Five Fantasy Basketball Players Quietly Dominating Since Christmas

The NBA regular season can be a long one, making the fantasy basketball season a grind. There's some notable landmarks throughout the season, and Christmas was one of them. Let's take a look at five players who have quietly excelled since Christmas.

We have guards, forwards and a center listed here, so there's options at all positions.

Use the FantasySP fantasy basketball trade value chart and trade analyzer to help you with trades all season!

Deni Avdija - Portland Trail Blazers

Avdija has enjoyed a good fantasy season, but he's upped his production since Christmas.

In the eight games since, Avdija is averaging 29.3 points, 8.6 assists, 7.9 rebounds, 1 steal and 0.6 blocks over 36.8 minutes a night. He's shooting 49.3% overall and 33.3% from 3-point land.

He's averaging 26.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks over 35.3 minutes a night on the season, while shooting 47.1% overall and 35.9% from deep. There's an increase in just about all of those numbers, so it's easy to see why I'm mentioning him in this article.

Even a little more playing time is enough to boost the fantasy value of high-end players, and it's happened of late with Avdija. He's emerged as the leader of the Trail Blazers, and I don't see that ending anytime soon.

His fantasy value is soaring right now, so he's going to cost a good amount if you are hoping to acquire him in a trade. I think Avdija is worth the hefty price though. 

If I rostered Avdija, I'd really only want to trade him away if I was overpaid. The thing is, that kind of deal could come about with his improved numbers of late, so don't make him untouchable, especially for a fantastic price.

Jalen Johnson - Atlanta Hawks

Johnson is worth mentioning for a couple reasons. For one, his numbers have been great since Christmas. And two, his role is going to grow after the trade of Trae Young. 

In seven games since Christmas, Johnson is averaging 22.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks over 36.4 minutes. He's shooting 51.2% overall in that stretch, while being just 27.8% from deep. 

He is averaging 23.5 points per game on the season, while also having 10.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks over 35.5 minutes a night. Johnson is shooting 52% overall and 35.5% from deep.

His numbers really haven't improved anywhere, but he's still performing at a higher level than we expected coming into the season. With Young now out of Atlanta, we don't have to worry about Johnson's usage or production ever falling.

I think he is going to become the face of the Hawks, and I'd love to have him on my fantasy team. You might actually be able to nab him for a bit cheaper because his numbers of late are a tad lower, but I'd be thrilled to make that move.

Johnson has top-10 fantasy upside (even at these “lower” numbers) and should be pretty safely inside the top 20 at all times. Package up a couple players and go after the Hawks' forward, or trade a single player from a position of depth.

Keyonte George and Jusuf Nurkic - Utah Jazz

George and Nurkic are a pair of Jazz players on the rise since Christmas.

George is averaging 25.3 points, 7.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.3 blocks over 36.9 minutes a night, while shooting 47.7% overall and 40% from deep. For the season, he's averaging 24.1 points, 6.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1 steal and 0.3 blocks over 34.7 minutes, while shooting 45.4% overall and 37.1% from deep.

The increase in all his numbers is a great sign, and the couple extra minutes a game is playing a huge role in that. George is emerging as a franchise leader, and it's led to him being a high-end fantasy asset.

I like the way his career is trending, and think he's here to stay as a top-end player and fantasy talent. For those who drafted George, or grabbed him off the waiver wire early on, I'd suggest to keep holding the Jazz guard.

He's a player to target in trades though, especially if you are lacking at the guard spot, and have some depth at forward or center. 

George has been a top-25 fantasy asset since Christmas, and a top-35 talent all season, but he's still a bit underrated in my eyes. See what he'd cost in a trade.

Nurkic missed the last Utah game, and has missed three games since Christmas, but he's been great when he's been active. The injury might help you land the big man for less in a trade. He could even be a free pickup, as he's available in a few leagues.

In five games since Christmas, the Utah big man is averaging 18.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks over 31.2 minutes a night. He's shooting 61.7% overall in that span, and is a stellar 58.3% on his 3-pointers.

His regular season averages are way lower, at 10.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks over 25.8 minutes a night. Nurkic is shooting 50.8% overall and 34.7% from deep.

He's taken on more since Walker Kessler suffered a season-ending injury. Nurkic should be in line for a lot of minutes and usage down the stretch as a result.

I don't think Nurkic will keep shooting this high a percentage for the rest of the season, but between the injury concern and just the overall status he has as a fantasy asset, I think he'd be a worthwhile trade asset.

It shouldn't take a ton to acquire him in a deal, but he could pay off big for you in the remaining weeks of the fantasy season. Some fantasy owners might also be inclined to sell him high, but the injury should lower his value enough that you don't get burned in a deal. 

Give Nurkic some consideration, as his post-Christmas numbers have been stellar.

Derrick White, Boston Celtics

White has been stellar in seven games since Christmas, and Boston has gone 5-2 in that stretch, so he's directly helping the team to better results too.

In that seven-game stretch, White is averaging 18.9 points, 6 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 2.4 blocks over 36 minutes a night. He's shooting 38.6% overall and he's just 26.5% from deep.

He's averaging 18.4 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals over 33.9 minutes a game for the season, while shooting 39.6% overall and 33.6% from deep.

White has been stellar defensively of late, and it's led to him being a top-20 fantasy talent since Christmas on a per-game basis. On the season, he sits closer to 40th among all fantasy players.

Now is definitely a time to sell high on White, but he's also a worthwhile trade target, if you can get him for a reasonable price. At least inquire about White, as he might be more affordable than you think.

White can fill the stat sheet pretty well, as he's shown of late. Those are the kind of players you want on your fantasy team, as there's several ways they can be fantasy assets. Look into acquiring White, and hope he continues excelling like he has of late.