We’re just a day away from the NBA’s All Star weekend, and it’s a good time to take a look at some of our Fantasy Basketball category leaders in all the major stats now that we’re a little bit more than two-thirds of the way through the season. We’ll evaluate players who have played at least 35 games thus far.
Points: Luka Doncic (32.8 PPG, 42 g, 35.5 MPG)
It’s no surprise that The Don is leading the league in points. Doncic has been a flamethrower ever since he entered the league, and his heliocentric style of play basically guarantees monstrous usage numbers. He’s leading the league in possessions per game at 27.84. He also recently led the league in scoring in 2023-24 with 33.9 PPG with Dallas, the season in which he captured his fifth consecutive NBA 1st team honor and All-Star honors. Doncic has led the league in FGA three times, is averaging 20.8 FGA in his career, and is taking the most trips to the line this season at 10.9.
Doncic is currently the seventh ranked player in 9-cat leagues and will almost certainly wrap up this season with a top-10 finish, or better. Honorable mentions go to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.8 PPG) and Anthony Edwards/Jaylen Brown (29.3 PPG)
Rebounds: Nikola Jokic (12.3 RPG, 39 g, 34.3 MPG)
Jokic repeats his case this season as the ultimate fantasy weapon. He’s averaging 28.7 PPG, 12.3 RPG, and 10.7 APG. His numbers have been completely absurd this season and he’s been a consistent threat in all major statistical categories. Jokic has finished top-two in MVP voting for five consecutive years and is the gold standard. His 12.3 RPG is not a career high, but it’s the third-highest mark of his illustrious career.
Honorable mentions go to Karl-Anthony Towns (11.9 RPG) and Donovan Clingan (11.5 RPG).
Assists: Nikola Jokic (10.7 APG, 39g, 34.3 MPG)
The Joker’s 10.7 APG is a career-high and he’s leading the league in this category. His playmaking abilities are exceptional and his ability to operate an offense is second to none, with the Nuggets currently holding the highest OFFRTG in the league with 121, which he’s steadily anchoring.
As a result of his robust contributions in all categories, Jokic is by far the number one ranked player in 9-cat leagues this season, as he has been for five out of the last six seasons. What we’re seeing is not normal. Honorable mentions go to Cade Cunningham (9.6 APG) and Luka Doncic (8.6 APG)
Steals: Kawhi Leonard (2.1 SPG, 41g, 32.8 MPG)
Kawhi Leonard’s resurgence this season has been impressive to watch, with the superstar wing returning to MVP form with a career-high 27.9 PPG. The two-time DPOY is also reminding us what he’s capable of on the defensive end, with his 2.1 SPG buoying his 9-cat ranking to third overall on the season. But we all knew what Leonard was capable of on a per-game basis. It’s his health that’s been surprising. He’s even playing in back to back sets. If Leonard can stay healthy, he’ll be able to drag the Clippers into play-in territory.
Honorable mentions go to Cason Wallace (2.0 SPG) and Tyrese Maxey (2.0 SPG).
Blocks: Victor Wembanyama (2.7 BPG, 40g, 29 MPG)
Wembanyama has led the league in BPG for all three seasons of his young career, swatting 3.6 BPG, 3.8 BPG, and 2.7 BPG, respectively. He’s going to be an absolute force on the defensive end for years to come, mainly owing to his comical 7’4 frame and 8 foot wingspan. And he’s likely even taller, since these measurements took place before his rookie season.
Wemby’s dominance in this category cements him as a perennial top two pick in Fantasy Basketball drafts for the foreseeable future. His combination of defensive contributions in addition to his 24.4 PPG and efficient scoring while adding 81% from the line on 7.3 FTA makes him a unicorn fantasy player. He’s a Center who won’t drag down your FT% and will also provide threes, which is something you won’t be able to find anywhere else.
Honorable mentions go to Alex Sarr (2.0 BPG) and Evan Mobley (2.0 BPG)
Field Goal %: Ryan Kalkbrenner (75.8% FG, 43g, 22.9 MPG)
Kalkbrenner’s massive frame combined with his shot diet allows him to post this kind of absurd efficiency. He has only taken two threes and one long two this season. He’s taken 151 shots at the rim out of 198 total, which means 76% of his volume comes from rolling to the rim and grabbing put backs. It’s not unusual for this player archetype to lead the league in FG%. Last season, Jarrett Allen fit this profile, with 70.6%. The season before that, it was Dereck Lively with 74.7%. Unfortunately, these prototypical centers who live near the rim typically don’t offer great FT%, and never offer threes.
Honorable mentions go to Robert Williams (75.2%) and Rudy Gobert (70.3%).
Free Throw %: TJ McConnell (93.8% FT, 40g, 17 MPG)
McConnell is a seasoned vet at this point, but this type of efficiency is surprising. He’s only shooting 78.3% from the line throughout his career, so this is most likely a sample issue. McConnell goes to the line 0.4 times per game, but when he does, it’s money. Perhaps we’d be better served looking at someone with more FTA, and the next on this list is Steph Curry, who’s cashing 93.1% of his shots at the line. Curry’s efficiency needs no introduction. He’s the all time leader in FT% with an astounding 91.2%. We shouldn’t be surprised that the best shooter in NBA history is also good at making free throws.
Honorable mentions go to Cam Spencer (93.1% FT) and Desmond Bane (93% FT).
Turnovers: Luka Doncic (4.3 TO, 42g, 35.5 MPG)
One of the biggest drawbacks of Doncic’s playstyle is of course the turnovers he incurs with such heavy ball-handling responsibilities. All the highest-turnover players are typically playmakers and volume assist-hunters, including players such as Jokic, Cade Cunningham, James Harden, Jaylen Brown, Russell Westbrook, Jalen Johnson, and Austin Reaves. It’s unfortunately a tough pill that fantasy managers have to swallow. With high usage numbers comes a natural correlation to high turnover counts.
(Dis)honorable mentions go to Deni Avdija (3.9 TO) and Nikola Jokic (3.7 TO).
