4 | NA | 12 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
The Steiffel Tower managed a perfect game from the field and line, while adding a very nice 5 swats. He’s pushing top 20 value for the season and is looking like an ideal punt FT foundation.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 9/15 | 1/1 | 2/4 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Brown started for Marcus Morris and provided some efficient scoring and even nabbed 3 steals. As long as Morris is out, Jaylen should provide solid production.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 4/10 | NA | 2/3 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Horford also showed off his playmaking abilities and almost pulled off a low end triple-double.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/11 | NA | 5/8 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Smart was active all game and really caught fire from deep. This was his best game in a while and hopefully he can continue to produce while Kyrie is out.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/16 | 4/4 | 2/8 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Josh continued to be a very solid fantasy play, providing some stats in all categories. He’s near top 50 for the season and, hopefully, his FG% can improve to help bring him into the top 40.
Justise Winslow
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/9 | 2/4 | 1/3 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Winslow pulled off a nice but low-end double-double and continues to surprise in his role as a ginormous point guard.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 9/13 | 5/5 | NA | 23 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
With Turner struggling, it was the Sabonis Show. He played efficiently and did his usual points and boards. His top 70 ranking has been a pleasant surprise this season.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 11/20 | 1/2 | 4/9 | 27 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
Markkanen had another of his predictable point, boards, and 3’s combo. With Holiday out the door, it opens up a little more usage for Lauri. He’s pretty dialed in now and should be good to go for the rest of the season.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/9 | 3/4 | 0/1 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
This was a nice rebound from his last disaster of a game and fantasy GMs can breathe a sigh of relief. The 4 stocks were especially noteworthy.
T. J. Warren
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/14 | 2/2 | 2/3 | 20 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Warren’s emergence into an excellent three-point shooter this season has been remarkable. He put up great numbers tonight, highlighted by points, 3’s, and steals. This was a nice rebound game from his last one, so GM’s should be feeling better.
Heating Up
Hot streaks are always fun.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/10 | 1/1 | 1/5 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
A lot of fantasy owners may have dropped Ingles after his rough three-game slump, but this was a nice return to the classic Joe lines. It would have been nice if he hit a few more threes, but GMs can’t complain about the boards and assists.
Otto Porter Jr.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 7/14 | 0/1 | 0/5 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
In his second game bac,k Otto looked pretty solid on his way to 14 and 6 with 3 steals. With Wall out, he will need to pick up more of the slack offensively, which should help him begin to return value to the GMs who drafted him in the early-mid rounds.
Antonio Blakeney
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/9 | 2/2 | 1/3 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
This marks back-to-back double-digit scoring games for the young guard. He’s looked solid filling some of the gap after the Bulls traded Holiday. He even threw in a few boards and steals for good measure. Super Deep League GMs take notice.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/10 | 1/1 | 0/3 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Slo-Mo has been ramping things up…slowly, but its been worth it as he dolled out a career high 10 assists on his way to a super low-end triple double. On the season, he’s just inside the top 100, but he could be on his way up. If you didn’t already buy-low, this performance didn’t help.
Jeff Teague
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/10 | 4/8 | 3/3 | 23 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Now that’s how you make your return. Teague stepped it up and provided a nice double-double along with 3 three-pointers. With Butler gone, Teague should see an increased role in playmaking, and this can only help his fantasy outlooks.
DeAndre’ Bembry
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 7/12 | 3/3 | 2/4 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Bembry got more run due to the blowout nature of this game. He usually offers up some counting stats, especially assists, but that wasn’t the case in this one.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/8 | 6/8 | NA | 16 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
With Ayton just inept in this game, Holmes stepped up and showed how he can produce when given the chance. Sure, it was mainly garbage time, but fantasy GMs will love getting 6 stocks.
Where did that come from?
Well that was unexpected. Nice work, but can you keep it up?
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 2/4 | 3/4 | 1/1 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
With Horford on a minutes limit and the other big men out with injuries, Theis managed a really nice game, contributing a little everywhere, while beasting out on the boards. He’s still only for deep leagues, but he can go on little runs like this.
