NBA Fantasy: Week 17 Salary Cap Performance Update

web editor  

Recognizing the difference between overperformers and underperformers is crucial for NBA Fantasy Salary Game players who want to succeed in the final stretch of the season.

Get NBA League Pass TODAY >Play NBA Fantasy: Salary Cap Edition >

Here are some fantasy highlights to contemplate before competitive play resumes:

Best Values

It’s been a regrettable season for the injury-riddled New Orleans Pelicans (12-42), but they still have the by-the-numbers best bet for your money in

Yves Missi

. For just $5.5M, he’s delivered 1290.5 total fantasy points (TFP) along with 12 showings of 30-plus, generally performing well above the expectations of his salary. That’s constituted a standout rookie season for the center as more minutes on the court continue to do wonders.

Goga Bitadze

established himself as a reliable presence when the Orlando Magic (27-29) lost

Paolo Banchero

to injury early in the season, and he’s never looked back. The sixth-year center/forward ranks second among all players with 1238.8 TFP for $5.3M and has tallied 14 games with 35 or more fantasy points. He’s done it by putting up unprecedented numbers across the board – 8.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest are all career highs.

Rounding out the top three is

Christian Braun

with his excellent production coming off the bench at small forward for the Denver Nuggets (36-19). There are 19 games with 30-plus fantasy points to his name, and he actually enters this midseason stoppage on his best stretch yet, with five of those aforementioned outings coming in his last five games. With 1537.7 TFP on $6.7M, he’s played well above his pay grade on a regular basis.

Top Performances

The finest outing thus far into the campaign belongs to none other than ‘The Greek Freak.’

Giannis Antetokounmpo

came the closest of anyone to cracking 100 fantasy points in a single game with 98.3 for the Milwaukee Bucks (29-24) against the Detroit Pistons (29-26) on Nov. 13.

The 12th-year forward tallied 59 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists en route, and has scored 60 or more in 16 of his 41 games played. Boasting marks of 58 FPPG and 2376.3 TFP, he ranks second and eighth in the league – even in missing 12 contests.

Naturally, as the best option in the fantasy game,

Nikola Jokić

makes this shortlist as well. He submitted 94.9 fantasy points for the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 23 against the Sacramento Kings (28-26), highlighting what’s been yet another dominant season for the three-time NBA MVP. 

The 10th-year center accumulated one of the most staggering statlines in recent memory with 35 points, 22 rebounds, and 17 assists that day – just one of his league-leading 25 triple-doubles. Jokić is up to a remarkable NBA-best 64.5 FPPG and is the only player to have hit 3000 TFP.