Imagine you just got crossed up really badly by James Harden, allowed a massive three, and fouled out of the game with under two minutes left to go. Harden’s three allowed his Rockets to go up by five against your team. You exit the game with this stat line:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1-2 | 2-6 | 1-2 |
You probably wouldn’t be too arrogant, or braggadocious, if you will. But you’re not Pat Beverley, and Pat Beverley isn’t you.
Because after Russell Westbrook missed a three to take the lead after a late Clippers surge in the final 100 ticks, Beverley was seen mocking Russell Westbrook’s three-point stroke from the bench. Jumping around, giddy as hell, looking right at the opposing bench while he mimicked the missed three and the subsequent loss for the Rockets. The cojones on this guy!
Luckily, his teammates were there to bail him out and allow for that celebration. Here are notable stats from that game and from around the league on Friday night.
Kawhi Leonard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2-5 | 9-16 | 4-7 |
Paul George
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3-10 | 4-15 | 8-9 |
You can see what the duo of Kawhi and PG is capable of. Even in an off shooting night, he contributed everywhere else, and the presence of another star in LA doesn’t really cap his ceiling for fantasy purposes.
Lou Williams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4-6 | 9-16 | 4-4 |
26 points in the game, and zero of them in the first half. The assist numbers continue coming, and the scoring is a nightly given for Sweet Lou.
Montrezl Harrell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0-0 | 8-13 | 2-2 |
Harrell is no longer a starter for this team, but he played 35 minutes in a tight contest which indicates that his role isn’t in trouble as the primary scoring big man on this team. His blocking is also a really nice stat, as he has compiled 15 in the past eight games.
James Harden
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 37 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5-11 | 9-16 | 14-18 |
I don’t watch Game of Zones on Bleacher Report, but if they haven’t coined the “Breaker of Ankles” for Harden a la the “Breaker of Chains” for Dany, then their writers need help. He’s also the hoister of threes, the drawer of fouls, and the ripper of nets.
Clint Capela
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0-0 | 7-12 | 3-5 |
The Rockets’ center put on an aCapela performance down low, as PJ Tucker didn’t do much in his 37 minutes, and Capela was largely on his own in providing big man numbers for Houston. He racked up 41 minutes in this one.
Russell Westbrook
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1-7 | 9-22 | 3-7 |
Well… I guess Pat Beverley had a point.
Trae Young
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1-7 | 3-12 | 2-2 |
I think I’d be willing to put a large sum of money on a bet that this is Young’s worst fantasy outing of the year.
DeAndre’ Bembry
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4-5 | 9-13 | 0-0 |
What a great and convincing way to fill in for an injured Reddish/Huerter duo. His usage was way up in this one, but it’s not likely that he has many more showings like this one. He hasn’t done enough to overtake the SG role.
De’Andre Hunter
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1-5 | 7-17 | 3-3 |
Hunter’s performance has ramped up recently, as this outing was his second in a row with 18+ points and his seventh-straight double digit scoring outing. Of course, you’d like to see him put up some other stats with more frequency, but he did have 11 rebounds just a game ago and could see more boards and assists with an increased role. He’s certainly playing for one.
Andre Drummond
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0-1 | 10-16 | 3-4 |
Automatic.
Christian Wood
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1-1 | 4-4 | 2-2 |
Go off, Christian! Only 12 minutes were needed in this one to put up such great numbers, and he’s playing like a startable asset as of late. He’s only 3% owned, so don’t hurry to grab him, but the Pistons are a franchise that has some injury risk in their front court and some chance for role reversal, so keep your eyes open.
Blake Griffin
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2-7 | 9-16 | 4-4 |
The only bad thing about Andre Drummond getting every rebound in the vicinity of the rim is that it makes it harder for Blake to contribute on the glass. His 5.3 rebounds per game are really disappointing, and part of the reason he’s outside the top 100 fantasy assets.
