The fact that James Harden can drop 50 points in a night without anyone batting an eye is ridiculous. The story line shouldn’t be about how he scored 54 last night, topping the 50-point mark for the second consecutive night. It should be about how no one is talking about it. He had 10 threes and everyone just shrugs and goes about their business. Like, how is such an incredible feat just happening without it being the headline on every major sports media source? It’s mind boggling. This happened three times in between 1980 and 2000. Three times only. Trivia: try and guess who they were in the comments for absolutely no prize at all!
But Harden has done it two separate times this year alone!! And no one is talking about it!! Insanity. Here’s his stat line from last night:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 54 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10-15 | 19-31 | 6-6 |
He single-handedly can bring your roster to the top of the league in multiple scoring categories, and is currently the top asset in fantasy basketball. Let’s go around the league and take a look at the rest of Friday night’s action.
P.J. Tucker
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3-5 | 4-6 | 1-2 |
Tucker’s minutes are about the only thing consistent about his game, but over the least couple of weeks he’s found his footing and is contributing in a lot of ways. He should be owned in all formats due to his 30-minute floor alone, and the rebounds, threes, and defense are all really nice to have.
Russell Westbrook
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1-3 | 9-18 | 4-4 |
He’s been shooting a lot better from the line lately, which is good considering his free throw percentage was recently sitting at around 70%. Though he had no steals in this one, he had been putting on a clinic this past week, with five straight multi-steal games.
Danuel House Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
His scoring has gone way down, only exceeding 12 points once in the past five games. He still gets a ton of minutes, but is mainly used as a supplementary piece to the other four guys on the floor. His usage is dropping concerningly low, meaning that many fantasy owners are losing confidence in him as a usable asset. Keep him for a little while longer until his role becomes clear, as he gets a lot of playing time, and likely will perform at a high rate if any of the other starters miss time or get rest.
Jonathan Isaac
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0-1 | 4-7 | 2-2 |
He’s definitely come back down to Earth after his explosive start to the season, but he’s usually good for low double-digit scoring, high single-digit rebounds, and a whole lot of blocks. A big difference has been his efficiency, which was previously at around 50% from the floor and is now dipping to the 40’s after some recent inefficient outings.
Aaron Gordon
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2-5 | 9-15 | 1-1 |
Gordon is hot right now, hitting more threes and topping double-digit scoring numbers in six consecutive games.
Evan Fournier
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6-11 | 10-18 | 1-2 |
This man keeps on getting buckets. He’ll likely keep it up and top 20 points per game this year, and you can expect around three rebounds and assists per contest. Unfortunately, his defense is almost non-existent.
Brandon Ingram
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 32 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1-3 | 10-17 | 11-13 |
The story’s the same with Ingram. Don’t sell him when Zion eventually returns, and maybe even try to buy him “low” at the time.
Jrue Holiday
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0-6 | 4-18 | 4-5 |
Still productive, but unusually inefficient. The Pelicans have lost 11 games in a row, but I don’t think that affects Holiday’s playing time at all.
Derrick Favors
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 4-10 | 0-1 |
Favors was immediately impactful in his return, putting up solid numbers in only 15 minutes of play. His return will help benefit the rest of the team (like Jrue), and he’ll fill a big role.
Tobias Harris
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 31 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1-3 | 12-20 | 6-7 |
Harris is finally starting to embrace his role as the lead scoring option on the team even with Embiid and Simmons. Good on you if you held on to him, and he’ll likely get that scoring average up above 20 points and keep it there.
Ben Simmons
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0-0 | 9-15 | 6-10 |
Everything is firing on all cylinders for the Sixers right now, and a lot of that is due to the maturity Simmons is playing with. One turnover with the amount of ball-handling responsibility he has is a really encouraging sight.
Joel Embiid
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1-3 | 6-16 | 11-14 |
Embiid is also starting to get on track. It’s not that he was bad before this stretch of games, but he had been increasingly undisciplined, and a lot of it had to do (I think) on how much fun he was having. He seems to be getting back to his goofy ways, which legitimately should benefit him.
LeBron James
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4-8 | 11-22 | 2-4 |
His turnovers are actually problematic as of late, topping five in five of his last eight games. The Lakers are making a case for the best team in the NBA… but I think it’s the Bucks. Don’t @ me.
Anthony Davis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4-9 | 11-20 | 7-9 |
The AD MVP talks may have been a bit overblown earlier in the season, as it’s hard to do that when playing on the same team as LeBron. But Davis sure is giving it his all, and is probably the best all-around player in fantasy right now, all things considered.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1-3 | 6-9 | 2-4 |
I think there’s a reasonable chance that KCP remains the starter over Avery Bradley even as Bradley continues to regain his health. And for that reason, he should be owned in more than 5% of leagues. Pick him up as a guard sleeper that can score, hit threes, and has been doing a better job of passing the ball lately.
Jimmy Butler
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0-5 | 9-20 | 5-6 |
Sooooo close. But I would still turn over my roster to get Butler for the rest of the season. Down the stretch, with the Heat really starting to click, I think he becomes a top-five player the rest of the way (which isn’t too much of a stretch, considering he’s just outside the top 10 right now).
Kendrick Nunn
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2-6 | 7-15 | 0-0 |
Nunn followed up his stellar 36 point performance with another solid game. He’s the point guard to own and the point guard of the future for the Heat.
Bam Adebayo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0-0 | 5-11 | 2-5 |
As far as prototypical NBA “big men” go, Bam is near the top of the list for the best in the league. His ascension has been something to watch.
