Last night was interesting because we had some surprise performances and inefficient scoring. One performance stood out, though. Both in statistics and in how he just took over the game. Remember on opening night when everyone was freaking out about Jayson Tatum? Kyrie Irving was being called washed up and there were a lot of reactionaries out there saying that this was now Tatum’s team. That take proved to be dumb. Watching Irving and Kawhi Leonard battle in an overtime affair was a pleasure to watch. Last night’s game became a classic and will help build anticipation for a potential showdown in the playoffs.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 18/26 | 4/6 | 3/6 | 43 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Irving has been electric this season and was the sixth-ranked player in fantasy heading into last night’s game. He ended with a double-double (43 points and 11 assists). Add in three 3’s and three steals and you have an incredibly dynamic performance. The icing on the cake was the super efficiency on high volume. Boston is his team and they go as he does. For fantasy teams that roster Kyrie, your team goes as far as he can lead you, which is looking pretty far.
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 |
| 11/25 | 9/11 | 0/3 | 31 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
Kawhi was amazing yet again, battling Kyrie back and forth. He fell short this game, but that stat line is tasty and paid off for any GMs that picked him up in the latter half of the first round.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 10/16 | 1/1 | 7/10 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Jrich came through with a great scoring night. He efficiently put up 28 points and looked like the best player on the court. Seven 3’s probably helped a lot of fantasy teams. Keep on rollin with him. He’s legit.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 7/20 | 8/9 | 1/4 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
This was not Embiid’s best game, as he dealt with foul trouble and had to try to shoot over the Steiffel Tower. Still, a subpar Embiid game is better than awesome nights from most bigs. Joel managed to contribute everywhere, as he and Jimmy Butler find their footing together. Joel will continue to be a beast.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 12/15 | 2/5 | 2/3 | 28 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Butler grinned his way to a hyper-efficient 28 points and took over as Embiid was dealing with foul trouble. He’s capable of lines like this all the time and remains a top 20 player in fantasy.
De’Aaron Fox
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/17 | 6/8 | 1/5 | 23 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
Fox has looked like an entirely new player in his sophomore season. The playmaking improvements have really bolstered his fantasy appeal, and he came through again last night with 10 helpers. The turnovers are clearly his Achilles heel, but if you’re like me, that’s the automatic punt cat, which would then make him a top 40 player with upside.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 9/21 | 2/2 | 3/8 | 23 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
2 |
What’s the deal? I thought Wiggo was just an empty scorer. He’s been coming on strong this month, upping his boards, assists, and defensive stats. Maybe things are finally starting to click in his 5th season for Maple Jordan. I’m considering buying into it, but it goes against all that I stand for.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 16/25 | 10/15 | 1/4 | 43 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
AD was a monster and continued his MVP-level season. The high volume, poor free throw shooting kinda sucks, but he’s just amazing, so we can’t really complain too much. Keep it rolling.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 9/18 | 3/3 | 3/5 | 24 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Jrue doesn’t get all of the publicity, but he’s low-key one of the best 2-way guards in the league. He’s been doing it all season long and shows no signs of slowing down.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/15 | 5/9 | 2/4 | 23 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
The Greek Freek had a nice game if you ignore the free throws and turnovers. 23/13/4 with 3 blocks is nothing to sneeze at. Also, he finally did well shooting 3’s. If that part of his game is ever activated…look out.
Eric Bledsoe
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 10/13 | 2/3 | 3/5 | 25 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Bledsoe was awesome tonight with his best statistical game of the season. His scoring has been down this season, so this was nice to see, though 10-for-13 shooting is obviously unsustainable.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 9/15 | 3/3 | 2/6 | 23 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Middleton almost messed around. He was just 2 assists short. This was a stellar performance and he was basically dominant on the court. He’s got top 20 value and has been crushing it from beyond the arc.
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.
Goran Dragic
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 3/8 | 2/4 | 0/3 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
The Dragon still holds weight in fantasy leagues, but he has yet to repay the GMs that roster him. Last night was another “off night” and he continues to reside outside of the top 100. He will still have some decent scoring nights, but the days of 50% shooting and high volume free throws are over. He’s a sell in my book.