Miles Bridges
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 31 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3-7 | 12-21 | 4-4 |
Where on earth did this game come from? He hadn’t yet registered a 20-point game in November and was coming off some efforts of 0, 7 (2x), and the low teens in the past week before going absolutely off. He’s already owned in the majority of leagues, but scoop him up if you can. The upside is there.
Devonte’ Graham
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3-9 | 8-15 | 0-0 |
One of our loyal readers commented last week and asked if he should sell high on Devonte’ Graham. It may be tempting… but I’m not really sure why. This guy’s a star in the making.
Bradley Beal
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4-8 | 10-19 | 6-7 |
Pause. 44. 44. 34. 33. 30. When 30 points is your low for a five-game stretch, you know you’ve hit some sort of crazy groove. Only Harden and Giannis have had longer streaks of 30+ scoring so far this year, and Beal might not be finished yet.
Thomas Bryant
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-1 | 9-12 | 3-5 |
Though his passing, which had seen a recent spike, disappeared in this one, Braynt returned to his double-double ways as the rebounding numbers bumped up. His lack of a defensive impact prevents him from being a top-30 player, but top-50 is within reach as long as he continues to limit his turnovers and shoot a good percentage from the line (nearing 80%).
Isaiah Thomas
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1-4 | 2-7 | 0-0 |
Arrgh. He’s so frustrating. You know that the other-worldly offensive talent is there, but he only played 21 minutes in a starting role while Ish Smith had 26, and Jordan McRae nearly outplayed him as well. I still think he’s worth keeping for a spark in scoring and assists, but it’s not the most ideal situation.
Harrison Barnes
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0-2 | 7-12 | 4-4 |
Barnes led the Kings in scoring, but the whole team is so lackadaisical right now without De’Aaron Fox. The good thing is that Barnes has a really high floor, as he has only scored in single-digits once this month, and was held without an assist in this one for the first time this month.
Buddy Hield
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1-8 | 6-15 | 3-3 |
It’s a little bit of a cold spell for Hield, who is, like Barnes and the rest of the team, struggling without Fox. He still finds a way to score though, and will continue to be one of the best three-point scorers in the nation.
Spencer Dinwiddie
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0-5 | 8-15 | 7-7 |
Dinwiddie is providing the pop that the Nets require from him when an impact player like Kyrie misses time. He’s averaging well over 20 points per game ever since his explosion on November 8, and is doing great things as a passer, averaging nearly 7 assists per game over the past week.
Joe Harris
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5-7 | 8-11 | 1-3 |
It may not be much longer that Kyrie is sidelined with injury, but for the time being, Harris should be a good play. He’s had his ups and downs over this stretch, but can contribute in many different categories, specifically scoring from deep, but we’ll take an 8-assist game, 2-steal game, or 2-block game if he gives them: each of which he has given in the past five games.
DeAndre Jordan
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 3-5 | 0-2 |
Don’t look now, but Jordan is quietly having a top-100 season this year. And like, really quietly. Who knew such an imposing figure could sneak onto the fantasy leaderboards with the stealth of a mouse? Like, a Brandon Knight sized mouse?
DeMar Derozan
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 29 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0-0 | 12-23 | 5-5 |
DeMarvelous is putting in a little Brad Beal-esque run of himself right now. No, not the Spurs’ losing streak. His scoring, of course! His last three games have been 29, 31, and 36-point efforts.
Dejounte Murray
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0-2 | 3-8 | 3-5 |
I mean, the job should be locked up as his by now. Right? Right?! *Sigh*. I just don’t know what the future holds this year for Murray. At least the team doesn’t have much else to lose right now.
Ben Simmons
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0-0 | 3-10 | 4-8 |
What, a guy makes one three and thinks he can just follow it up with his first triple-double of the year like that? I guess so. He’s been absolutely terrific in the past week, and there’s no other way to put it.
Joel Embiid
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0-2 | 9-13 | 3-4 |
For all the gripes about his physical well-being and ability to stay healthy and stay energized, Embiid is pretty damn good. He feeds off all the press, positive and negative, and he’s somehow kind of having a quiet season with other stars in the spotlight. In terms of reliability when they do play, there are few players you can count on to deliver more than JoJo.
