Jalen Williams

While Tuesday's NBA Cup final against the Bucks did not count toward official statistics, Williams also struggled in Thursday's win over the Magic. So, a night like Friday was much-needed for the Thunder star, who finished with a season-high 33 points. JDub's fantasy value took a slight hit due to his recent shooting struggles, but he remains a top-20 player in 8- and 9-cat formats. Oklahoma City plays four games during Week 9, beginning with the Wizards on Monday.

Oklahoma City's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Cup final exposed critical flaws.

Even though this game doesn't impact fantasy basketball, JDub was still able to turn in a masterclass in 9-cat leagues. He didn't have a great shooting night, but the entire team struggled to score in this game. Their previous low for points in a game this season was 99, so 81 was surprisingly bad from them. Still, Williams continues to show why he's one of the best players in fantasy basketball. He should have no issues picking up where he left off when they head to Orlando for a back-to-back in Florida on Thursday.

Williams logged 20 points (8-20 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, five assists and one steal over 39 minutes during Saturday's 111-96 victory over the Rockets.

Of the six games he's played in December, Williams has scored 20 or more in five. While he has gone 16-of-41 from the field in his last two games, the Thunder wing remains one of the best performers in fantasy basketball. While a 5th-round player in 8- and 9-cat formats over the past two weeks, JDub heads into Week 8 as a top-15 player in season-long value. Williams is one of the early fantasy basketball MVPs because his production in 9-cat formats has exceeded his Yahoo ADP (36) by two rounds.