Fantasy Basketball Top Performers-January 5, 2014

In case you spent yesterday soaking up the end of a great wild card weekend, here’s a quick look back at Sunday’s NBA action and the players who brought their A-game to finish out the fantasy week. As you look ahead to next week, make sure to check out our top ten waiver wire pickups along with the fantasy fallout from the Chris Paul and Eric Bledsoe injuries. Neither the Clippers or the Suns were in action last night, but the NBA did have a solid seven-game slate, and here are the top performers from those games:

LeBron James-Miami Heat

The Raptors were playing well headed into their showdown with the Heat, but not surprisingly King James stepped up and carried the Heat to victory 102-97. LeBron finished with 30 points which was the highest total in the league yesterday while adding five assists, four rebounds, and a steal. James shot 12-18 from the field and 6-7 from the free throw line in a efficient and deadly performance.

DeMar DeRozan-Toronto Raptors

On the other side of the Heat-Raptors game, DeRozan turned in a nice line too. He finished with 26 points to go with seven assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals while hitting a three-pointer and finishing 11-19 from the field. He and the Raptors are playing well, so as long as you can take a hit in FG%, DeRozan is a great play this week.

Pau Gasol-Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are sputtering and struggling, and Gasol’s name is once again swirling in multiple trade rumors. However, his fantasy numbers continue to be solid including last night’s game where the Lakers fell hard at home to the Nuggets. Gasol finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and a steal producing another solid across-the-board night like we’ve come to expect from the versatile big man.

Kevin Durant-Oklahoma City Thunder

Durant dropped 21 on the Celtics last night while adding eight assists, seven boards, and three steals in his just 27 minutes. The Thunder cruised to the win which will keep KD well rested for continued fantasy production.

David Lee-Golden State Warriors

Lee and the Warriors kept rolling picking up their ninth straight win as they visited the Wizards and left with a 16-point win. Lee chipped in a nice double-double grabbing 11 rebounds to go with six assists, a steals, and 21 points. His numbers have been solid on the Warriors road trip and he’s a very nice PF option in daily leagues as well as contributing in multiple categories in your season-long league.

Klay Thompson-Golden State Warriors

Lee got some help outside from Klay Thompson who was 6-9 from three point territory on his way to a game-high 26 points. Thompson added three boards, two steals, and a block in the Warriors road win.

Ty Lawson-Denver Nuggets

Lawson led the way for the Nuggets who put up 137 in their win in LA. Lawson had a hand in a big chunk of those points as usual dishing 12 assists in this one to go with his 20 points, four boards, one steal, and one block. 

Reggie Jackson-Oklahoma City Thunder

Jackson led the Thunder with 27 points as the former BC guard took it to the Celtics. He hit all three three-pointers he attempted while adding two rebounds, two assists, and a steal. While he doesn’t normally produce a ton of peripheral stats, he’s picked up some of the scoring slack left from Russell Westbrook’s injury and is worth picking up if he’s still available in your league.

Nate Robinson-Denver Nuggets

Nate Robinson has stepped up in back-to-back games for the Nuggets coming off the bench with solid numbers. He played 20 minutes Sunday and scored 21 points to go with five assists, five rebounds, three three-pointers, and three steals. He’s owned in just 22.1% of ESPN leagues and may be worth a look as he may be starting one of his hot streaks. He is streaky, though, so make sure to see if there are better options like Darren Collison or possibly some of our top ten pickups for the week.

Jon Leuer-Memphis Grizzlies

Leuer is still largely unowned (1.2% in ESPN leagues) but has stepped up for the Grizzlies as they continue to battle injuries especially in the frontcourt. Last night, he scored 23 points against the Pistons while adding eight rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Leuer is an interesting big man to keep an eye on if he keeps playing big minutes making him our sleeper of the day from yesterday’s box scores.