The Rockets’ Alperen Sengun posted a monster double-double and 81 fantasy points in a win over the Pelicans.
The final two weeks of the regular season are here, and contending teams continue to solidify their postseason positioning. As is typically the case at this critical juncture, the cream is rising to the top, which is borne out by this week’s top five once again consisting of a who’s who of the Association’s elite.
The following players averaged the most fantasy points per game last week (one-game minimum):
#1. Nikola Jokić, Nuggets
Last Week: 73.4 FP/G Season Rank: 1 (69.0 FP/G)
Jokić put together another one of his signature weeks, recording a trio of triple-doubles and a double-double during Denver’s impressive 4-0 run. The Nuggets scored between 125 and 142 points in three of those victories, and the big man led the charge with averages of 26.0 points, 17.0 rebounds and 14.0 assists per contest while shooting 56.3%, including 43.8% from 3-point range. Jokić’s week included at least 23 points and 15 rebounds in all four contests, as well as between 12 and 19 assists in three of them. The scoring haul wasn’t artificially inflated by a marathon amount of trips to the line, either, as Joker averaged a modest 5.5 free-throw attempts per contest.
#2. Alperen Sengun, Rockets
Last Week: 64.8 FP/G Season Rank: 13 (49.0 FP/G)
Sengun was another center who took his game to another level in Week 22, even though the Rockets put together just a 2-2 record during the period. Sengun recorded at least 30 points in three of the four contests, and he managed a double-double in two of those games with a pair of 13-rebound tallies. Overall, the 2021 first-round pick delivered 28.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.5 steals across 36.3 minutes per contest, and he shot a blistering 59.7%, including 54.5% from behind the arc, over the entirety of the sample.
#3. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
Last Week: 64.3 FP/G Season Rank: 7 (54.1 FP/G)
Wemby did his part in a week where the big men shined brightest, churning out a trio of double-doubles alongside five- and seven-block tallies during a dominant week for the Spurs. San Antonio swept road games against the Heat, Grizzlies and Bucks, recording double-digit wins in each with a big boost from Wembanyama’s 22.7 points, 15.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 4.3 blocks and 1.7 steals across 28.0 minutes per contest. Making the scoring numbers all the more noteworthy was the fact the big man’s shot was far from at its best – he drained only 44.8% of his attempts, including a paltry 15.4% from distance.
#4. Luka Dončić, Lakers
Last Week: 64.1 FP/G Season Rank: 2 (64.2 FP/G)
Luka will start the new week off serving a one-game suspension against the Wizards due to having accrued his 16th technical foul of the season, but Dončić put together a stellar effort during the Lakers’ 3-0 Week 22. The Slovenian star’s offensive production was especially in prime form, as Dončić scored between 32 and 43 points in each of the wins over the Pistons, Pacers and Nets. There weren’t any double-doubles this time around, but his 48.8% shooting from the floor and 91.7% success rate from the line on 8.0 free-throw attempts per contest helped ensure a spot in the top five.
#5. Jaylen Brown, Celtics
Last Week: 61.0 FP/G Season Rank: 9 (50.2 FP/G)
Brown played in just one game last week due to an Achilles injury that cost him the last two contests of the scoring period. However, the star wing, who’s been instrumental in the Celtics’ improbable No. 2 seed during a season that Jayson Tatum missed the majority of, put together an outstanding effort during what was a marquee win for Boston over Oklahoma City, a potential Finals preview. Brown posted 31 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals over 39 minutes, going 9-for-17 from the floor and 12-for-14 from the free-throw line. The performance was emblematic of the level Brown has raised his game to all season, while the result corroborated what Boston might be capable of come the postseason with Tatum also looking more like himself with each game.
This week’s preview:
The following players are top fantasy point producers and play at least two games next week with fewer than two matchups against top-10 defenses:
Luka Dončić, LAL (64.2 FP/G) – WAS (Dončić suspended), CLE, @OKC, @DAL
Jaylen Brown, BOS (50.2 FP/G) – @ATL, @MIA, @MIL, TOR
Donovan Mitchell, CLE (49.4 FP/G) – @UTA, @LAL, @GSW, IND
Alperen Sengun, HOU (49.0 FP/G) – NY, MIL, UTA, @GSW
Paolo Banchero, ORL (45.0 FP/G) – PHO, ATL, @DAL, @NOP
