There continues to be no shortage of incredible individual performances from around the league. The best of the best continue to deliver major numbers, while countless players step up night in and night out to provide crucial complementary efforts to help their teams come out on top. In this article, we will review a handful of the week's most notable performers, focusing on those whose achievements stand out most significantly when viewed in light of their surrounding circumstances or preceding play. There are also a couple of injuries to note, as well as some good news regarding the return of one of the league's best young stars.

Injuries

Kyrie Irving was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back on Monday, January 6, and is expected to remain out until at least Friday, the 17. In his absence, Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy have each done a good job stepping up. With Luka Dončić also sidelined until early February, Dinwiddie, Hardy, Grimes and Naji Marshall should continue to see significantly increased roles until Irving is back, at which point Hardy will likely be the first to handle a reduction.

Herbert Jones was diagnosed with a posterior labrum tear in his right shoulder and is listed as out indefinitely. This comes barely five weeks after his return from a five-week injury absence that encompassed all of November, and it marks another blow to the Pelicans, who have been riddled with injuries all season. In Jones' absence, there will be room for Brandon Boston Jr., Javonte Green and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to each pick up extra opportunities.

On a positive note, Paolo Banchero made his return from an almost 10-week injury absence on Friday and delivered a masterful performance with 34 points, 7 rebounds,3 assists, 3 steals and a block in a three-point loss to the Bucks. He followed up with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and a block in a win over the 76ers on Sunday. His return will primarily take away minutes from guys like Caleb Houstan and Trevelin Queen, but with the rise in play from Goga Bitadze, Wendell Carter Jr. could also see fewer minutes as Banchero gets back to full speed.

Notable Contributors

Domantas Sabonis continues to stuff the stat sheet with impressive scoring and dominant work on the glass. He opened last week with a 21-point, 18-rebound, 11-assist triple-double and followed up with two more 20-point double-doubles, including a 28-rebound effort in a win over the Celtics on Friday. The multi-talented big man remains one of the best fantasy producers in the NBA and is extremely consistent, with a league-leading 34 double-doubles in his 36 appearances.

With a whopping five games last week, Devin Booker came through with some incredible play to help his squad go 4-1. He averaged 26.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.6 steals on the week, including three double-doubles with points and assists and three games with at least 30 points scored. Booker has done a great job improving his efforts as a distributor and is averaging 6.9 assists on the season, which ties his career high that was set last season. His ability to provide as more than just a scorer helps him maintain improved consistency in overall fantasy value.

Tim Hardaway played in three of the Pistons' four games last week, opening with a season-best 26-point performance on 10-for-15 shooting, including 6-for-9 from deep in a win over the Trail Blazers on Monday. He gave a modest 10 points in the next game before sitting out Thursday's action, but he closed the week with a new season-high of 27 points on 9-for-13 shooting, including 7-for-8 from long range, in a win over the Raptors on Saturday. Hardaway shot an average of 61.8% from the field over the three games, which is a huge improvement over his season average of 43.3%.

If he can keep up the focus, he has plenty of room to emerge as a more significant contributor in his average of 27.9 minutes per game. Now is the time for managers to keep a close eye on him as a potential add or trade target, looking to also capitalize on the momentum around the Pistons, as they have won eight of their last 10 games.

Shaedon Sharpe tallied at least 20 points in a season-high four consecutive games last week, averaging 21.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals over that span. Sharpe is still available in many leagues and is a great option to snag, as he could easily catch a groove and push his season averages of 18.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game.

With the absence of Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony has stepped up in five consecutive starts, including four games last week, where he averaged 20.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He closed the week with a 27-point performance on 11-for-17 shooting, which marked his second-best scoring total of the season. Despite his impressive play, he will likely take a step back into a bench role with the return of Suggs, making his ongoing production somewhat unreliable.

Zach LaVine has topped 30 points in six consecutive games, including two double-doubles, while averaging 33.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.0 steals over that span. He closed the week with one of his best games of the season, as he racked up 36 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and a steal in a loss to the Kings on Sunday. After a bit of a lull in late December, LaVine is on a roll and could be one of the most valuable fantasy players in the game if he continues to step up as the go-to guy for the Bulls.

Kristaps Porziņģis opened the week with back-to-back 20-point double-doubles and finished off with a 19-point, 11-rebound, three-block effort in a win over the Pelicans on Sunday. The Celtics' big man looks to be in a good rhythm after working his way back from a five-game absence in late December into early January. If he can stay healthy, he is easily one of the league's best scorers at the center position.

Russell Westbrook has started 10 consecutive games for the Nuggets, coinciding with the absence of Aaron Gordon. Westbrook averaged 22.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.0 blocks over four games last week, including a 25-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in a win over the Nets on Friday. Despite Gordon making his return to action on Sunday, Westbrook remained in the starting lineup and may see one or two more starts if the Nuggets opt to have Gordon ease his way back from injury. It is likely Westbrook's production will take a slight step back if he returns to a bench role, but given his ability to chip in across the stat sheet, he should maintain a fair amount of value.

Trayce Jackson-Davis is emerging as a more reliable contributor for the Warriors, scoring in double digits in nine of the last 12 games, including four games with at least 10 rebounds in that span. He brought the momentum last week, averaging 14.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals over three games, including a season-high 19 points in a loss to the Heat on Tuesday. Jackson-Davis is still available in many leagues, but he could also be a good trade target, as he is likely to remain on the rise through his sophomore season.