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The High Score 100: The biggest rankings risers and fallers as we navigate Week 11 in fantasy basketball

The High Score 100 — the top 100 players in Yahoo’s newest fantasy basketball format — is a running reflection of year-to-date performance and trending production. Each weekly update captures who’s actually delivering value and who’s fading.

Here’s a breakdown of the biggest risers and fallers through the 10th week of fantasy basketball — with the complete High Score 100 at the bottom of the article. I’ll be updating my rankings every Tuesday throughout the fantasy basketball season.

[High Score is a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring. It’s not too late to create or join a league]

Before we get into it, the fantasy community is breathing a sigh of relief. Nikola Jokić hyperextended his left knee on Monday and is expected to miss at least four weeks, per reports. The injury comes on the heels of Jokić posting the most prolific fantasy performance of the season, dropping 108 High Score points after demolishing Minnesota on Christmas Day.

Because the injury occurred after Week 10 rankings locked, Jokić holds steady in this week’s update. But for managers scrambling to fill that void, Jonas Valančiūnas is the clear next-man-up add. He’ll absorb a steady diet of frontcourt minutes and touches while Jokić is sidelined.

📈 Risers — From Breakouts to Comebacks

Collin Gillespie – G, Phoenix Suns: 91st overall (⬆️ 49)

This one came out of nowhere. Gillespie vaults from No. 140 to No. 91 and earns a rightful spot among the week’s biggest risers. Since sliding into the starting lineup in late November, he’s been a problem for opponents — averaging 17.2 points, 5.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and a pair of stocks per game over his last 13 games.

Gillespie has been a must-add across formats for the production he’s providing in points, rebounds and assists from the guard spot. He’s fearless, efficient and thriving in an expanded role for Phoenix. With Jalen Green still sidelined, Gillespie’s delivering top-100 value in High Score this season and over the past two weeks, he’s leveled up to top-40. Fantasy managers should keep riding the wave until that changes.

Jaren Jackson Jr. – FC, Memphis Grizzlies: 82nd overall (⬆️ 14)

Just a couple of weeks ago, JJJ was on my fallers list. Now, he’s climbing again. He’s found life, averaging 46.2 fantasy points over the past two weeks, ranking in the top-25 in High Score. After posting consecutive 50+ fantasy-point games, he’s finally looking like the player managers drafted — active defensively and hitting 3s while showing more effort on the glass.

He’s averaging 22.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.7 blocks over his past six games, and his fantasy stock is trending back toward early-round territory. Still, I’d entertain selling because if he’s not blocking shots, JJJ’s value is limited to points and 3s.

Kawhi Leonard – G/FC, LA Clippers: 22nd overall (⬆️ 13)

What a week. Kawhi dropped a career-high 55 points in a win over Detroit on Sunday— adding 11 boards, 5 steals and 3 blocks for good measure. He averaged 41.3 points per game across Week 10, and it’s clear this new Clippers version requires him to be more aggressive offensively. 

Kawhi is backing it up by pacing toward a career high in points per game. He’s been the second-best player in per-game performance over the past two weeks, averaging 64.6 fantasy points in High Score.

📉 Fallers — Same Names, Same Problems

Quentin Grimes – G/FC, Philadelphia 76ers: 117th overall (⬇️ 27)

For the second straight week, Grimes lands in the fallers section. His scoring has cratered, down to 10.1 points on 35% shooting in December. There’s not enough volume available in a reserve role at the moment with the Sixers stars finally healthy(ish). 

While I’d still hold Grimes in 12-team, 9-cat leagues, fantasy managers can safely move on in High Score.

Myles Turner – FC, Milwaukee Bucks: 115th overall (⬇️ 18)

Turner’s been beyond underwhelming. He finally broke out of his slump on Monday, scoring 43 fantasy points. However, this is a Week 10 update, and in three games last week, he didn’t eclipse 27 fantasy points. 

Having Giannis Antetokounmpo back in the lineup should help his fantasy value moving forward, but tread lightly because Turner is still shooting a career-low 42% from the field, causing his points to drop to 12.6 PPG, his lowest in the past four seasons. Turner remains an asset in all formats because of his blocks, but he’s becoming less of a difference-maker in High Score.

Deandre Ayton – FC, Los Angeles Lakers: 110th overall (⬇️ 15)

Ayton’s slide continues as he drops from No. 95 to No. 110. He’s been too inconsistent on a nightly basis, making it hard to trust putting him into your lineups on any given night. Ayton’s been a low-end double-double guy all year, and that’s not particularly valuable in High Score, with rebounds only netting 1 point. 

The only hope would be Ayton picking up his scoring, assist rate or stocks, which is a lot to expect. Silver lining — over the past five games without Austin Reaves, Ayton has played much better. Still, I wouldn’t be mad if fantasy managers decided to drop him for a hotter waiver pickup, though.

The High Score 100 is a running reflection of year-to-date performance and trending production.

