LeBron James should be one of, if not the hottest, high-end fantasy product right now.

The beginning of NBA Emirates Cup 2024 was supposed to monopolize the attention this week. There were real stakes at hand and some tantalizing showdowns to boot.

But colossal individual efforts – all on non-group days, no less – stole the show. For NBA Fantasy Salary Game players, this was something to drool over.

Here’s more on that, as well as other information needed mid-week 4:

Story so far

Career highs, season highs and game highs – all the points products pouring in for some of the league’s biggest scorers. Such marks have often been measured in recent matches.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander achieved his first breathtaking performance of the week with 45 points against the Los Angeles Clippers (6-6) on Monday. It was the best single-game total of the seventh-year guard’s career, and it came with a game-high five steals and nine assists, earning Fantasy Owners’ 82.1 points.

This would be exceeded in just two days. Giannis Antetokounmpo came within 1.7 points of the 100 mark in fantasy by punishing the Detroit Pistons (5-8) defense for 59 – the second highest mark of his career. No one in the NBA had scored more this season, and it was Giannis’ vintage outing against the struggling Milwaukee Bucks (4-8).

Earlier that same night, Victor Wembanyama became the fourth youngest player in league history to drop 50 points in a fantastic 71.2-point outing against the Washington Wizards (2-8). The reigning Kia Rookie of the Year’s prolific rim defense and short-range shooting ability are well established, but he’s now hitting his stride from beyond the arc, scoring a 20 on 37 from deep over his last three games.

Antetokounmpo (649.1), Wembanyama (606.4) and Gilgeous-Alexander (600.2) are third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in total fantasy points this season.

The surprise

Awarding a victory of the week before the end of the week would not be appropriate, but the Atlanta Hawks (5-7) made a compelling case for premature recognition.

The Hawks took to TD Garden on opening night of the NBA Cup group game and came away with a 117-116 stunning against the Boston Celtics (10-3). With Trae Young (46.1 points per fantasy game) eliminated, and despite a 30-point loss to Boston last week with his services, Atlanta earned its biggest win of the campaign for a 1-0 start in Group C of the East.

A career-best performance Dyson Daniels (54.1 Fantasy points) was crucial in Young’s absence and showed once again why Daniels should be a high-demand acquisition for Fantasy owners. He now has 350.1 total fantasy points, ranking 62nd among all players despite costing just $7.6 million.

Atlanta trailed by as much as 15 points in the second half, even surpassing Atlanta’s combined 68 points. Jaylen Brown And Derrick Whitewhich contributed to 88.7 between the two in fantasy.

Trading Tips

La-La Land becomes a privileged transaction territory.

The Los Angeles Lakers (7-4) are trending higher after losing four of five, having now won their last three straight. Every game in this streak has benefited from a triple-double by LeBron Jameswhich is expected to be one of the hottest high-end products at present, after more than 50 fantasy points in six consecutive competitions.

The only player ranked above James in fantasy point total who can also boast this streak is Nikola Jokicnever accumulating fewer than 55 in any of his 10 games this season.

Any concerns about James’ health or production at age 39 have been allayed at this point. The All-Star forward started all 11 games for the Lakers, playing at least 33 minutes in 10 of them, and never scored fewer than 30 fantasy points. If you’re looking to trade one of your stars for another, James should be at the top of your list.

But if you’re looking for something cheaper than that $16.5 million price tag, Clippers Center Ivica Zubac is more than an excellent candidate. Among the NBA’s top 33 scorers in fantasy points, Zubac costs the least at $11.1 million while ranking 26th. Only twice did he deliver fewer than 30, while producing more than 40 on five other occasions.

A lot of that has to do with the seven double-doubles he’s had in the Clippers’ 12 games. And don’t wait too long to build your audience with this deal – his salary could very well increase by the end of Week 4.