Fantasy Basketball Recap: Week 8

Well we are already over a third of the way through with the fantasy year. In many ways, it feels like the NBA season just started. However, if your fantasy team isn't preforming how you thought they would on draft day, maybe this season feels like it's dragging on.

Fantasy Studs

Five guys who stood out this week from the rest.

• James Harden. Harden strung back-to-back 50 point games together. He did so while shooting well too. He's inching closer and closer to averaging 40 points a game, which just seems like an impossible accomplishment.

• Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside threw a block party this week. He blocked 14 shots in the last three games, while also rebounding in double-digits for nine games in a row.

• Davis Bertans. The Washington Wizards have lost the last four games, but not because of Bertans. He's quietly becoming one of the NBA's best sharpshooters. He's scoring well, rebounding well, and hit a big numbers of three's.

• Domantas Sabonis. Over the last week, Sabonis is nearly leading the league in rebounding average, with 15.5 per game. He's also averaging 14.3 points and 4.5 assists in that stretch too.

• Ricky Rubio. Like Sabonis, Rubio is leading the league is assists per game over the last seven games with 11.7 per game. He's also scoring 21 a night to go along with nearly three rebounds per game.

Fantasy Duds

Five guys who are probably looking forward to putting this week behind them.

• Blake Griffin. Griffin had a really rough two game stretch where he shot 16% from the field and 7% from three. Yes, 7%.

• Brook Lopez. He did finally post a double-double, but that's after four straight games of not even coming close.

• Lonzo Ball. I'm starting to get worried that Ball is not going to be who many hoped he would be. He's shooting 27% in his last four games, and only scoring five points a night and under five assists per game.

• RJ Barrett. The Knicks haven't looked good all season, and Barrett has been wildly inconsistent. After a five point, four rebound game where he shot 11%, he followed that up with a 20 point, 10 rebound game. The next game? Yeah it was another dud-eight points, four rebounds while shooting 28%.

• Josh Richardson. He's back from a hamstring injury, and it might be a little while before he's back back. In his last three games, he's just averaging eight points, and under three rebounds a game.

Week 8 Overview

We've had two 60-point games so far this season. Eight 50-point games and 30 40-point games. It feels like every night in the NBA someone is going off and putting up ridiculous numbers. I'd expect this trend to continue all season long.

The game has never been easier for offensive players with the rules seemingly catering towards players who have the ball in their hands. Hopefully for you, you drafted a guy who has a team that allows the offense to flow through them. Imagine if you were able to draft a team that featured James Harden, Trae Young, and Devin Booker? And then you followed that up with Clint Capela, Bam Adebayo, and Domantas Sabonis? That would have been doable in the leagues I am in, and if you hit on those picks, you've probably run away with the league by now.

Waiver Wire Potential

Here are 10 guys who are owned in 50%or less in standard Yahoo fantasy basketball leagues could possibly help your team this week.

• Markelle Fultz, PG/SG (47%). This very well could be Fultz's last time on this list. Each week more and more people add him to their team. His last game wasn't pretty, but maybe that works in your favor and allows you to pick him up before he has another big game.

• Norman Powell, SG/SF (44%). Powell has benefited from all of the injuries the Toronto Raptors have been dealing with. He's scoring fairly well, and adding a few rebounds, assists, and three's each game. He's worth a look for the next week or so.

• Nemanja Bjelica, PF (43%). Bjelica might be on his way out of this list as well with his recent play. He terrorized the NBA's Southwest Division and is the offensive spark the Sacramento Kings need right now.

• Aron Baynes, C (41%). I'm really surprised Baynes isn't owned in more leagues. Even when DeAndre Ayton returns, I'd suspect Baynes will be a central part in the Phoenix Suns game plan. Now that he's back from being hurt, his minutes will continue to increase, so if you need a big man, I'd snag up Baynes as soon as possible.

• Duncan Robinson, SG/SF/PF (40%). Robinson had a monster 34-point game, that included 10 made threes, four assists, and three rebounds. He is draining three's in his last 10 games, while being a decent source of rebounds, points, and steals.

• De'Andre Hunter, SF (33%). The Hawks rookie is going have some consistency problems, as most rookies do, but when he's on, he's playing really well lately. He can get you three's, points, rebounds, and assists, you'll just have to put up with some dud games here and there.

• Jae Crowder, SF/PF (32%). As I've said before, Crowder isn't going to wow any individual statistical category, but where he excels is getting a little bit from every category. In his last two games he is averaging 14 points, nine rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.5 made threes.

• Jordan Clarkson, PG/SG (29%). Clarkson is in a crowded Cleveland backcourt, but he's seeing an increase in minutes lately. Over his last few games, he's averaging over 18 points, nearly three rebounds, and over three assists per game, while also making over three three's per night too.

• Ben McLemore, SG (27%). If you need help winning the three's made category, McLemore is your guy! He's letting it fly from deep this year in a high-powered Rockets offense.

• Wilson Chandler, SF/PF (2%). Chandler is finally back from his suspension and with all of the injuries the Nets have faced this year, he's worth a deep dive look on a roster in need of help at the wing position.