Fantasy Basketball: Victor Wembanyama delivers historic night and more NBA Christmas Day takeaways

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all! This year’s Christmas slate gave us plenty of action with clutch moments and dominant performances. As LeBron James stated, “I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day.” That was my sentiment, too — especially after all the noise about the NBA and its dying and unappealing product.

Here are three takeaways from the five Christmas games with a fantasy spin.

Game 1: Knicks 117, Spurs 114

Victor Wembanyama’s historic Christmas debut

• In his first Christmas day outing, Wemby was a beast, putting up 42 points (16-31 FG, 6-16 3Pt, 4-4 FT),18 rebounds, four assists, four blocks, one steal and four turnovers. His production equated to 78.5 fantasy points, the highest of any player on the 2024 Christmas slate.

• Wemby also was the third player in NBA history to deliver at least 40 points with 15 rebounds on Christmas.

• Over the past month, Wemby has been the best player in fantasy nine-cat leagues. His unicorn-like skill set is a cheat code for fantasy managers.

Mikal Bridges’ season-best performance

• I don’t think many expected this showing at Christmas, so Bridges’ performance easily won Secret Santa. Bridges scored 41 points with exceptional efficiency (17-of-25 FG) and added 6 3s.

• Although I doubted Bridges earlier in the year, he’s recently looked more comfortable with his shot. He’s up to 49% from the field and has flourished in the mid-range.

• For the past month, he’s been a fourth-round value while leading the league in minutes played at 38.6 per game.

Josh Hart, the fantasy X-factor

Game 2: Timberwolves 105, Mavericks 99

Luka Dončić injury fallout

• Luka exited in the first quarter after reaggravating a calf strain. Per Shams Charania, Dončić will get an MRI on Thursday, but the team is bracing for an extended absence.

• Kyrie Irving shined in his absence, scoring 39 points, but the injury opened opportunities for other Mavs players like Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie.

• I’d prioritize Dinwiddie, but Grimes started in the second half instead of Dončić.

Anthony Edwards brought the Christmas cheer

• Ant-man led the way for Minnesota in his first Christmas Day appearance, delivering 26 points (11–24 FG, 4–7 3PT), eight rebounds, five assists and three stocks.

• Edwards didn’t attempt a free throw for the third time this season. Still, he was aggressive, attacking the basket and getting clean looks for his middy.

• Edwards remains a top-50 player in 9-cat and top-20 in points leagues.

Naz Reid’s had coal in his stocking

• After putting together two strong performances coming into Christmas Day, Reid didn’t do much on Wednesday.

• He scored six points with two boards, two dimes and a steal in 22 minutes.

• The reigning 6MOY is shooting an uncharacteristic 39% from the field in December and hasn’t lived up to his 96.8 ADP.

Game 3: 76ers 118, Celtics 114

Tyrese Maxey’s All-Star caliber form

• Maxey embodied the Christmas spirit, scoring 33 points, 12 assists and three steals in one of his best games of the season.

• Although his efficiency has been disappointing in 9-cat leagues, Maxey has shown signs of improvement, shooting 46% from the field over his last six contests.

• He orchestrated a massive win for the Sixers, and if I had a vote, Maxey had the best performance on Christmas this year.

Kristaps Porziņģis left early with an ankle injury

• Porziņģis left after just 13 minutes and did not return after halftime once he suffered an ankle injury.

• Porziņģis finished with nine points (3-8 FG, 3-6 3PT), two rebounds and three assists.

• Luke Kornet started the second half, but Al Horford would be the most valuable fantasy asset if Porziņģis misses any time.

Caleb Martin’s streaming potential

• Martin stepped up big, scoring 23 points with a career-high seven 3s.

• Martin’s seen over 27 minutes in his last three games with Philly understaffed by injuries in the rotation.

• Fantasy managers can consider him in 12-team leagues while he’s hot if they’re looking for 3s and steals.

Game 4: Lakers 115, Warriors 113

Austin Reaves saved Christmas for the Lakers

• Reaves had a game to remember, posting a triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and a game-winning layup.

• Since returning from his five-game absence, the Lakers are 4-2, and Reaves is averaging 18-5-5 in 35 minutes per night.

• He should continue to cook as a secondary ball-handler with D’Angelo Russell out of the lineup.

Steph Curry’s scorched-earth shooting

• Curry’s been ice cold from the field, shooting 35% in December. However, what better way for his shot to show up on Christmas versus LeBron James?

• Who knows how many of these bouts they’ll have left, but the final three minutes were a classic Curry clinic of elite marksmanship. The patented Mike Breen “bang” makes seals it.

• He torched the Lakers for 38 points (14-24 FG, 2-2 FT), six dimes and eight treys (the most ever on Christmas). Expect more vintage games like this as Curry and the Warriors aim to keep that window of contention alive.

LeBron dashes through the history books

• With Anthony Davis leaving early due to an ankle injury, LeBron scored 31 points, 10 assists, four rebounds and three stocks. The Lakers won, and James became the first player to exceed 500 points on Christmas.

• James’ workload will surge if AD misses time, making him even more essential for fantasy managers despite his age.

• Max Christie played over 33 minutes for the second straight game and is streamable if the Lakers continue running an eight-man rotation.

Game 5: Suns 110, Nuggets 100

KD and Beal lead Suns to victory

• The Phoenix duo combined for 50 points, the first time two Suns players scored at least 25 on Christmas. Beal was more efficient, shooting 11-for-21 compared to Durant’s 9-for-26.

• Still, Durant thrived at the charity stripe, hitting all nine attempts.

• Durant tied a team-high with six assists, a trend I expect to continue the longer Devin Booker (groin) is out.

Christian Braun is trending down

• Braun was a non-factor on Christmas, scoring five points, grabbing five boards and providing three assists in 28 minutes of action.

• The Nuggets are rumored to be interested in Zach LaVine, and I can see why. Braun is 3-for-22 on 3s in his last nine games, averaging 10 points, five boards and two assists.

• He’s barely rosterable, providing 15th-round value in 9-cat and points leagues in December.

Aaron Gordon leaves with back injury

• Peyton Watson played 24 minutes in relief of Aaron Gordon, who didn’t return from the locker room after halftime due to right calf tightness.

• There has been no specific update other than that Gordon is dealing with an injury to the same calf that caused him to miss 10 games in November.

• Keep an eye on the injury report; Watson should be the beneficiary if Gordon misses time.