Fantasy Basketball Week 12 Rankings

Ranking the Top 10 Fantasy Basketball Players for the 2022-2023 NBA Season

By admin | November 14, 2022

The 2022-23 NBA Schedule continues to heat up as the cold winter months of the new 2023 calendar year sets in.

Despite the cold, many great players around the NBA have been hot for their DFS owners night in and night out.

Only thing slowing down the DFS action are a few short slate game days that may limit the fantasy basketball options.

Nonetheless the Top 10 NBA Fantasy Players Rankings Week Ending January 8th, 2023, is loaded with options to build your DFS lineup around.

Headlining the list of the Top DFS Fantasy Basketball options for the first week of January 2023 is the Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James.

While James has not been as dominant as his normal self from years past, he still remains one of the best all around players in the NBA.

Add his ability to make plays with his fantasy matchups for the current NBA week, James is a great DFS option to build around.

Joining James on the list of the Top 10 Fantasy Basketball options includes the Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic, the Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, and the Utah Jazz small forward Lauri Markkanen. Here is a look at the Top 10 NBA Fantasy Players Rankings Week Ending January 8th, 2022.

Honorable Mention

Kevin Durant

Team: Brooklyn Nets

Position: Power Forward

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: @ Chicago Bulls (1/4/23), @ New Orleans Pelicans (1/6/23), @ Miami Heat (1/8/23)

Just missing the Top 10 NBA Fantasy Players Rankings Week Ending January 8th, 2023, list is the Brooklyn Nets star power forward Kevin Durant.

Durant and the Nets have been red hot over the past few weeks winning 12 straight games. As you look for one or two star powers to build your DFS lineup around, Durant is a great option as he averages 28.2 points per game to go along with 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists over his last 10 games.

In addition, Durant has favorable matchups against both the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans who he scored 32 points against in previous matchups this season.

Quentin Grimes

Team: New York Knicks

Position: Shooting Guard

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: San Antonio Spurs (1/4/23), @ Toronto Raptors (1/6/23)

As you start to look for some fantasy value to supplement some of the top tier DFS NBA options across the first week of the 2023 Calendar, players such as Quentin Grimes offer a ton of value and salary cap space.

The New York Knicks shooting guard will look to take advantage of a San Antonio Spurs team that ranks 4th in the NBA in fantasy points allowed to opposing shooting guards.

His second matchup of the week comes against a better defense in the Toronto Raptors, but Grimes should still have opportunities to stuff the stat sheet.

Fantasy Basketball Week 12 Rankings

10. Kristaps Porzingis

Team: Washington Wizards

Position: Power Forward

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: @ Milwaukee Bucks (1/3/23), @ Oklahoma City Thunder (1/6/23)

In at number 10 on the Top 10 NBA Fantasy Players Rankings Week Ending January 8th, 2023, list is the Washington Wizards power forward Kristaps Porzingis.

The Wizards have two contests this week, one against the Milwaukee Bucks and one against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Porzingis adds value coming in posting at least 22 points in four straight games while posting two double doubles over that stretch.

In a previous matchup against the Thunder, Porzingis dropped 27 points to go along with nine rebounds, four assists, one blocked shot and a steal.

9. De’Anthony Melton

Team: Philadelphia 76ers

Position: Shooting Guard

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: Indiana Pacers (1/4/23), Chicago Bulls (1/6/23), @ Detroit Pistons (1/8/23)

While your typical top tier options are always fantasy options at the shooting guard position, one name that has solid DFS value this week is the Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard De’Anthony Melton.

Melton and the 76ers have a three-game slate delivering options for DFS owners over the week. Among those matchups the Detroit Pistons rank 1st in the NBA in fantasy points allowed to opposing shooting guards while the Indiana Pacers are allowing the third most points.

Melton is averaging 12.2 points to go along with 5.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists over his last 10 games played.

8. Jalen Brunson

Team: New York Knicks

Position: Point Guard

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: San Antonio Spurs (1/4/23), @ Toronto Raptors (1/6/23)

One of the biggest off-season NBA moves was the New York Knicks landing Jalen Brunson during free agency. Brunson has not disappointed to start the season as he currently is averaging career highs in both points per game (20.3) and assists per game (6.5) while also adding 3.2 rebounds and one steal per contest.

The Knicks point guard has an ideal matchup against a San Antonio Spurs team that is allowing the third most fantasy points to the position this season.

In addition, Brunson was able to drop 12 assists to go along with three rebounds and seven points against the Raptors in a previous meeting.

7. CJ McCollum

Team: New Orleans Pelicans

Position: Point Guard

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: Houston Rockets (1/4/23), Brooklyn Nets (1/6/23), @ Dallas Mavericks (1/7/23)

If you’re looking for an under the radar type of point guard who has the talent to put-up big-time fantasy numbers is CJ McCollum.