Yahoo Fantasy x Arena Club Basketball Slab Packs Week 11 drop – Luka Dončić Fast Break Prizm Rookie among chase cards

Yahoo and Arena Club are teaming up to bring you weekly slab packs featuring top fantasy basketball players.

We’re back hoops fans with another Yahoo Fantasy x Arena Club drop for Week 11. Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Slab Packs are a brand-new weekly drop featuring real, graded trading cards of the hottest fantasy performers in the NBA.

If you’re new to Arena Club, here’s the lowdown. Arena Club is the premier online marketplace for sports cards, giving collectors a way to rip packs virtually, buy and sell graded cards and track their entire collection — all in one place. Whether you’re in it for the hobby, the thrill or the chase, Arena Club brings the excitement directly to your screen.

[Rip your exclusive Yahoo Fantasy + Arena Club slab pack here]

Each week, Arena Club curates real, graded NBA cards and builds two types of Yahoo Fantasy Slab Packs:

  • Silver Pack – $59

  • Gold Pack – $159

Every pack contains a graded card of an active NBA player — but the real treasure is the weekly Chase Cards, featuring some of the top fantasy basketball performers from the past week. These limited-edition hits can reach values up to 20x the cost of the pack.

Weekly NBA Slab Packs go live every Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET and remain available through Saturday (or until they’re gone). It’s the ultimate mid-week boost for fantasy hoopers and collectors alike.

To top it off, use promo code YAHOO at checkout for 20% off your first slab pack or card purchase on ArenaClub.com or the Arena Club app.

Rip a slab pack today for a chance to pull one of the week’s biggest fantasy basketball stars:

Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers

Spida is among the top-10 scorers in the NBA, averaging 29.5 points per game. He showed out in a loss to the Knicks on Christmas Day last week, scoring 34 points and 65 fantasy points.

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

Ant Man put on an offensive exhibition on Christmas Day in the OT thriller vs. the Nuggets, scoring 44 points in 42 minutes.

Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (Silver only)

Kawhi finally appears healthy and he’s looking like his old self. Last week, he averaged 71 fantasy points per game in High Score, topping out at 94 on Sunday with a 55-point effort in a win over Detroit.

Nikola Jokić, Nuggets

The three-time NBA MVP has been a cheat code and a half all season. Last week, he posted the highest fantasy point total of the season with 108 on X-Mas vs. the T-Wolves, scoring 56 points with 16 rebounds and 15 assists. Legendary stuff.

Luka Dončić, Lakers

The L.A. superstar was able to save his fantasy week with 65 points against the Kings on Sunday. He scored 34 points with five rebounds, seven assists and four stocks.

Cade Cunningham, Pistons (Silver only)

Cunningham was distributing like a mad man last week, racking up 49 dimes over a four-game span.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder

SGA had a pretty quiet week for him in terms of fantasy output. That still included a high score of 72 fantasy points in a win over the Grizzlies.

With new cards releasing every week based on real fantasy performance, the Yahoo Fantasy x Arena Club partnership delivers a constantly refreshing lineup of NBA stars — and the chase cards you’ll be talking about all season.

Don’t miss this week’s release.

Rip your slab pack, hit a chase card, and upgrade your collection today!

[Get your Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Slab Pack now]

Three-time MVP Jokic suffers ‘gut-wrenching’ injury

Jokic won the NBA’s MVP award in 2021, 2022 and 2024 [Getty Images]

Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic suffered a “gut-wrenching” knee injury as the Denver Nuggets lost 147-123 at the Miami Heat.

Jokic was hurt late in the first half in an accidental coming together with team-mate Spencer Jones.

Jones stepped on the foot of Jokic who immediately collapsed to the ground clutching his knee.

The 30-year-old has had a scan and will be re-assessed in four weeks’ time.

“Immediately, he knew something was wrong,” said Nuggets head coach David Adelman.

“This is part of the NBA. Anyone who gets hurt, it’s gut-wrenching, especially somebody as special as he is.

“We’ll move on as a team. Obviously, right now, I’m more concerned just about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like that.”

Jokic, who leads the NBA season in rebounds and assists, had 21 points and eight assists in the game before suffering the injury.

Nikola Jokić sidelined by knee injury: timeline and fantasy impact

Already playing without three starters due to injury, the Denver Nuggets lost their franchise cornerstone, Nikola Jokić, to a left knee hyperextension in the final seconds of the first half of Monday’s loss to the Miami Heat. On Tuesday, the Nuggets announced that the three-time Most Valuable Player will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Given how the injury occurred, with teammate Spencer Jones falling into his knee, things could have been much worse for the Nuggets’ star center. It goes without saying that Jokić being out will significantly affect the Nuggets’ starting lineup and rotation, not to mention fantasy basketball overall. He’s been a fixture atop the rankings in recent years, regardless of league format. Let’s look at the impact of Jokić’s injury, beginning with the Nuggets’ starting lineup.

Who will replace Jokić in the starting lineup?

