Jan. 1-3 Fantasy Basketball Takeaways: Julius Randle, Paolo Banchero, Domantas Sabonis, Jordan Clarkson and More

Unlike the NFL, where things run on a week-to-week basis, NBA teams play so often that it’s important to take note of things as soon as possible so you can be the one to land a big fantasy asset on the waiver wire. 

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what’s happened around the NBA over the past three days. We’ll highlight some of the top performances, along with possible waiver wire options in fantasy basketball leagues. Let’s dive in!

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Wednesday’s Best Performances

Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero went off for 43 points in the team’s loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. He made 13 of his 25 field goal attempts, including six 3-pointers and 11 free throws.

Banchero also had five assists and four rebounds in the game, but did turn the ball over eight times. Banchero is up to 44th on the FantasySP trade value charts after the big outing.

Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic tallied 41 points, six rebounds and five assists in the team’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. He’s currently third on the trade value charts, and continues to deliver huge fantasy outings night after night.

Sacramento's Malik Monk made seven 3-pointers on his way to a 37-point performance. He also had nine assists and three boards in the team’s win.

Detroit Pistons’ Bojan Bogdanovic and Utah Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson each scored 36 points. Bogdanovic, who made eight 3-pointers, also tallied seven boards and five assists in the team’s loss to Utah. Clarkson added six rebounds and three assists.

New York Knicks’ Julius Randle, Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker and Minnesota Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards all scored 35 points on the night. Randle also had six boards and four assists in a win over the Chicago Bulls. Booker also had six assists in the team’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Edwards chipped in five assists and four boards in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis went for 22 points, 23 rebounds and 12 assists in the win over Orlando. New York’s Isaiah Hartenstein pulled down 20 points and scored 10 points in the win over Chicago. Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen tallied 17 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists in a win over the Washington Wizards. 

Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis accumulated 29 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and three steals in a loss to the Miami Heat. Detroit’s Cade Cunningham posted 31 points, 13 assists and five rebounds in his team’s loss, while New York’s Jalen Brunson had 31 points, 13 assists and three boards in his team’s win. 

Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton recorded 31 points, 12 assists and three blocks in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo led his team with 26 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Utah’s Walker Kessler stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, eight rebounds and six blocks.

Tuesday’s Top Players

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry led the NBA with 36 points scored on Tuesday. He made 12 of his 20 field goal attempts, including four 3-pointers and eight free throws.

Curry also tallied six assists and four steals in the contest as the Warriors topped the Magic. Curry has slipped to 28th on the trade value charts, but he’s still capable of these types of performances every time he steps on the court.

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also scored 36 points on Tuesday, doing so while shooting 14-of-22 overall. He made three 3-pointers and five free throws.

SGA also had seven assists and six rebounds in the team’s big win over the Boston Celtics. Gilgeous-Alexander sits sixth on the trade value charts and has established himself as one of the best players (both in real life and fantasy).

Boston's Kristaps Porzingis and Charlotte Hornets’ Terry Rozier each scored 34 points. Porzingis also tallied 10 rebounds and three blocks in the losing effort. Rozier had six assists and three rebounds in a win over the Kings.

Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Sacramento’s De'Aaron Fox were the other NBA players to hit 30 points on the night. Embiid went for 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in the team’s win over the Bulls. Tatum tallied 30 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Fox contributed 30 points, six assists and five rebounds.

Memphis Grizzlies’ Ja Morant totaled 26 points, 10 assists and five rebounds in the team’s win over the San Antonio Spurs. 

Sacramento’s Sabonis finished with 23 points, 19 rebounds and four assists. Chicago’s Andre Drummond went for 11 points and 17 boards. Orlando’s Banchero totaled 27 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

Monday’s Standouts

There were only five 30-point scorers on Monday night. Randle led the league with 39 points.

Randle also had nine rebounds in the contest, but turned the ball over six times. He sits 22nd on the trade value charts.

Toronto Raptors’ Pascal Siakam scored 36 points and grabbed five boards in a win over Cleveland. Edwards went for 35 points and grabbed four rebounds in a loss to New York.

Cleveland’s Caris LeVert, who is owned in just 65% of leagues according to our charts, accumulated 31 points, four boards and four assists in the loss to Toronto. Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists in another loss to Indiana.

Clarkson also had a triple-double, going for 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a win over the Mavericks. Doncic had 19 points, 14 assists and six boards for Dallas. Haliburton just missed a triple-double, ending the night with 26 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.

Miami’s Bam Adebayo recorded 21 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in the team’s loss to the Clippers. Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin, who is owned in just 38% of leagues, totaled 25 points and 13 boards against Milwaukee.

Rookie Players that Delivered

Several rookies played well on Monday. Portland’s Scoot Henderson tallied 17 points, six assists and three boards in a loss to Phoenix. Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. posted 15 points, four steals and four boards in a loss to the Clippers, while Charlotte’s Brandon Miller had 15 points and five rebounds in a loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Houston Rockets’ Amen Thompson went for 12 points, six assists and four boards in a win over Detroit. Dallas’ Dereck Lively II provided 10 points and six boards in a loss to Utah.

San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama tallied 20 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in a loss to Memphis on Tuesday. That same night. OKC’s Chet Holmgren posted 14 points, seven assists, four blocks and three rebounds in a win over Boston. 

Also on Tuesday, New Orleans’ Jordan Hawkins went for 11 points against the Brooklyn Nets. Golden State’s Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski each scored 10 points and grabbed four boards against the Magic.

Jaquez led all rookies on Wednesday with 16 points. He also had eight assists in the win over the Lakers.

OKC’s Cason Wallace recorded 15 points, while Holmgren had 12 points and three boards in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Portland’s Toumani Camara had 10 points and five boards in a loss to Dallas. Thompson posted 10 points and six rebounds in a win over Brooklyn. Henderson went for seven points, seven assists and five rebounds, but turned the ball over six times against the Mavs.