Tobias Harris
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3-5 | 10-16 | 3-4 |
Could this be the turnaround week for Harris? Four consecutive strong efforts could mean that Harris’s season is about to take a turn for the better after a pretty rough start in efficiency, especially from deep.
Al Horford
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-3 | 8-14 | 2-2 |
The barrage of Sixers’ starters continues. This starting five is in the top-five in the league, as expected, in net rating when they’re all playing togethers (despite the fact that Josh Richardson missed on Friday night), and Horford is perhaps the biggest and most underappreciated reason for that due to his veteran, calming presence and his all-around ability.
Jimmy Butler
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1-2 | 7-10 | 12-13 |
Don’t dribble near Butler right now. He has multiple takeaways in six straight games. He’s also doing literally everything else well, so maybe you shouldn’t play defense near Jimmy, get in the way of the basket near Jimmy, try to out-rebound Jimmy, and so on.
Bam Adebayo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0-0 | 6-10 | 4-4 |
Wam, Bam, thank you ma’am! Bam feasted on the Chicago low post. Except don’t call Wendell Carter Jr. “ma’am.” I can’t imagine he takes too kindly to that.
Kendrick Nunn
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3-8 | 8-14 | 2-3 |
Nunn’s ascension to a starting spot has been a pretty rapid one, and it certainly has been effective. The most recent news is that Nunn took a lot from observing Curry and KD while he was on the Warriors’ summer league squad. Huh… I wonder if other NBAers have thought about observing the best individual players of the decade in order to improve their game as well? Seems like a pretty good idea.
Goran Dragic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3-5 | 5-11 | 3-4 |
No matter what happens with Nunn and the Miami backcourt, Goran’s role as the sixth man is in no danger. He continues to gobble up those valuable bench minutes like Hamburger Helper, as he dished out seven helpers in this one. Or better yet, substitute Hamburger with Kranjska Klobasa, a popular dish from Dragic’s home of Slovenia.
Zach LaVine
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0-4 | 6-14 | 3-3 |
What a poor stretch it’s been for LaVine, who has dropped out of the fantasy top-100 and probably out of some hearts of hopeful Bulls fans. He just can’t get it done consistently, for he followed up a 36-point effort with 11, and then with 5, and then with this one which was just… meh.
Lauri Markkanen
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-4 | 3-12 | 3-4 |
Booooooo.
Wendell Carter Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 3-3 | 0-0 |
Booooooo.
Chicago Bulls Offense
Booooooo.
LeBron James
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1-3 | 9-20 | 4-6 |
There’s a debate raging around right now about who you’d rather have to lead your team right now: LeBron or Luka. I’m on team LeBron.
Anthony Davis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4-7 | 9-19 | 11-11 |
He’s baaaaack. The cold spell seems to be over after just two games for AD. But the rebounding numbers have been suspiciously low this month all in all, so hopefully those get boosted back up with this double-double showing.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4-5 | 5-9 | 3-3 |
Why not plug and play KCP while Bradley is sidelined? He has four straight double-digit outing, is knocking down the three at a high rate, and chipping in every so often in other areas.
Kyle Kuzma
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1-3 | 4-6 | 1-3 |
One of the anomalies of fantasy basketball, Kuzma is confuzing to chuze from a fantasy perspective. If his strongest asset is his scoring, and he can’t even do that consistently, then what’s the draw?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2-2 | 10-18 | 2-2 |
All-around game for SGA with a stat line more efficient than the pronunciation of his name.
Chris Paul
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2-6 | 5-11 | 6-7 |
He keeps the Thunder competitive in games they don’t really have much business winning or even being close in (with the exception of some games, like the loss to IND), and that shows up in his fantasy stat lines. He’s bordering the top-20 or top-10 depending on the format.
