A new week of NBA basketball is upon us. Nikola Jokic put together one of this year's most memorable stat lines on Sunday with a 40-point triple-double. While it's unlikely that any player will top the two-time MVP's numbers on Monday, there are plenty of matchups to be excited for in the nine-game slate. We'll go over the best and worst performers of the weekend before taking a look at a prime DFS target for Week 10's start.
Who's hot
Jokic wrapped up Week 9 with a ridiculous performance. The Denver Nuggets big man exploded for 40 points against the Charlotte Hornets. He also grabbed 27 rebounds and dished out 10 assists. He averaged 36.0 points, 17.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game last week. Jokic has averaged 62.3 percent of his field goals over his previous three outings. Michael Porter Jr.'s pending return could cut into his workload, but he might not play again until Week 11.
The Brooklyn Nets went down early in their Sunday matchup against the Detroit Pistons, but Durant took over the game in the second half. He scored a career-high 26 points in the third quarter and finished with 43 points on 14-for-22 shooting. He's now topped 40 points in three straight games against the Pistons. Durant's scored at least 28 points in six consecutive games on 60.7 percent shooting.
The Los Angeles Lakers will need a lot from James over the next month now that Anthony Davis is dealing with a foot injury. James scored 33 points with seven rebounds and nine assists against the Washington Wizards. He's scored at least 30 points in four straight contests while tallying at least five rebounds and four assists. Davis was carrying a heavy scoring and rebounding load, so other Lakers will need to pick up the slack alongside James.
Who's not
Anderson initially benefitted from Karl-Anthony Towns's injury significantly but has fallen off lately. The Minnesota Timberwolves swingman scored just two points in his team's latest blowout win over the Chicago Bulls. He's averaged 4.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over his last two games while shooting less than 30 percent from the field. Anderson could turn things around after finishing off Week 9 poorly, but Jaden McDaniels and Jaylen Nowell have looked more promising than him.
Friday DFS play
Paul was overshadowed by Devin Booker's 58-point outburst at the end of last week but has a great chance to kick off Week 10 with a bang. The Phoenix Suns point guard will face the Anthony Davis-less Lakers without any Cameron Payne (foot) backing him up. Los Angeles won't have its defensive anchor, and Patrick Beverley (calf) could be set to miss a second straight game. Paul boasts career averages of 12.0 points, 11.3 assists, and 5.2 rebounds as a Sun against the Lakers. He's also half an assist short of averaging a double-double in 30 career matchups against his good friend LeBron James. If Deandre Ayton (ankle) returns for this matchup, Phoenix can carve up the Lakers on the perimeter and in the painted area, with Paul leading the way.
Still deciding who to lock in for your DFS roster? We've identified a player worth locking in and one to avoid ahead of tip-off below, but you can get my full selection of stud and value plays at each position by heading over to SportsLine.
