Jayson Tatum erupted for a season-high 84.7 fantasy points against the Cavs.
The big ‘20’ has arrived as we enter the last full month of the regular season.
Just seven weeks – including the one directly ahead – remain until the postseason. Breaking down the strategies of the game’s best general managers and keeping a close eye on team schedules can make a world of difference for NBA Fantasy Salary Game players.
Here’s what you need to know for Week 20:
Last week’s story
It was a loss-free slate for a slew of teams, but winning ways date back even further for the Los Angeles Lakers. The group has claimed 12 of its last 14 games, and since Jan. 15, is 18-4 overall – jumping into the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed on Sunday.
The late addition of Luka Dončić has only facilitated firepower. The seventh-year forward/guard needed three outings after injury to ramp back up and rediscover his dominant self, but across his last five, he’s averaged 54.2 fantasy points per game (FPPG) with a low of 41.1.
Such standout production has come in tandem with a terrific stretch of play from LeBron James. At 40 years old, he’s tallied four showings with 50 or more fantasy points in his last seven, and is up to sixth place with 2630.4 total fantasy points (TFP) in the league-wide standings.
‘The Lake Show’ continued to roll without key contributors Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura this past weekend, sweeping a back-to-back against the Los Angeles Clippers (32-28). Reaves ranks second on the team with 1850.0 TFP, while Hachimura offers a fourth-best 1240.2.
Game to watch
Los Angeles Lakers (38-21) vs. Boston Celtics (43-18), Saturday at 8:30 pm ET
The league’s marquee rivalry will be renewed once more, and rather fittingly, its two participants have split their meetings 5-5 since Feb. 2020. They each sit second in their respective conferences and have lost no more than three games apiece across their last 14.
It was a rollercoaster of a week for the Celtics. The reigning NBA Champions blew a 25-3 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers (50-10) on Friday before defeating the Denver Nuggets (39-22) on Sunday – both outcomes absent of Kristaps Porziņģis (36.1 FPPG) or Jrue Holiday (24.3 FPPG).
Jayson Tatum bulldozed his way to a new season high Friday with 84.7 fantasy points on 46 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, and through his last nine appearances, has now cracked 45-plus fantasy points five times over. Consistency from Jaylen Brown has been noteworthy, as he’s only fallen short of 35 fantasy points four times in his last 13 games.
Global leaders
Entering a landmark week of the NBA calendar, a glance at the worldwide leaderboard can be telling. The top three squads are Adrian Siarkiewicz’s “Bękarty Basketu” (21087.3 TFP), Christian Barberan Barranco’s “Sporting Gelida” (20960.2) and Aurelien Roulet’s “Beliiiigou” (20856.0).
There are multiple through lines dictating their success. It all starts with Nikola Jokić – the league leader with 64.0 FPPG and 3517.2 TFP – as he’s rostered by every one of those general managers. Jokić has remained healthy this campaign and, on any given night, will be your top scorer as emphasized by his 28 triple-doubles.
Each of the three teams feature two additional superstars, and two of them have rostered Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and/or Cade Cunningham. But the two options beyond Jokić that appear across the board are Kel’el Ware and Amen Thompson.
For just $6.2M, Ware has averaged 31.7 FPPG across his five most recent contests, and has become a bit of an x-factor for the Miami Heat (28-31) since earning regular minutes back in Week 9. Then there’s Thompson, who has excelled for the Houston Rockets (37-23) via 35-plus fantasy points in 12 of his last 14 and, overall, eight games with 50 or more this season.
Schedule sights
The Cavaliers have a four-game week ahead of them, and when that occurs, it’s usually conducive to big fantasy numbers. They’ve got the Chicago Bulls (24-37) on Tuesday, Heat on Wednesday, Charlotte Hornets (14-45) on Friday and Milwaukee Bucks (34-25) on Sunday.
Any of Donovan Mitchell (2189.6 TFP), Evan Mobley (2138.7), Darius Garland (2002.9) and Jarrett Allen (1974.4) tend to be wise fantasy bets, but more affordable options in the form of Ty Jerome and De’Andre Hunter are worth a closer look.
Ranking fifth among all teammates in TFP despite a salary cap hit of just $5.6M, Jerome can be streaky, but just notched a season-high 57.0 fantasy points Sunday and has pitched in 25 or more in six of his last eight. Hunter – at $9.4M – just secured his best showing as a Cavalier with 42.4 on Sunday and is looking increasingly comfortable in his new home.