Victor Oladipo
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 3/12 | NA | 2/5 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Woof. This was a stinker by Dipo. He just couldn’t get it going tonight and should be fine moving forward.
Markelle Fultz
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 2/5 | 2/4 | NA | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
After watching his latest free-throw debacle, where he hot-potatoed the ball up as he set and released his shot, I am now convinced that Fultz is trolling the NBA and its fans. Nothing else to see here. It’s time to move on in fantasy if you haven’t already. If you bet on him in a dynasty team, you have some deep soul-searching to do.
John Wall
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/19 | 3/4 | 1/5 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Wall has looked unenthused most of this season, but has done fine for fantasy purposes. Something about this team just seems permanently damaged as is. Tonight was not very good, as he was wildly inefficient, forcing shots, and being careless with the ball. We expect much more from Wall.
Otto Porter
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 3/10 | 2/2 | 0/3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
This is getting concerning. I’m not sure what is going on and if he’s still dealing with his toe, or there’s some major issue with Scott Brooks, but you have to be super disappointed if you drafted Otto. I think things will eventually get better, but with each passing game, I believe it a little less.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/18 | 5/6 | 1/7 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
This was rough. We expect more out of Dame, but he came up short last night. The poor shooting, including 1-for-7 from 3, along with 5 turnovers is just best forgotten. He’s still one of the best and will probably put up 50 next game.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/20 | 2/3 | 1/5 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Apparently, you can chalk this game up to Zach being sick. His FG% has been declining in November, so that’s something to keep an eye on. He’s still the man in Chicago, but that top 50 ranking may start to slowly decline.
Solid and Noteworthy
These are the good performances that we wanted to make note of.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/11 | 4/6 | NA | 16 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Siakam may have found his way into an even bigger role with OG Anunoby’s injury last night. The 3rd year forward has been a revelation for Toronto, and he has been killing it in the points, boards, and field goal% categories.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/13 | 3/4 | 2/4 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
This was a nice efficient bounceback after his 5-of -14 night against Chicago. Tatum remains mostly a points, boards, and 3’s guy, and his FG% is harmful to your team. Still only 20, Tatum continues to have a very high ceiling, but he’s clearly the #2 man behind Kyrie.
Hassan Whiteside
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/15 | NA | NA | 12 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
Whiteside showed up with his 6th straight double-double. 17 boards and 2 blocks are nice, but the rest of his night was ho-hum.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 4/11 | 3/4 | 1/3 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
Ok. So where do we stand on Myles Turner as a fantasy community? I keep buying into the potential and I keep getting disappointed. I thought the hot yoga was supposed to open up his game. Tonight was actually his best game in a while, contributing in every cat, so maybe there’s still hope. I may regret this, but he’s still a buy low.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/10 | 2/4 | NA | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Gobert is a double-double machine. Take it to the bank every time. The blocks tonight should be better when you consider how massive he is, but besides his free throws, the Parisian Dunkster is having another great season.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/12 | NA | 2/5 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Is Joe Ingles the unsexiest player in the NBA? I personally like him just fine, as he finds ways to contribute a little over here, and a little over there. His FT% is way down from his career averages, but that should go up, along with his fantasy rankings.
Ricky Rubio
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 4/8 | 4/9 | 1/2 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Remember when Ricky was tricky and would get you 9-10 assists like clockwork? Well, Utah said that he could leave that in Spain and get with the program. He’s actually getting more assists than last year, but the rest of his game has been hurting. Rubio is currently outside of standard league relevance, mainly due to shooting under 35% from the field. I am cautiously optimistic that when Utah gets it’s act together, his production and efficiency will improve.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 4/9 | 2/5 | NA | 10 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
This was kind of a boring game for BS. He may find the ball taken out of his hands some with Jimmy in town. Can’t complain about a nearly triple-double though. The no 3’s streak continues.