This is an easy question to answer. Jonas Valančiūnas, who was acquired from the Kings during the offseason to give Denver a reputable backup center, is the next man up. He started the third quarter of Monday’s defeat, and in 11 minutes accounted for six points (3-of-3 FGs), three rebounds and one blocked shot. However, all of those minutes were played during the third quarter. Zeke Nnaji replaced Valančiūnas in the lineup with just under a minute remaining in the third, and within the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, the Heat’s lead was up to 19, and they would go on to win by a 147-123 final score.

Valančiūnas can undoubtedly provide value as Denver’s starting center, but no one is going to expect his production to reach Jokić’s floor, much less the former MVP’s ceiling. However, it would make sense to add Valančiūnas, who is rostered in 14 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Who else is affected by Jokić’s absence?

The entire Nuggets rotation is affected by his absence, but hopefully, help will be on the way soon. Christian Braun (70 percent rostered, Yahoo!) and Aaron Gordon (48 percent) have been out since November 12 and 21, respectively, with the former sidelined by a sprained left ankle and the latter a strained right hamstring. While Braun was due for re-evaluation in six weeks, which would be this week, Gordon was given a re-evaluation timeline of four to six weeks. Given the amount of time missed, they’re likely to be under minutes restrictions once they’re cleared to return. But giving them back would undoubtedly help the Nuggets depth-wise.

As for those who are currently healthy, Jamal Murray (100 percent) will have to shoulder an even heavier workload offensively. Nuggets’ lineups with Murray but without Jokić have struggled this season. According to Cleaning the Glass, while Denver has averaged 113.5 points per 100 possessions in this scenario, they’ve given up 121.5 points per 100 possessions. Given Jokić’s importance on the offensive end of the floor, the team’s efficiency will take a hit with him unavailable. Murray’s scoring may increase out of necessity, but can he function as the hub that the other Nuggets can play off of for an extended period? We’re about to find out.

Role players like Peyton Watson (17 percent), Tim Hardaway Jr. (17 percent), Bruce Brown (six percent) and Spencer Jones (six percent) will have to step up offensively. Since moving into the starting lineup after Braun’s ankle injury, Watson has averaged 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.5 three-pointers in 30.7 minutes, shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 74.5 percent from the foul line. He may be the most promising option with Jokić out, especially given his defensive value.

Hardaway has been mainly a points and three-pointers option, so losing a playmaker of the caliber of Jokić isn’t good. As for Brown, he’ll be interesting to watch. His impact as a supplementary playmaker was one factor in the Nuggets’ run to the 2023 NBA title and made him a viable standard-league option. However, he hasn’t reached those heights in his second stint with the team. Providing 10th-round per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats over the past two weeks, Denver will need Brown to offer greater value as a playmaker with Jokić sidelined.

Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić avoids serious injury but will be sidelined for at least the next month

When Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokić went down clutching his left knee in the second quarter of Monday night’s loss to the Miami Heat, many NBA fans feared the worst. However, it appears that the three-time MVP avoided the worst-case scenario.

How long does a hyperextended knee take to heal?

Jokić being out for a month is certainly not good news, but the fact that all of his ligaments are intact means that Jokic avoided the worst type of hyperextension. A hyperextended knee can frequently lead to damage to the MCL, ACL, or PCL, but it seems that Jokić avoided tears to all of those ligaments. The Nuggets will re-evaluate their center in four weeks, but it seems like he should be able to return in early February, in plenty of time for the playoffs, which is great news for Denver.

Denver is already without three other starters: Christian Braun (left ankle sprain), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain), and Cam Johnson (right knee injury). As a result, the team will need to rely on players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Payton Watson, and Jonas Valanciunas with Jokic sidelined.

The All-Star center suffered the injury on the final defensive possession of the half. Jokic was alone under the basket when Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. drove to the hoop. Jokić stepped up to help teammate Spencer Jones, who was backpedaling. Jones didn’t see Jokić and stepped on his left foot, causing the center’s knee to hyperextend and sending him to the floor, where he grabbed at his left knee. Trainers came over to assist Jokić, who was able to get up on his own, but was noticeably hobbling to the locker room and grabbing onto objects to help keep him upright.

Can Jokic still win MVP?

At the time of his injury, Jokić had 21 points, eight assists, and five rebounds in 19 minutes. He came into the game as the odds-on favorite to win another MVP, averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 11.1 assists per game this season. However, being on the shelf for the next month may have shifted the MVP odds back in favor of Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who also won the award last year.

A player needs to have played in at least 65 games to be considered for year-end awards. Jokić has currently played in all 32 of Denver’s games. That means he can only miss 17 games from here until the end of the year. The Nuggets play exactly 17 games in January and have one game on Wednesday, December 31st, so if Jokić were to miss the entire month of January, he would be ineligible for MVP or any other year-end awards. While the Nuggets would clearly like their best player to be eligible to take home those awards, their priority will be to ensure he’s healthy for the playoffs, which means that Jokić should be considered a long shot to win MVP or take home any major awards this season.