The scoring in the NBA is on another level. While many fans are arguing over defensive rule changes, fantasy managers are reaping the benefits (or getting frustrated if they’re playing against players like Luka Doncic and Devin Booker). On Monday of this week, Joel Embiid scored 70 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 62. Just four days later, Luka dropped 73 (t-4th most in NBA history), and Book had 62.
There were other players that put up fantastic stat lines on Friday, but they may go under the radar because of Luka and Booker. Anfernee Simons (40/10), Jalen Green (36/10) and James Harden (22/10/13) were just a few of the players that had big time performances on an eight game Friday.
The first of ten games starts at 12pm ET on Saturday, so make sure you set your lineup early in the day. The Rockets, Clippers, Hornets, Pelicans, Bucks, Spurs and Mavs are all playing the second leg of a back-to-back, so make sure to keep an eye out for the injury report early in the morning.
John Konchar- 11% rostered in Yahoo leagues
Over the course of the season, Konchar hasn’t been an effective player in fantasy basketball. However, he has been playing well as of late. Konchar appears to have stolen Jaren Jackson Jr.'s shot blocking magic and has 10 blocks over his last four games. That correlates directly to his move to the starting lineup. Basketball Monster has him as the 80th best player in 9-cat scoring during that stretch, and as long as he is starting, he should be safe to stream. Their next game is in Indiana on Sunday to close out the week.
Toumani Camara- 2%
Jerami Grant exited early from Friday’s game due to back soreness, which allowed Camara to start the second half in his place. He ended up finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block. Portland hosts Chicago on Sunday, and if Grant remains sidelined, Camara should get the starting nod. He doesn’t do much scoring, but he should provide some defensive value.
Dante Exum- 12%
Derrick Jones Jr. took a hard fall while attempting a dunk and landed hard on his wrist. That forced him to miss the remainder of Friday’s game, which opened the door for Dante Exum to start the second half of the game. He only contributed nine points, three assists and two triples in his 27 minutes, but he was an excellent option earlier in the season. Assuming DJJ doesn’t make a quick recovery, Exum will have a chance to start against the Kings on Saturday.
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Josh Green- 4%
With Kyrie Irving out for a second straight game, Josh Green was able to take on a larger role offensively. He got plenty of open looks as a result of Atlanta focusing all of its attention on Luka Doncic, which helped Green score a season-high 21 points and knock down four 3-pointers. He doesn’t provide much defensively, but he is averaging 14 points and 2.3 triples over his last four games. With Dallas playing again on Saturday, Green will be worth considering, though he isn’t a “safe” option.
Thaddeus Young- 3%
Young returned to the starting lineup on Friday and logged 24 minutes. That was enough time for him to contribute 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. Toronto’s next game is in Atlanta on Sunday, and unless Jakob Poeltl is back, Young should start again and provide solid value.
