As much as we like to find hidden gems and build the perfect balance into our fantasy squads, sometimes success can come down to the simple fact of getting superb production from our best players. In this article, we will give flowers to the top-10 points league producers. Then, we will break the order to acknowledge a few players that are turning in extremely favorable numbers but who may not always come to mind when you think "top 10".
Cade Cunningham tops the chart as the highest total producer at this point in the campaign, leading the charge for an otherwise underwhelming Pistons squad that currently holds the seventh spot in the East. Cunningham picked up on the impressive trajectory set in his first three seasons and is averaging career highs across the board with 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. He only has three games this season with fewer than 20 points scored, and he has four triple-doubles and four double-doubles through 16 games played. With great size at the point guard position and a diverse skill set, there is no sign of him slowing down.
Jayson Tatum kicked off the season with a bang, scoring 37 points in three of the first five games. He topped the 30-point mark in nine of his 15 appearances and is averaging 29.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He is also working with impressive efficiency, shooting 46.4 percent from the field, including 39.4 percent from deep, which is his best rate from long range since 2019-20. With an elite team around him, Tatum should continue to shine as one of the league's most feared scorers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo already established a season-high of 59 points and has a total of four games with more than 35. He also has a double-double in all but one game played, including one triple-double on the year. Although the Bucks have not found a good groove yet this season, it will not take much for the squad to get rolling behind the dominant play of their leader.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander picked up where he left off last season as one of the smoothest scorers in the league. He scored more than 20 points in 14 of his 15 games played and hit the 30-point mark five times, including a season-high of 45. He is also working at an extremely efficient rate, shooting over 50 percent from the field and better than 87 percent from the foul line for a third straight season. Despite a wealth of talent among the Thunder's roster, Gilgeous-Alexander remains the engine of the squad and will continue to be the most significant component of their offense.
James Harden is off to a relatively quiet start by his own standards, as he has only topped the 20-point mark in seven of his 15 games played. Nonetheless, despite a modest scoring presence, he has been fantastic as a distributor, reaching a season-high of 16 assists on two occasions and averaging nine assists on the year. He has also stepped up his game on the defensive end, averaging more than seven rebounds per game for the fourth time in his career and averaging more steals per game than in any of the previous four seasons.
Luka Doncic hit the 30-point mark in six of his 14 appearances, including a 40-point, 10-rebound double-double. Meanwhile, his assist and rebounding numbers are slightly lower compared to the previous five seasons, which is mostly a result of the fact that he is playing with a more complete and talented team than in the past. Nonetheless, he is still one of the best all-around stat-sheet stuffers and is more than likely to break out for a few massive scoring displays.
Nikola Jokic began the season with a signature triple-double, followed by back-to-back 40-point games and then another triple-double. The three-time MVP has been nothing short of an MVP-level contributor to start his 10th season and has already delivered highs of 41 points, 20 rebounds, and 16 assists while averaging a ridiculous 29.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 11.7 assists through his first 10 appearances. The Joker is no doubt one of the most enigmatic players when it comes to his ability to dominate the game at his own pace, and it does not look like anyone has found a way to stop him. On another note, he has missed the last three games due to personal reasons, and it is uncertain when he will return.
LeBron James is defying Father Time by putting up incredible numbers across the board, including making history as the oldest player with at least three consecutive double-doubles after he hit four in a row between November 8 and November 15. He is also scoring with purity, shooting 51.5 percent from the field, including a blistering career-high of 41.6 percent from deep. Additionally, he is averaging 9.4 assists per game, which is the second-highest mark of his career. Despite his age, James has the benefit of a seemingly unmatched IQ on the court that is the x-factor in driving his baffling production.
Anthony Davis looks like a man on a mission this season, averaging a career-best 30.7 points per game on 56.7 percent shooting from the field. He also continues to dominate the glass with 11.4 rebounds per game, and he remains an enforcer on the defensive end, with 1.3 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. At 31 years old and in his 13th season, Davis looks to be benefitting from the perfect mix of experience and physicality, as he is on pace for one of the best campaigns of his career.
De'Aaron Fox opened the season with back-to-back double-doubles and hit the 30-point mark for the first time in his fifth outing. He kept up a good pace from there but took it to an astronomical level with a season-high 60-point scoring outburst on November 15, followed by a 49-point display in the next game. He is averaging career highs of 28.8 points and five rebounds per game and also continues to boost his production with a slick ability to snag steals.
Honorable Mentions
Nikola Vucevic has quietly been putting up elite numbers for years, but he is currently working at a career-best efficiency, shooting 59.4 percent from the field and 84.8 percent from the foul line while averaging 20.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, three assists, and 0.9 blocks per game. He is essentially the most reliable contributor to the Bulls' offense and is primed to continue to help lead the way. His play is allowing the squad to remain decently competitive despite minimal expectations heading into the season.
Darius Garland is off to a great start to the season and helped lead the Cavaliers to a brilliant 15-0 record before picking up their first loss. He is averaging over 20 points per game for the third time in his career, and he continues to facilitate at a high level with seven assists per game. However, his most impressive achievement to this point is his efficiency, as he is shooting career highs of 49.2 percent from the field, 43 percent from deep, and 93.5 percent from the foul line.
Jakob Poeltl started the season in modest fashion but brought his play up to top-tier levels, averaging 18.8 points on 62.5 percent shooting, 11.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks over the last 10 games. He also reached the 30-point mark in his two most recent games and logged a season-high 18 rebounds last week. In his ninth season, Poeltl looks to be in a very comfortable place and should continue to fill the stat sheet thanks to his imposing size and soft touch around the basket.