D’Angelo Russell
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/16 | 6/8 | 1/4 | 23 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
Russell’s season looks like its finally starting to gel. His 3’s and assists have been decent and now his scoring is trending up while LeVert recovers. His stock is pointing up as he makes a go at being the lead guy until Caris returns.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/11 | 6/8 | NA | 16 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Allen returned from being out the last two games and didn’t miss a beat. He flashed a very sweet line with 16 and 12 with 2 swats. It would be nice if he continued to work on his 3’s, but that may take longer than expected. Either way, Jarrett looked great, was super active, and managed six offensive boards.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/13 | 6/9 | 3/5 | 25 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Dinwiddie has experienced a nice uptick in production with LeVert out. He should maintain this, as he and Russell continue to run the show in Brooklyn. It’s too late to go get him, but enjoy the ride if you made that move.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/19 | 3/4 | 1/3 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Beal had a pretty good game, scoring nicely, and was active on the glass. The rest of his numbers are pretty sparse. Overall in fantasy, he’s doing exactly as well as most predicted.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/12 | 2/2 | 2/4 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Buddy continued his very nice season and is looking like a steal in drafts. He contributes across the board and I expect his steals to eventually work its way back up to over 1 a game. Buddy up to your leaguemate that rosters him and see what it would take. Sorry.
Willie Cauley-Stein
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/9 | 1/3 | NA | 11 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
WCS has been experiencing a pretty solid season, riding boards, a nice field goal percentage, along with out-of-position steals. It may only be a matter of time until the wacky coaching in Sacramento does something perplexing, but for now, he’s been solid.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 7/16 | 4/8 | 1/4 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
The scoring was a bit of a letdown after the last three games, and how did he miss four free throws? Still, this was an ok game. As long as Memphis is winning, Conley should continue to shake the rust off and eventually make his way into the top 50.
Marc Gasol
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 7/12 | 3/5 | 2/6 | 19 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Gasol was a beast on the glass, but was uncharacteristically shaky from the line. This makes four out of the last five games with impressive lines, displaying different aspects of his skill set. Like Conley, Gasol is good to go as long as the Grizz stay competitive.
Shelvin Mack
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 3/8 | 1/1 | 2/5 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Mack was not supposed to be doing this, but he has continually carved out a solid role wherever he goes. With that, he has put together an underrated career and has offered sneaky production for five straight years. If you’re in need of assists and 3’s, you could definitely do worse off of waivers. I think his role in the rotation sticks.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/16 | 1/2 | 1/4 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
CJ put up a plane line that had some decent scoring, but not much else. His shallow contributions in other cats have led to a disappointing season.
Jeff Teague
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/10 | 1/2 | 2/3 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Now, this is the prototypical Jeff Teague line. Efficient lower end scoring, with nice assists, some swipes, and 3’s. Lost in all of the Rose madness is how Teague might be one of the most consistent and underappreciated fantasy players around.
Robert Covington
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/7 | NA | 4/6 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
3’s and steals are what BobCov brings to the table. He’s as streaky as they come, but ride him while he’s hot. He dealt with some foul trouble, otherwise, he would have had more run.
Derrick Rose
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 7/13 | 3/4 | 0/1 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
I keep waiting for the joke to be over. I couldn’t have been more wrong on Rose, as he has been producing alongside Wiggins and looking a lot more like his 2010 self. Now, this will all end at some point. It just has to, but for now, he’s definitely worth rostering for points, 3’s, solid boards, and assists. Next thing you’re gonna tell me is that Melo will have a comeback.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 9/23 | 8/10 | 4/12 | 30 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
The 9-for-23 hurts, but 8-for-10 from the charity stripe is definitely useful. Add four 3’s, eight boards, and two steals, and THJ is having a pretty nice season. He’ll never be an efficiency guy, but the scoring and 3’s are excellent.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 7/10 | 5/8 | 0/2 | 19 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
This was a solid bounce back after his last outing, which netted him five turnovers and three points. He’ll never be a great source of stocks and his free throw shooting keeps his value pretty grounded, but the points, boards, and field goal percentage can be helpful.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/8 | NA | NA | 12 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
WCJ only managed 25 minutes tonight and his overall production suffered. He was still efficient and helped a little across the board. He’s proving to be one of the best rookies in the league and he will only get better.
