Kevin Porter Jr. capped off Week 9 with 67 fantasy points in the Bucks’ loss to the Timberwolves.
Week 9 featured the conclusion of the NBA Cup and a host of more of the high-scoring, wire-to-wire thrillers that have defined the first two months of the 2025-26 campaign. Standout individual efforts were seen across the league, including those of a couple of new entrants in this week’s top five.
The following players averaged the most fantasy points per game last week (one-game minimum):
#1. Lauri Markkanen, Jazz
Last Week: 74.0 FP/G Season Rank: 36 (43.2 FP/G)
Markkanen only graced fantasy players with his presence for one game this past week due to a groin injury, but he made the most of that opportunity. The veteran star provided another auspicious installment of his career-best season with a 33-point, 16-rebound double-double that included five assists, four steals and one block in 40 minutes against the Mavericks last Monday in a typically wild 140-133 victory for Utah. A two-game absence has followed, but not before Markkanen pushed his career-high scoring average to a stellar 27.0 with the memorable performance.
#2. Nikola Jokić, Nuggets
Last Week: 64.6 FP/G Season Rank: 1 (69.2 FP/G)
Jokić was usurped for the top spot this week, but he retains his No. 1 season-long ranking and delivered another highly productive week that included a pair of his signature triple-doubles. Particularly impressive was the fact those two performances came against talented defensive squads in the Rockets and Magic, a pair of games where Jokić shot 52.3%, including 45.5% from 3-point range. The Joker’s week would have been even bigger had he not suffered some atypical struggles from the free-throw line, where he mustered just a 73.3% success rate on 7.5 free throws per game.
#3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Last Week: 64.5 FP/G Season Rank: 7 (56.6 FP/G)
SGA continued rolling along in Week 9 despite a rare loss for the Thunder. The reigning MVP averaged 33.5 points, 6.5 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks over 33 minutes per contest, shooting 50% overall in that span. Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to round out his production with some defensive numbers helped vault him over the No. 4-ranked Kevin Porter Jr., and with the pair of 30-point-plus tallies, he’s now reached that threshold in 21 of 27 games.
#4. Kevin Porter, Jr., Bucks
Last Week: 62.5 FP/G Season Rank: 17 (48.3 FP/G)
Porter had a five-point clunker on 2-for-13 shooting just before the start of Week 9, but he turned things around over his two games on the floor during the scoring period. The veteran guard delivered both a points-rebounds and points-assists double-double in his pair of contests. He averaged 23.0 points, 11.0 assists, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, with the only black mark on his performance being his 42.9% shooting, which he partly offset by draining his free throws at an 84.9% clip.
Tied #5. Jaylen Brown, Celtics
Last Week: 62.0 FP/G Season Rank: 13 (50.4 FP/G)
Brown missed his third opportunity to take the floor in Week 9 on Saturday against the Raptors due to an illness, but he’d already made his fantasy mark for the scoring period over his first two games of the week. Brown opened with an impressive 34-point, eight-rebound, seven-assist tally against the Pistons on Monday before recording a 30/9/7 effort with one steal against the Heat on Friday night. The veteran wing’s efforts are helping keep the Celtics afloat ahead of what may be a Jayson Tatum return at some point after the All-Star break.
Tied #5. Jalen Johnson, Hawks
Last Week: 62.0 FP/G Season Rank: 8 (56.4 FP/G)
Johnson welcomed Trae Young back to the floor in Week 9, but the former continued to churn out some outstanding numbers. Johnson delivered three consecutive 11-rebound performances as part of a week where he averaged 32.0 points, 11.0 boards and 8.0 assists while shooting 57.6%, including 41.2% from distance, and boasting a 95.5% success rate from the line. All the more impressive was that Young was on the floor for two of those games (20 and 26 minutes), suggesting Johnson will retain a massive role even when his star teammate is back to his usual allotment of playing time.
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:
Nikola Jokić, Nuggets (69.2 FP/G) – UTA, @DAL, MIN, @ORL
Cade Cunningham, Pistons (58.4 FP/G) – @POR, @SAC, @UTA, @LAC
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers (51.3 FP/G) – CHA, NOP, @NYK, @HOU
Jaylen Brown, Celtics (50.4 FP/G) – IND, @IND, @POR
Anthony Davis, Mavericks (45.8 FP/G) – @NOP, DEN, @GSW, @SAC
