Recap of Fantasy Basketball Week 6: Here’s What You Missed

In contrast to the last few weeks, where we saw a number of players go down with injuries, Week 6 seemed to welcome the return of a number of key players back to action. The week also included a couple of unexpected, eye-popping performances and, of course, a couple of injuries to note. In this article, we will bring a handful of the most prominent of these instances to light.

Back In Action

After taking a couple of games to get back in rhythm following a three-week absence, Scottie Barnes turned his play up a notch by averaging 23.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists through four outings last week, including four straight double-doubles (one triple-double) and a 31-point, 14-rebound, seven-assist performance last Monday. Barnes looks all set to carry on as one of the league’s best young players and should continue to pack the box score as he fulfills his role as a leader for the young Raptors squad.

Ja Morant played three of the Grizzlies’ four games last week as he worked his way back from a knee injury. Morant averaged 22.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.3 steals over the three outings, including a double-double with 22 points and 11 assists on Monday. Morant has been very unfortunate in terms of injury trouble over the last couple of seasons, but if he can stay healthy, he is clearly not far from reestablishing a consistently dominant pace for himself.

Wednesday marked Deandre Ayton’s return from a seven-game absence, and the big man wasted no time by racking up 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in his first action in over two weeks. He followed up with a season-high 26-point effort on Friday, and he averaged 20.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocks across his first three games back. Despite an unimpressive start to the season for the Trail Blazers, having their early-season injury trouble behind them could allow the squad to find a better groove.

Isaiah Hartenstein has five straight double-doubles since debuting for the season on November 20. Four of those double-doubles came last week, where he averaged 15.8 points, 13.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. The big man should continue to thrive with a well-balanced Thunder squad.

Malcolm Brogdon took no time getting into an impressive rhythm after making his season debut on November 17. He is averaging 18.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists over his last five games, including a stunning 29-point, 11-rebound performance in his most recent outing. Brogdon looks to be in firm grasp of the starting point-guard job for the Wizards and has a great opportunity to continue to stuff the stat sheet while helping steady the course for the struggling squad.

Standouts of the Week

The Knicks went 3-1 on the week thanks to incredible performances from their top players. Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson highlighted the team’s play, as Brunson hit the 30-point mark twice, while Towns logged four straight double-doubles, pushing his current streak to 10 consecutive games. OG Anunoby dropped 40 points on 16-for-23 shooting in a win over the Nuggets on Monday, and Mikal Bridges drained a career-high seven threes in a win over the Pelicans on Sunday.

The Mavs have won four in a row, thanks in significant part to the improved play of their supporting cast. P.J. Washington saw a streak of five straight double-doubles come to an end on Sunday, but he averaged 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks over four games last week, which stood out as one of his best stretches this season. Naji Marshall also put together a notable week, beginning with back-to-back games with at least 22 points, which pushed his streak to a total of four straight games reaching the 20-point mark. Unfortunately, he left Saturday’s game early due to illness, missed Sunday’s action and remains questionable for Tuesday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was off to a great start to the season, but due to so many huge performances from last year in recent memory, it almost felt like he was coming up relatively quiet. However, he turned up the heat last week and scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games for the first time on the season, averaging 35.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks over that span. Gilgeous-Alexander has quickly become one of the top producers in the league and is in an ideal environment to continue to thrive as the leader for the Thunder.

Damian Lillard delivered huge back-to-back double-doubles, including a 37-point, 12 assist performance to lead the Bucks to a three-point win, despite the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, in Miami on Tuesday. Lillard now has five double-doubles with points and assists over six games since returning from a three-game absence on November 18, while his impressive play helped lead the Bucks to a 6-0 record in that span.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker put together his first three-game stretch of the season where he finished with double-digit scoring in each outing. He capped off the week with his first double-double of the campaign, as he totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Clippers on Friday. If Alexander-Walker can keep up the strong play, he could help turn the tide for the Timberwolves, who are off to a shaky start to the season.

James Harden was out to a respectable start to the season, albeit lacking the major scoring outbursts that have become an expectation from his game. However, the veteran superstar turned things up a notch with a couple of big-time performances last week, including a season-high 43-points in a win over the Wizards on Wednesday, and a 39-point, nine-rebound, 11-assist display on Sunday. Harden averaged 30.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 2.3 steals through four games on the week.

Where Did That Come From?

Elfrid Payton began the season in the G League but worked his way into a roster spot with the Pelicans, signing a one-year deal during the week before last. Payton was thrown straight into action as a starter for the injury-riddled squad and came up with a brilliant 14-point, 21-assist display on Monday. He was relegated to a bench role for the following two outings, where he finished with modest results. Looking ahead, he could carve out a stable role with a few more solid games in the books.

Tyrese Martin has not had much opportunity with the Nets this season, but on Wednesday in a road game against the Suns, he took full advantage of his minutes and rained down eight threes, while racking up 30 points in 28 minutes of action off the bench. His stellar performance earned him the start in the following game, where he finished with eight points on 3-for-6 shooting in 24 minutes. Martin then saw only seven minutes of action and finished scoreless on Sunday.

Injury Trouble

LaMelo Ball began the week with a couple of big-time performances, but unfortunately, he suffered an injury to his calf late in Wednesday’s game. He missed the next two games and is expected to remain sidelined for at least a couple of weeks. With Tre Mann also sidelined, the Hornets will be looking to Vasilije Micic and Nick Smith to handle significant responsibility in the backcourt.

Cam Thomas left Monday’s game early due to a hamstring injury and was later diagnosed with a strain that will keep him sidelined for at least a couple of weeks. Without their leading scorer, Dennis Schroder and Cameron Johnson will need to step up to help carry the Nets. Tyrese Martin, Shake Milton, and Keon Johnson could also be in line for additional opportunities.