Nikola

Jokić

Jokić didn’t shoot well on Saturday, making six of his 17 two-point attempts. The good news for fantasy managers was that the three-time MVP committed just one turnover while finishing two assists shy of a triple-double. Jokić didn’t shoot efficiently, but his ball security kept fantasy managers from taking a major hit in two categories. The Nuggets play three games next week, starting with the Rockets on Monday.

Jokić was a monster in this game and was a big reason why they won this game. We have seen some level of decline in terms of his on court play this season, but he’s still an elite fantasy player. He completely transformed this game in the second half where the Nuggets got off to a massive lead where he didn’t even play in the fourth quarter, so it could’ve been even better had it been a close game.

Jokić simply hasn’t been as effective this season. It’s early, and he’ll turn it around, but he just hasn’t been the same player. However, that isn’t true in fantasy basketball. He has made up for a dip in points, rebounds, assists and field goal percentage with a bump in steals, blocks and free throw percentage. Frankly, none of that is sustainable. All of it will likely regulate, with Jokić still ending up as one of the best players in fantasy basketball. Just be patient. He’ll look to stuff the stat sheet against the Raptors on Wednesday.

While it’s not the best performance from Jokic with his standards, it’s still a very good performance. He will have games where he’s not the most aggressive at scoring the ball and tonight was one of those. Jokic is 31 years old, so there might be some regression coming at some point down the road. For now, sit back and enjoy the ride with one of the most unique players in NBA history.

Jokić notched a personal milestone on Wednesday, recording his 200th regular-season triple-double. He’d already reached double figures in rebounds and assists by the end of the third quarter, and the 7-footer grabbed five of his 13 rebounds in the fourth. Jokić committed seven turnovers, five in the first half, so this wasn’t his cleanest game. But fantasy managers shouldn’t worry, as 13 of his 16 turnovers this season came in two games.

Two nights after recording a triple-double in Denver’s comeback win over the Pelicans, Jokić posted a double-double on Monday. The three-time MVP finished with a complete stat line and committed one turnover, a good start to the week for those rostering him. However, the Nuggets are now 1-2, and they needed to erase a large deficit to get that lone win. Simply put, Jokić needs more help from teammates not named Jamal Murray.

The first five quarters of Jokić’s season were rough, but he seems to have figured things out. He shot 1-of-5 and turned the ball over three times in the first quarter of this game, but he got back to producing at a high level after that. This was his first triple-double of the season, though he did need the extra five minutes to get there since seven of his boards came during overtime. He’ll continue to produce like a top-three player in fantasy basketball despite struggling in the season opener.

Neither MVP winner in Thursday’s game played well in the first half. The difference was that while Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned things around in the second half, Jokić could not. The Thunder big men deserve credit for their defense, but “The Joker” couldn’t find a rhythm. He and the Nuggets will look to bounce back when they host the Pelicans on Saturday.

Jokić needed just three quarters to record a triple-double, logging 26 minutes. At this point, there’s little to say about the three-time MVP’s fantasy outlook. Regardless of league format, Jokić should be a top-2 pick in drafts, with San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama being the alternative.

Jokić got some light run in the preseason opener, but he already has one of the season’s best highlights. The three-time MVP was stuck in the corner with Lauri Markkanen on him and made a ridiculous cross-court, behind-the-back pass to Cam Johnson, who splashed a triple from the opposite corner. Joker is an easy Top-2 pick in fantasy hoops for his ability to stuff the stat sheet, and Sunday’s highlight-reel assist is just a small taste of how the elite facilitator can get teammates involved.