Malcolm Brogdon
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1-3 | 7-16 | 4-6 |
Brogdon is so good. So damn good. Honestly, I’m surprised that the Bucks are doing as well as they are without him this year, and maybe it proves they weren’t using him to the fullest of his potential last year. Otherwise, I don’t know how they could have lost.
Domantas Sabonis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0-0 | 6-11 | 0-0 |
He should be nicknamed dviguba dviguba, the Lithuanian translation for double double (at least according to Google Translate). It’s actually automatic.
Trae Young
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3-10 | 9-30 | 2-2 |
It’s becoming more and more clear that Trae is a top daily fantasy commodity, but his really streaky shooting and tendency to launch up ill-advised shots hurts his season-long value. That said, he’s still one of the best scorers and distributors in the league.
De’Andre Hunter
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0-4 | 7-16 | 7-9 |
He’s only owned in 31% of leagues… so pick him up! That usage continues to rise, and the occasional off night isn’t enough to offset his overall potential in several different categories.
Kevin Huerter
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 5 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0-2 | 2-7 | 1-2 |
His playing time is growing, but his performance isn’t. However, Cam Reddish isn’t doing much to encourage fantasy owners, either. I’d leave both of them on the waivers for now.
Devonte’ Graham
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2-9 | 4-14 | 6-6 |
A lot of good and a lot of bad… such is life for a rookie on a bad team. However, in a win where his team scored only 83 points (the fourth-lowest total in a win over the past five seasons – another good trivia question for who was lowest) he and his teammates actually enjoyed some solid fantasy production.
Terry Rozier
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1-5 | 5-15 | 0-1 |
It’s been a little cold spell for Rozier, as he has been held below 20 points in four straight games, shooting horrendous percentages of 23%, 36%, 33%, and 33% in those outings. That hurts.
Bismack Biyombo and Cody Zeller
Both pretty much had the same stats in the same amount of playing time, despite Biyombo getting the start. For this reason, neither of them are reliable options, and it’s hard to predict if either will take over the minutes at the center position or just continue to split time.
Zach LaVine
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1-8 | 4-19 | 3-3 |
This was the best fantasy performance of a Bull last night. Yea.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 37 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3-7 | 12-23 | 10-13 |
FREAK. In 26 minutes. That’s the only damper, as more often than not they get out to such a massive lead that he sits.
Khris Middleton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3-6 | 10-19 | 3-3 |
Six turnovers is about as high as Middleton will go, as he has been extremely good at limiting those. This game may have marked his return to full playing time, as he’s now topped the 30 minute mark twice in a row.
Eric Bledsoe left the game early, but he probably won’t miss much time, if any.
Jaren Jackson Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 43 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9-15 | 14-21 | 6-9 |
His three-point shooting had been a great facet of his game. But nine threes? Nine threes?? No one could have seen that coming. He has one of the brightest futures in the league, and gives you a bunch of different stats, with the only negative being that you’d like a big man to rebound a little bit more.
Jonas Valanciunas
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1-1 | 3-10 | 1-2 |
It’s been an up-and-down week for the big man, as his 32 point outburst is now firmly an anomaly as opposed to a potential spark for a stretch of success. His usage, however, remains fairly high, while his efficiency has been the primary concern.
D’Angelo Russell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2-12 | 8-20 | 0-0 |
The usage is still really high, and that’s something you can thankfully bank on in a tumultuous Warriors organization. Who knows if he’ll get dealt, but that would obviously affect his fantasy outlook dramatically.
Bojan Bogdanovic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 32 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8-13 | 8-18 | 8-10 |
If his whole game was just to stand beyond the arc and wait for the offense to get him an open shot, he’d be as good of a fantasy asset as he is now. Threes, threes, and more threes for Bojan is the recipe for success.
Donovan Mitchell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3-9 | 10-19 | 5-7 |
That floor keeps getting higher and higher and higher. It comes as a surprise if he scores under 20, and his rebounding and assisting is a regularity in his game. If only his defense was there at a higher level.
Rudy Gobert
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | 6-9 | 3-4 |
The race between Gobert and Embiid for the best center in the league (if you count AD as a forward) is a really, really intriguing one. And as a Sixers fan, it pains me to lean Gobert. But I tend to lean Gobert.
Julius Randle
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3-8 | 10-17 | 3-5 |
Randle’s offense is pretty much always there. His defense is more of a guarantee, though, to not be there.
Frank Ntilikina
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0-3 | 1-5 | 0-0 |
Oh well. There was a lot of promise, not even so long ago, but that’s four straight games of two points. Yikes. Elfrid Payton, though he comes off the bench, consistently outplays Ntilikina.
Buddy Hield
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 34 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6-13 | 14-23 | 0-0 |
Buddy may not have as much of a cannon as the snowball flinging elf of the same name, but he launches from deep better than anyone in the league at this point. He’s made 22 threes over the past four games.
Karl-Anthony Towns
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 39 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 5-10 | 12-22 | 10-13 |
Business as usual.
Andrew Wiggins
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 34 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2-7 | 12-20 | 8-8 |
Consider me a member of the Wiggins bandwagon. I love this career turnaround for him, and what’s even better is that I was such a doubter that he would ever turn it around.
Kawhi Leonard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 42 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3-3 | 10-24 | 19-19 |
40-bomb number one. And…
Paul George
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 46 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6-15 | 17-31 | 6-7 |
40-bomb number two. They are now the 21st pair of teammates to do this in history… what an amazing Stump the Schwab category.
