Friday night was a good night to be a point guard or at least have a good one in fantasy basketball with some big nights from some of the smaller players in the NBA lifting their owners to a good place headed into the weekend. There were a few bigs who got in on the action too, but overall it was a great night for multi-category production from some big-name stars. Here are the top perfomers from the fantasy hoops floor last night:
Irving led the Cavs to a three-point overtime win while playing 42 minutes and dropping a league-high 39 points. He added in four blocks, six assists, and three rebounds as well hitting a pair of threes and making all but one of his 12 free throws.
Walker had a Kyrie-esque game of his own in Detroit where Charlotte won by ten. Walker scored 34 points in his 35 minutes while handing out three assists and adding three steals, seven rebounds, and a blocked shot. He hit all nine of his free throws and finished an efficient 12-17 from the field.
Not only did Turner hit the buzzer beater to get the Sixers a win over the visiting Nets, but he also led Phily with 29 points in their overtime win. He added ten boards, five assists, and a steal in his game-high 47 minutes.
The first big man on our list did his part but the Kings got housed by the Heat in Miami losing by 19. In a losing effort, Boogie finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals. He didn’t have a block, but you drafted Cousins for his offense which he does continue to provide.
Gasol turned in a solid across-the-board line in the box score with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists. He added a pair of blocks and a steal in his 33 minutes as he helped the Lakers get a win in their first game without Kobe as the beat Minnesota.
Calderon’s owners probably wish he could play his former team the Raptors every night if this is how he reacts. He finished with 23 points, nine assists, four boards, and two steals. His biggest boost to his owners, though, was his seven three-pointers that he nailed as he unsuccessfully tried to lead his new team past his former one.
Big Al had another solid double-double finishing with 24 points and 14 rebounds in Charlotte’s win over the Pistons. He added two steals, two assists, a block and a steal as well.
Speaking of solid double-double’s, Love had a typically productive Friday with 13 rebounds and 25 to go with three assists and a block. He hit a pair of three-pointers, but his efforts weren’t quite enough as the Lakers dropped Minnesota in Hollywood.
Ellis dropped his own double-double last night with 11 dimes to go with his 21 points. He added four steals and two rebounds, but ultimately the Mavericks still lost by a point to the Raptors.
In one of the most unexpected lines of the night, Anderson scored 26 points against Phily last night as he filled in for the absent Joe Johnson. Anderson knocked in a season-high five three pointers and added five boards, two assists, a block, and a steal in his whopping 46 minutes of playing time. He most likely won’t match this production all season and will only get this much playing time for as long as Johnson is away from the team. He’s only worth a look as a value play in daily leagues if Johnson is away again next game, and isn’t worth considering in season-long formats.
Markieff looks like the Morris brother you want to own right now for your fantasy hoops team, and last night’s performance gets him our sleeper of the night spot as he helped Phoenix rally from way down to beat the Nuggets in Denver. Morris has his usual six rebounds but added 25 points to go with three blocks, three steals, and a pair of assists. He’s averaged just under 14 points a game this month and six-and-a-half rebounds. If he keeps playing big minutes for Phoenix, he should be a servicable producer in most formats. He’s currently owned in less than a third of ESPN leagues.