Jabari Parker
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 9/19 | NA | 3/6 | 21 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
21/8/3 is one of Parker’s better lines of the season. He even hit three 3’s. The zero stocks are on brand and part of why his value will always be capped.
Justin Holiday
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 7/12 | NA | 6/9 | 20 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
The elder Holiday continued his surprisingly effective season and padded his already elite 3’s and steals. If the older brothers are any indication, we should be paying more attention to the development of Aaron. Still, expect a drop off eventually. Use his top 40 ranking and see what you can get.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/10 | NA | 4/8 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
With the Henson injury, Brook is going to get a ton of run. Lopez has never been a great rebounder, but the four 3’s show what he can do from deep. The 3’s and blocks have him back in the top 40 this season.
Heating Up
Hot streaks are always fun.
Gordon Hayward
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 4/8 | 6/6 | 1/4 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Now, this is a little more like it. 15/5/5 with four steals and a 3 on 50% from the field is closer to the stat-stuffing game Hayward used to offer. He will continue to have his ups and downs as he recovers, but this was a very nice sign of things to come. The buy-low window may be closing soon.
Tyreke Evans
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/13 | 6/6 | 5/7 | 23 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Well, this came out of nowhere, and yet, we all knew he was capable of this. 23 and 10 with five 3’s is super useful. Maybe he’s starting to find his place in the offense. Keep an eye on this. He could trend up real quick.
Dwight Howard
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 9/13 | 7/10 | NA | 25 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Tonight was Dwight’s best game as a Wizard, and he was hustling while his teammates just seemed to stand around. I wouldn’t expect this type of night very often, but it’s just a reminder of what he’s capable of.
Kelly Oubre
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 5/6 | 7/8 | 1/2 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Oubre came out hot tonight and only missed one shot and one free throw. He’s a solid heat check scorer for the Wiz, but the ups and downs are pretty drastic.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 11/16 | 4/6 | 1/1 | 27 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Wowoweewow. JJJ went off and netted his career high tonight with 27 points. The boards are a little on the low side, but when you play next to Gasol, that happens. The six combined stocks may be what sticks out the most. This kid’s ceiling is sky high.
Mixed Bag
Unsure if good game with bad stats or bad game with good stats…
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 3/12 | 7/8 | 1/6 | 14 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
Lowry has been experiencing a slight letdown over the last two weeks or so, and it was punctuated with this performance tonight. 14 and 7 with 7-for-8 from the line are cool, but going 3-for-12 from the field isn’t. He was top 20 heading into this game, but this might drop him. He’ll be back to his norm soon.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 13/35 | 4/7 | 1/11 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
Yikes. Mitchell rocked a 43.8% usage tonight and his percentages suffered for it. The 31 points and four steals were nice, but the rest was pretty rough. He will also do better next game. You may want to talk to the GM who drafted him in the 2nd round and is panicking.
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 6/15 | NA | 2/4 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
In a night of many forgettable lines, KAT adds to it and posted this letdown after a super strong three game streak. With Jimmy gone, KAT has looked better and his improvements should continue moving forward, minus this game. How did he not get to the line at all?
Where did that come from?
Well that was unexpected. Nice work, but can you keep it up?
Emmanuel Mudiay
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/12 | 1/2 | 2/3 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Mudiay had his best game of the season with efficient scoring, and the rare 2-2-2. Congratulations if you saw this coming and started him, as he has been pretty useless in most leagues. This will most likely just be a nice blip. Unless you’re in a 20+ team league, you can move along.
Trey Burke
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 10/13 | 3/5 | 1/2 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Burke pulled off the super duper rare sextuple one with a 3, rebound, assist, steal, block, and turnover. At least he contributed everywhere. Like Mudiay, this game came out of nowhere, but if I had to gamble on one of these two point guards, I would roll with Burke.
Antonio Blakeney
| FG | FT | 3PT | Points | Reb | Assists | Steals | Blocks | TO |
| 8/14 | NA | 2/4 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Blakeney is a scoring dynamo when given the chance. 18 points in 20 minutes are super fun, but the rest of his line doesn’t amount to much. Blakeney is a deep league scoring specialist, but even that skill is pretty up and down.
