Do you think Luka Dončić just really likes the number 77? Either that or there’s some sort of higher power at work here. In fact, he must have looked at all the High Scores he was racking up and decided it was time to mix it up and go a bit higher before the end of January.
While it was a down month in terms of scoring in Yahoo’s High Score fantasy basketball format (we missed you, Joker, welcome back), it was a very consistent month for Dončić, who had the highest fantasy output in each week in January.
Let’s take a look at his performances and the rest of the perfect lineup from January in High Score fantasy basketball.
Here’s a look at January’s perfect High Score lineup.
(Davis Long)
More on the top performers
Luka Dončić, guard: Was it some kind of witchcraft that caused Luka to hit the 77-point mark four times in January? Perhaps. It definitely wasn’t a coincidence in 2026. And just when we thought that would hold, Luka one-upped himself and dropped 83 fantasy points on Friday at Washington. Dončić continues to get heavy scoring volume and usage as LeBron takes a backseat at age 41. The Lakers have also been without Austin Reaves since December, and the scoring options behind those three on L.A.’s roster are limited.
Tyrese Maxey, guard: Maxey was able to get into this lineup thanks to a 76-point effort that was highlighted by the guard racking up eight steals vs. the Pacers. While Joel Embiid (more on him below) is playing some of his best basketball in recent memory, Paul George was suspended for 25 games this week. That means the 76ers will continue to lean heavily on Maxey, who has been the team’s best player this season. Maxey is averaging the most minutes of any player this season at 39 per game and will continue to be a prime High Score asset the rest of the season.
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Jalen Johnson, frontcourt: Johnson snuck back into this group with 74 points on the final day of January in a loss to the Pacers. JJ posted his eighth triple-double of the season on Saturday with 33 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. He also chipped in three steals. The Hawks should continue to provide fantasy-friendly atmospheres, ranking top-10 in points and points allowed. As a result, Johnson remains a top-five asset in High Score as we approach the trade deadline and All-Star break.
Joel Embiid, frontcourt: Embiid has looked like his former MVP-self in January after struggling to get onto the court consistently until the end of December. This past month, Embiid averaged 29.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists while posting 54/36/85 shooting splits. He was even better in the second half of the month, scoring at least 29 points in seven straight games. If Embiid keeps this up, he’ll be one of the top draft values of the entire season after being selected at pick 47.3 on average.
Victor Wembanyama, frontcourt: Wemby started off the season scorching hot and it looked like he’d be up there with Nikola Jokić for top fantasy asset this season. Unfortunately, the injury bug hit and Wembanyama missed a big chunk of November. Coming back from injury, the Spurs have had him on a pitch count but his minutes per game have gone up from 23.2 in 10 games in December to 27.7 MPG in January. That’s a good sign for fantasy managers hoping we get early-season Wemby, when he was posting 40 points and 15 rebounds or 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks.
Alex Sarr, frontcourt: This is the first we’re seeing of the second-year forward in any of the perfect lineup stories so far. In fact, Sarr might be the only Wizard to make one of these lists so far (he isn’t, we forgot about Kyshawn George to start the season). Washington shipped out CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert for Trae Young, and the PG is being held out until after the All-Star break. That’s afforded Sarr and other youngsters on the Wizards roster to get more playing time and usage. Sarr turned in an impressive stat line of 29 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 8 stocks in a win over Portland last Tuesday.
Cade Cunningham, utility: It’s been a tumultuous month for Cade, nothing like we saw early in the season when he was posting 100+ fantasy points. But despite dealing with various ailments, Cunningham has still been a regular in the High Score perfect lineup. He began the New Year with his top score for January, posting 31-8-11 with 5 stocks against the Heat. Cade’s rebounding numbers have been down but that may have something to do with Jalen Duren getting healthier.
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