After an exciting Play-In Tournament, the NBA Playoffs officially launched this weekend with eight Game 1 clashes. Outcomes ran the gamut from jaw-dropping blowouts (Grizzlies-Thunder) to thrilling overtime battles (Clippers-Nuggets), as well as everything in between. The stars unsurprisingly shined bright as the stakes increased. Below, we look at the top five fantasy performers during the opening salvo of each series.
Top Fantasy Performers from NBA Playoffs Game 1
#1. Nikola Jokić, Nuggets 
Last Week: 67.8 FP/G / Season Rank: 1 (64.3 FP/G)
Whether it's the regular season or postseason, Jokic typically camps out at the top of the power rankings thanks to his unique ability to stuff the stat sheet. With the benefit of some added rest since the end of the regular campaign, the Joker was in typical form in Saturday's thrilling Game 1 overtime win over the Clippers, contributing 29 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds, three steals and one block. He took 24 shot attempts and drained half of them. The stellar performance came despite just a 1-for-4 tally from behind the arc, a far cry from the career-best 41.7% success rate he boasted in that category during the regular season (career-high 4.7 3-point attempts per game).
#2. Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks 
Last Week: 61.7 FP/G Season Rank: 10 (46.8 FP/G)
Another big who was integral to his team's Game 1 success was Towns, who helped the Knicks tough out a 123-112 Game 1 win over Detroit. KAT contributed a signature 23-point, 12-rebound double-double
After an exciting Play-In Tournament, the NBA Playoffs officially launched this weekend with eight Game 1 clashes. Outcomes ran the gamut from jaw-dropping blowouts (Grizzlies-Thunder) to thrilling overtime battles (Clippers-Nuggets), as well as everything in between. The stars unsurprisingly shined bright as the stakes increased. Below, we look at the top five fantasy performers during the opening salvo of each series.
Top Fantasy Performers from NBA Playoffs Game 1
#1. Nikola Jokić, Nuggets
Last Week: 67.8 FP/G / Season Rank: 1 (64.3 FP/G)
Whether it's the regular season or postseason, Jokic typically camps out at the top of the power rankings thanks to his unique ability to stuff the stat sheet. With the benefit of some added rest since the end of the regular campaign, the Joker was in typical form in Saturday's thrilling Game 1 overtime win over the Clippers, contributing 29 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds, three steals and one block. He took 24 shot attempts and drained half of them. The stellar performance came despite just a 1-for-4 tally from behind the arc, a far cry from the career-best 41.7% success rate he boasted in that category during the regular season (career-high 4.7 3-point attempts per game).
#2. Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks
Last Week: 61.7 FP/G Season Rank: 10 (46.8 FP/G)
Another big who was integral to his team's Game 1 success was Towns, who helped the Knicks tough out a 123-112 Game 1 win over Detroit. KAT contributed a signature 23-point, 12-rebound double-double that also included five assists, four steals, two blocks and blistering 10-for-14 shooting. The scoring and rebounding were right in line with Towns' regular-season contributions – he averaged 24.4 points and a career-high 12.8 rebounds – and his production throughout the rest of the stat sheet was above his usual standards and helped vault him to second on this list.
#3. Paolo Banchero, Magic 
Last Week: 57.2 FP/G Season Rank: 17 (43.3 FP/G)
The Magic gave the Celtics a bit of a scare for a half-plus in Game 1 on Sunday, and Banchero was a big reason why. The star forward led all scorers with 36 points on a 14-for-27 afternoon from the field, including a 4-for-7 effort from 3-point range. Banchero added 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double in the last six games overall, and the rest of his well-rounded effort included four assists, a steal and a block. While the fact Orlando still lost by nearly 20 points despite his standout performance is disheartening from the Magic's perspective, it underscores how heavily Banchero is likely to have to remain involved the rest of the series to give his squad any hope of victory.
#4. James Harden, Clippers 
Last Week: 56.7 FP/G Season Rank: 12 (45.0 FP/G)
As alluded to in Jokic's entry, the Clippers and Nuggets engaged in a wire-to-wire series opener, and Harden did his best to keep pace with Denver's MVP candidate. The Beard stepped up with a 32-point, 11-assist double-double that also included six rebounds and one block, logging a marathon 43 minutes on the floor in the overtime loss. Harden encouragingly took 22 shots from the floor and found the net on half of them, including on four of his nine heaves from distance.
#5. Jimmy Butler III, Warriors 
Last Week: 56.4 FP/G Season Rank: 56 (35.9 FP/G)
The Warriors notched an impressive road win against the Rockets to close out the Game 1 slate Sunday night, and while Stephen Curry naturally had a prominent hand in that success, Butler was a force to be reckoned with in his own right. With his extensive postseason experience undoubtedly helping fuel his play, Butler finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and a game-high five steals in the 95-85 victory. He notably matched Curry's co-team-high 19 shot attempts as well and even launched a pair of 3-point attempts, perhaps a sign of the usage fantasy players can expect from the seasoned vet during the time of season where he can best validate why Golden State made the move to acquire him.
