Despite the abbreviated schedule coming out of All-Star Weekend, some of the biggest stars in the league still found their way to spectacular numbers, usually over two-game samples. There are certainly some familiar names in the top five for Week 18, but there are still a pair of surprises in the top performer of the week and another guard who elevated his play significantly over his season-long standards.
The following players averaged the most fantasy points per game last week (two-game minimum):
#1. Cade Cunningham, Pistons 
Last Week: 58.3 FP/G Season Rank: 8 (48.3 FP/G)
Cunningham vaulted to the top of the rankings this week via a hot hand and a torrid two-game stretch that he capped off with a 38-point, 12-assist double-double that also included seven rebounds and three blocks in a wild 148-143 win over the Hawks on Sunday. The breakout star also served up a 25-point, 12-assist double-double that featured a 10-for-15 shooting effort Thursday against the Spurs as his opening act of the post-ASB portion of the season, spearheading a 2-0 week for the surging Pistons.
#2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder 
Last Week: 58.0 FP/G Season Rank: 4 (54.0 FP/G)
Gilgeous-Alexander was sitting well below the top five entering Sunday night's showdown against the Timberwolves, but his 37-point, eight-rebound, eight-assist, three-steal, three-block night vaulted him all the way to the No. 2 spot. SGA opened the two-game week with a 21-point showing against Utah on Thursday that
Despite the abbreviated schedule coming out of All-Star Weekend, some of the biggest stars in the league still found their way to spectacular numbers, usually over two-game samples. There are certainly some familiar names in the top five for Week 18, but there are still a pair of surprises in the top performer of the week and another guard who elevated his play significantly over his season-long standards.
The following players averaged the most fantasy points per game last week (two-game minimum):
#1. Cade Cunningham, Pistons
Last Week: 58.3 FP/G Season Rank: 8 (48.3 FP/G)
Cunningham vaulted to the top of the rankings this week via a hot hand and a torrid two-game stretch that he capped off with a 38-point, 12-assist double-double that also included seven rebounds and three blocks in a wild 148-143 win over the Hawks on Sunday. The breakout star also served up a 25-point, 12-assist double-double that featured a 10-for-15 shooting effort Thursday against the Spurs as his opening act of the post-ASB portion of the season, spearheading a 2-0 week for the surging Pistons.
#2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Last Week: 58.0 FP/G Season Rank: 4 (54.0 FP/G)
Gilgeous-Alexander was sitting well below the top five entering Sunday night's showdown against the Timberwolves, but his 37-point, eight-rebound, eight-assist, three-steal, three-block night vaulted him all the way to the No. 2 spot. SGA opened the two-game week with a 21-point showing against Utah on Thursday that also featured eight assists and three blocks, and his highly versatile skill set continues to not only render him the odds-on MVP favorite, but keep the Thunder in the same position as prospective Western Conference champs.
#3. Josh Giddey, Bulls 
Last Week: 57.4 FP/G Season Rank: 72 (33.6 FP/G)
Giddey is the most eye-catching entrant this week, as he significantly outperformed his season-long numbers during a prolific two-game sample that featured his top two scoring performances of the season. Giddey started the week by racking up a season-high 27 points against the Knicks on Thursday night in Chicago's first game following the ASB, a game in which he also pulled down a season-best 16 rebounds. His encore was noteworthy in its own right, as Giddey tied his second-highest point total of the season (24) Saturday versus the Suns while also dishing out 10 assists and draining all of his season-high nine free-throw attempts.
#4. LeBron James, Lakers 
Last Week: 55.3 FP/G Season Rank: 10 (47.8 FP/G)
LeBron and Luka Dončić are still naturally adjusting to sharing the floor, but the former continued to churn out his usual stellar production this past week while playing one of his three games without his new star teammate. James opened the week with a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double against the Hornets in the league's first post-ASB game Wednesday, and he then went off for 40 points – his second-highest total of the season – the next night versus the Trail Blazers with Dončić sitting out for injury management. Then, even with the star point guard posting his best game yet as a Laker (32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, four steals, one block) in his return versus the Nuggets on Saturday, LeBron still provided 25 points, nine boards, five assists, three blocks and one steal while taking a healthy 19 shot attempts in Los Angeles' 123-100 rout.
#5. James Harden, Clippers 
Last Week: 54.5 FP/G Season Rank: 18 (43.6 FP/G)
Harden led the Clippers to a 2-0 start to the second half of the season by averaging 27.5 points, 9.5 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. The Beard played Sunday's 129-111 loss to the Pacers without both Kawhi Leonard (foot) and Norman Powell (knee), which helped lead to his 31-point, 11-assist double-double during which he tied his second-highest number of made threes (six) this season on 13 attempts from downtown.
This Week's Preview
The following players are top fantasy point producers and play at least three games next week with fewer than two matchups against top-10 defenses:
Jayson Tatum, Celtics 
(48.1 FP/G) - @TOR, @DET, CLE, DEN
Nikola Jokić, Nuggets 
(64.1 FP/G) - @IND, @MIL, @DET, @BOS
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (54.0 FP/G) - MIN, @BKN, @ATL, @SA
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks 
(56.8 FP/G) - @HOU, DEN, @DAL
Kevin Durant, Suns 
(44.2 FP/G) - @MEM, NO, NO, MIN