Steven Adams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0-0 | 9-10 | 4-4 |
Can’t ask for much more at of Adams. He’s efficient and is as mature as they come down low.
Darius Garland
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5-8 | 9-16 | 0-0 |
If you’re desperate for a PG and some scoring, take a stab at Garland. He can only go up from here, and the Cavs are probably willing to shuffle some pieces and give the younger guys different looks. After a showing like this, why wouldn’t they try to get the most out of their potential future PG?
Kevin Love
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0-3 | 2-8 | 4-4 |
The Mavs must have been listening to a certain Eminem & Lil Wayne collab before this game, as they completely shut down Love. He’ll bounce back.
Luka Doncic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4-8 | 11-18 | 4-4 |
Yea, I see the numbers. I’m sticking with LeBron, alright? That doesn’t mean Luka wouldn’t be number two on that list. I mean, leading any team against any opponent to 143 points is a fairly impressive feat. He’s also younger than me, and he’s really the first player for me, a recent graduate, that has felt the woah feeling when you realize they’re younger. It’s insane.
Kristaps Porzingis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3-5 | 7-14 | 0-0 |
The oft-disappointing Porzingis hasn’t been a PorzinGOD all too often this year, but he was like a Porzing… uhh… sidekick? It truly is a Batman and Robin comparison with he and Luka whereas it was thought to be a more even dynamic.
Kemba Walker
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-3 | 0-0 |
Walker sustained a scary injury, but the good news is doesn’t appear to be significant. While he’s out, look for Brad Wanamaker to pick up the bulk of the work that is lost, while Marcus Smart remains the primary guard.
Jaylen Brown
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4-7 | 6-15 | 6-8 |
Brown is hitting his stride this month, with the last two games looking more and more like blips on the radar. He’s exceeded 20 points in five of his nine games this year, and rebounds really really well for a guard. He should be on the top-50 radar soon.
Jayson Tatum
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-5 | 6-16 | 4-5 |
It was Tatum’s first game without a three-pointer in a stretch of six, but he performed a lot better than he did in the first game without a three (5 points). He should finish with over 20 ppg this season, and his two-rebound showing is all but an outlier that will occur every so often.
Nikola Jokic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0-4 | 7-17 | 4-4 |
Wow.
Jamal Murray
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2-6 | 9-18 | 2-2 |
A typical Jamal Murray game. He’s had a roller coaster sequence of games recently, with the steals being the only consistent aspect of his stat line. He went from 4 points to 39, and kind of hit the middle in this one. You can expect a similar cumulative stat line to the game above throughout the season.
Eric Paschall
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0-4 | 5-14 | 2-3 |
Paschall might be the only guy on this mess of a current roster who I’d say is worth owning right now outside of the obvious candidates. And he’s well-worth owning, averaging nearly 17 points per contest and doing a good job on the boards. If he can develop a three-point stroke with more consistency (just four makes in the last five games), he’ll become an even stronger asset.
Ky Bowman
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3-6 | 7-16 | 0-0 |
The future is uncertain for Bowman, but he’s certainly playing his way into a more sturdy contract situation with Golden State. He’s averaging a swipe per game, and the four in this one were really impressive.
Donovan Mitchell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3-9 | 12-24 | 3-4 |
Mitchell is on a bit of a tear right now, averaging well over 20 per game over the last five. He needs to get back to his ball-distributing ways from earlier on in the month, where he had 20 assists over a three-game span, as he only has 15 over the last five. I’d lean more on the latter stat for being the norm.
Rudy Gobert
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0-0 | 3-8 | 2-2 |
You know how many people have had seven blocks in a game this season? One.
Mike Conley
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4-5 | 9-14 | 5-6 |
By looking at the performances of the three studs of the Jazz, you’d think that Utah would have been able to pull this one out over the Warriors by more than just four points. But the good thing about fantasy basketball is that it doesn’t take into account real life basketball. And so, Conley’s performance here was a great one to bump up his three-point percentage and his overall performance. He’s heating up, and the Jazz are looking to follow their leader to success.
