Week 17 may have been shortened by the All-Star break, but the fantasy elite didn't take any time off. Superstars continued to separate from the pack, headlined once again by Nikola Jokić, while rising standouts like Jalen Johnson and Cade Cunningham matched him blow for blow in per-game production. Victor Wembanyama delivered another jaw-dropping scoring binge, and LeBron James turned back the clock with a historic triple-double in an expanded role. As we shift toward the stretch run, these performances carry even more weight. Here's a closer look at last week's top producers and what their upcoming schedules mean for Week 18.
The following players averaged the most fantasy points per game last week (one-game minimum):
NBA Fantasy Power Rankings for Week 17
#1. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets 
Last Week: 65.0 FP/G Season Rank: 1 (69.0 FP/G)
Jokić was also in the top spot last week, and he carried his significant momentum right into Denver's two-game Week 17. The big man delivered his third and fourth straight triple-double against the Cavaliers and Grizzlies, respectively, averaging 24.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 1.0 steals across 33.5 minutes per contest. Jokić also supplemented his offensive numbers significantly with his trips to the free-throw line, getting there on 26 occasions over the two games and converting 20 of those opportunities into points.
#1 (tie). Jalen Johnson, Hawks 
Last Week: 65.0 FP/G Season Rank: 8 (55.7 FP/G)
Johnson drew even with Jokić in Week 17 despite taking the floor for just
Week 17 may have been shortened by the All-Star break, but the fantasy elite didn't take any time off. Superstars continued to separate from the pack, headlined once again by Nikola Jokić, while rising standouts like Jalen Johnson and Cade Cunningham matched him blow for blow in per-game production. Victor Wembanyama delivered another jaw-dropping scoring binge, and LeBron James turned back the clock with a historic triple-double in an expanded role. As we shift toward the stretch run, these performances carry even more weight. Here's a closer look at last week's top producers and what their upcoming schedules mean for Week 18.
The following players averaged the most fantasy points per game last week (one-game minimum):
NBA Fantasy Power Rankings for Week 17
#1. Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
Last Week: 65.0 FP/G Season Rank: 1 (69.0 FP/G)
Jokić was also in the top spot last week, and he carried his significant momentum right into Denver's two-game Week 17. The big man delivered his third and fourth straight triple-double against the Cavaliers and Grizzlies, respectively, averaging 24.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 1.0 steals across 33.5 minutes per contest. Jokić also supplemented his offensive numbers significantly with his trips to the free-throw line, getting there on 26 occasions over the two games and converting 20 of those opportunities into points.
#1 (tie). Jalen Johnson, Hawks
Last Week: 65.0 FP/G Season Rank: 8 (55.7 FP/G)
Johnson drew even with Jokić in Week 17 despite taking the floor for just one game. After sitting out Monday's contest against the Timberwolves due to a knee injury, Johnson made good use of his one time on the court in Week 17, recording 19 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists, four steals and one block across 34 minutes in a loss to the Hornets. The versatile forward went 6-for-11 from in front of the arc while also knocking down four of his five free-throw attempts, making it a signature all-around effort to close out the first half of a breakout season.
#3. Cade Cunningham, Pistons 
Last Week: 62.0 FP/G Season Rank: 4 (57.0 FP/G)
Cunningham was highly efficient during an impressive two-game stint in Week 17, shooting 51.2%, including 47.1% from 3-point range, in wins over the Hornets and Raptors. The star point guard averaged 30.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 2.0 steals per contest as well, and he converted 84.5% of his 13 free-throw attempts over that span. Monday's victory against Charlotte notably featured some of Cunningham's highest offensive usage of the season, as his 27 field-goal attempts were his fourth most in a game during the current campaign.
#4. Victor Wembanyama, Spurs 
Last Week: 58.5 FP/G Season Rank: 3 (52.2 FP/G)
Wembanyama was firing on all cylinders in Week 17, posting a 40-point, 12-rebound double-double against the Lakers in an impressive 30-point win to kick off the scoring period Tuesday before just narrowly missing another double-double with 26 points and nine rebounds during a victory against the Warriors 24 hours later. Wemby's efficiency in the first game propelled his week to top-five caliber, as he sank 13 of his 20 shots from the field – including a 4-for-6 tally from 3-point range – while also knocking down 10 of his 12 free-throw opportunities. Highly efficient work at the line was also a key part of his performance versus Golden State, as he was 8-for-10 in that capacity in that 13-point victory.
#5. LeBron James, Lakers 
Last Week: 58.0 FP/G Season Rank: 39 (47.1 FP/G)
With Luka Dončić missing all three of the Lakers' Week 17 games due to his hamstring injury, LeBron unsurprisingly shouldered a heavier workload and capitalized on the opportunity to author a throwback week of sorts. James actually only played in two of Los Angeles' contests himself, but he delivered 25.0 points, 11.0 assists and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 51.4% overall. He also made some nifty history along the way – the King's 28-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound effort against the Mavericks on Thursday made him the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double.
This Week's Preview
The following players are top fantasy point producers and play at least two games next week with fewer than two matchups against top-10 defenses:
Nikola Jokic, DEN (69.0 FP/G) - @LAC, @POR, @GSW
Jalen Johnson, ATL (55.7 FP/G) - @PHI, MIA, BKN
James Harden, CLE 
(51.1 FP/G) - BKN, @CHA, @OKC
Kawhi Leonard, LAC 
(49.5 FP/G) - DEN, @LAL, ORL
Pascal Siakam, IND 
(43.0 FP/G) - @WAS, @WAS, DAL