McCollum, who is not your typical point guard, has the ability to push the ball while also finding ways to set up his own scoring opportunities.

McCollum enters the week averaging 26 points per game over his past 10 contests to go along with 4.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists and nearly one steal per contest.

The New Orleans Pelicans have three contests this week including one matchup against a Houston Rockets team that ranks 1st in fantasy points allowed to opposing point guards.

6. Lauri Markkanen

Team: Utah Jazz

Position: Small Forward

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: Sacramento Kings (1/3/23), @ Houston Rockets (1/5/23), @ Chicago Bulls (1/7/23), @ Memphis Grizzlies (1/8/23)

One of the only teams to have four contests spread out across the first week of the 2023 Calendar year is the Utah Jazz. The Jazz has matchups against the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, and Memphis Grizzlies.

Out of those four matchups the Grizzlies, Rockets, and Kings all rank in the Top 5 in fantasy points allowed to opposing small forwards this season.

Starting off the fantasy options for DFS is his January 3rd, 2023, matchup against the Kings who he scored 36 points against earlier this season. Look for Markkanen to put together a strong fantasy week together for his DFS owners.

5. Klay Thompson

Team: Golden State Warriors

Position: Shooting Guard

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: Detroit Pistons (1/4/23), Orlando Magic (1/7/23)

Rounding out the Top 5 on the Top 10 NBA Fantasy Players Rankings Week Ending January 8th, 2023, list is the Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson. With Steph Curry out of the lineup the slack is leaning on other Warriors including Thompson.

The Warriors shooting guard has been red hot of late scoring at least 29 points in three straight games including a 54-point performance in the team’s previous contests on January 2nd, 2023, against the Atlanta Hawks.

4. Jayson Tatum

Team: Boston Celtics

Position: Power Forward

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: @ Oklahoma City Thunder (1/3/23), @ Dallas Mavericks (1/5/23), @ San Antonio Spurs (1/7/23)

When you are looking at top tier fantasy options as a DFS owner Jayson Tatum is a near start option night in and night out no matter the matchup.

However, when you look at the fantasy matchups for the week Tatum stands out with two of the three Boston Celtics contests coming against teams that rank in the top five in fantasy points allowed to opposing power forwards.

In his previous matchup against the Thunder, Tatum scored 27 points to go with three steals, three blocked shots, one assist, and 10 rebounds.

To go along with those two matchups, Tatum posted 37 points to go along with 13 rebounds and five assists in a previous matchup against the Dallas Mavericks this season.

3. Domantas Sabonis

Team: Sacramento Kings

Position: Power Forward / Center

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: @ Utah Jazz (1/3/23), Atlanta Hawks (1/4/23), Los Angeles Lakers (1/7/23)

When it comes to Top 3 DFS options on the Top 10 NBA Fantasy Players Rankings Week Ending January 8th, 2023, list each are great building blocks on nights they take the floor.

One of those options is Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings who ranks among the top fantasy centers in the NBA.

The Sacramento Kings center/power forward combo Sabonis ranks 1st in the NBA in rebounds per game (12.4), and 13th in assists (6.6) while also averaging 18.6 points per game.

Sabonis and the Kings have matchups against the Jazz and Lakers who both rank in the Top 5 in fantasy points allowed to opposing centers.

2. Luka Doncic

Team: Dallas Mavericks

Position: Point Guard

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: Boston Celtics (1/5/23), New Orleans Pelicans (1/7/23), Oklahoma City Thunder (1/8/23)

Possibly one of the hottest players in the NBA over the past 10 games is the Dallas Mavericks NBA MVP candidate Luka Doncic.

Doncic enters the first week of 2023 averaging 38.2 points per game over his last 10 contests to go along with 9.9 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game.

In his previous matchups against the New Orleans Pelicans, Boston Celtics, and Oklahoma City Thunder, Doncic posted at least 37 points per game to go along with at least eight rebounds and no fewer than seven assists in each contest.

1. LeBron James

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Position: Small Forward

Weekly Fantasy Matchups: Miami Heat (1/4/23), Atlanta Hawks (1/6/23), Sacramento Kings (1/7/23)

In at number one on the Top 10 NBA Fantasy Players Rankings Week Ending January 8th, 2023, list is the Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James.

After a somewhat slow start to the season LeBron James is slowly entering the zone for the Lakers over his past nine games.

Over those nine games James is averaging 34.6 points per game to go along with 7.4 rebounds and seven assists per game.

However, over his last two contests James has posted 43 and 47 points over his last two games while also adding 21 assists and 15 assists in those two matchups.

James will look to take advantage of a Kings team allowing the most fantasy points to opposing small forwards and a Heat team ranked 4th in fantasy points allowed.

How would you rank these NBA player projections going into Week 12 of the 2022-23 NBA Season Rankings? Rank below to be added in the NBA Power Rankings.