We've hit the All-Star break in the NBA, giving fantasy managers a chance to catch their breaths before we hit the home stretch. As we preview what to expect moving forward, let's look at a few of the All-Star participants and discuss some trends that should significantly impact the fantasy landscape.
Nikola Jokic on pace to average a triple-double
Coming off back-to-back MVP awards, it was going to be difficult for Jokic to win a third straight. However, it's hard to argue against him being the leader at this point. The Nuggets are having another excellent season, holding a five-game lead over the Grizzlies for the top seed in the Western Conference. Their +4.4 points differential is also the third-highest mark in the NBA.
It has helped the Nuggets this season that Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. have had improved health. However, Jokic has taken his game to an even higher level, averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game. Also helping fantasy managers greatly is his 63.2 percent shooting from the field and his 82.2 percent mark at the free-throw line. Jokic was the first pick in many fantasy drafts this season, and if he averages a triple-double for the entire season, he could carry many of the fantasy managers who selected him to a title.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has remained healthy
It's no secret that the Thunder have been in the midst of a rebuild for the last few seasons. The centerpiece of that rebuild is
We've hit the All-Star break in the NBA, giving fantasy managers a chance to catch their breaths before we hit the home stretch. As we preview what to expect moving forward, let's look at a few of the All-Star participants and discuss some trends that should significantly impact the fantasy landscape.
Nikola Jokic on pace to average a triple-double
Coming off back-to-back MVP awards, it was going to be difficult for Jokic to win a third straight. However, it's hard to argue against him being the leader at this point. The Nuggets are having another excellent season, holding a five-game lead over the Grizzlies for the top seed in the Western Conference. Their +4.4 points differential is also the third-highest mark in the NBA.
It has helped the Nuggets this season that Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. have had improved health. However, Jokic has taken his game to an even higher level, averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game. Also helping fantasy managers greatly is his 63.2 percent shooting from the field and his 82.2 percent mark at the free-throw line. Jokic was the first pick in many fantasy drafts this season, and if he averages a triple-double for the entire season, he could carry many of the fantasy managers who selected him to a title.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has remained healthy
It's no secret that the Thunder have been in the midst of a rebuild for the last few seasons. The centerpiece of that rebuild is Gilgeous-Alexander, who is by far the most talented player on the team. With so few quality options around him, he usually receives all the shot attempts he can handle. His usage rate is up to 32.5 percent this season, which would be the highest mark of his career.
Not only is Gilgeous-Alexander jacking up a lot of shots, but he is shooting 50.8 percent from the field, in addition to his 91.2 percent shooting at the free-throw line. His excellent scoring comes with valuable averages of 4.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. If there is a downside to his game, it's that he only averages 0.9 three-pointers.
One of the problems with Gilgeous-Alexander in fantasy is that injuries and the team being out of the playoff hunt have hampered his games played. In the last two seasons, he appeared in a total of 91 games. He's been healthy this season, playing 53 games already. The Thunder are also still in the hunt for a play-in spot, so with the potential for fewer rest days down the stretch compared to seasons past, Gilgeous-Alexander could be on his way to a monster finish.
Lauri Markkanen's scoring surge
The Jazz traded away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the offseason, ushering in a new era in Utah. Markkanen was one of the new players they brought in, and with Mitchell gone, there were a lot of shot attempts up for grabs. Markkanen has assumed plenty of them, resulting in a 25.4 percent usage rate nearly six percentage points higher than the mark he had with the Cavaliers last season.
Markkanen is not just hoisting up a lot of shots. He is shooting a career-high 51.2 percent from the field, including 41.2 percent from behind the arc. The result has been averages of 24.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.0 three-pointers per game. The Jazz dove further into their rebuild at the trade deadline, dealing away Mike Conley Jr., Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. That should secure Markkanen's leading role for the stretch run. The only concern is that he could receive additional rest days if the Jazz fall out of the play-in hunt.
The blocks king, Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jackson made the All-Star team despite playing in only 40 games so far. He has made strides on the offensive end, shooting 50.2 percent from the field. That's a vast improvement over the 41.5 percent he hit last season. That has helped him average 16.9 points and 1.6 three-pointers, with 6.7 rebounds per game.
As good as those numbers are, Jackson's shot-blocking prowess makes him so valuable in fantasy. He has provided 3.3 rejections per game, which is on pace to be the highest mark of his career. Not only does he lead the league in that department, but the next closest player is Nicolas Claxton, who is averaging 2.6 blocks per game. Only four players other than Jackson are averaging at least 2.0 blocks per game, which further illustrates how far ahead of the crowd he is.
When will Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Zion Williamson return?
It's not all sunshine and rainbows for some of the league's All-Stars. Curry (lower leg), Durant (knee) and Williamson (hamstring) will all miss the game because of injuries. The question is when they will be able to help fantasy managers again. Durant may be the closest to making his return of this trio, taking part in his first practice sessions with his new team earlier in the week. He hasn't played since Jan. 8, so when he does return, expect the Suns to take a cautious approach with his minutes for at least a few games. Still, he has the potential to be at full strength for the fantasy playoffs.
Curry is likely behind Durant. He already said that he would not only miss the Warriors' first game back out of the break but also expects to miss a few more games after that. Even though the Warriors are fighting to stay in the play-in hunt, don't expect them to rush their star back. If there is some silver lining to his injury, it's that him being out resulted in Klay Thompson playing both games of a back-to-back set for the first time this season. If that continues, he will have more opportunities to help his fantasy managers.
The news on Williamson is bleaker. The team said he aggravated the right hamstring injury that has kept him out since Jan. 2, forcing him to miss "several more weeks." Williamson has a history of injury issues, and even if he does return this season, he will likely have spent at least two straight months on the sidelines. That means he could have his minutes limited for a while when he's back. Depending on when your fantasy playoffs are, dropping Williamson for a player who can contribute more now is not a crazy idea.
