This week's top performances (in no particular order) belong to:
Chris Bosch, TOR: After missing five games due to injury, Bosch returned last week to make a huge impact on his team. He averaged 20 points, 2.3 assists, 11 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.8 turnovers in 37.7 minutes. Fantasy owners will be happy to have Bosch back in their lineups this week as he can get you a ton of points. This week they play Boston, the LA Clippers, Portland, Seattle and Phoenix. Boston is their only home game, but Bosch will continue his play regardless of where they are.
Carlos Boozer, UTH: Utah had a tough week, going 3-1, but Boozer didn't seem to have a problem. He averaged 24 points, 3.5 assists, 13.5 rebounds, 3 steals, .25 blocks and 4 turnovers in 38 minutes last week. He led his team in points in all four games this week. His turnovers are high, but his points, rebounds and steals make up for the fantasy points lost on turnovers. Utah plays Atlanta, Charlotte and Orlando this week, so expect Boozer's play to continue and keep him in your starting lineup.
Dwight Howard, ORL: Howard will probably be on every edition of this article unless he gets hurt. Last week he averaged 24.5 points, 1.5 assists, 17.3 rebounds, .75 steals, 1.3 blocks and 3.8 turnovers in 41 minutes. Dwight Howard is a beast and proving that he was worth that #1 pick in 2004. He will continue to play exactly this way all season, so he should ALWAYS be in your starting lineup if he's on your team.
Emeka Okafor, CHA: While Okafor has struggled over the past few weeks, he stepped it up last week to help Charlotte out of a losing slump. He averaged 17.25 points, 1.8 assists, 11.5 rebounds. .5 steals, 1.5 blocks and one turnover in 35 minutes. Okafor has been streaky this season, but seems to be coming out of that and is getting back to his regular self. He will consistenly get you a double-double, and his lack of turnovers is a huge plus for fantasy owners. Monitor his progress this week, and if his play continues, keep him in your starting lineup.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, CLE: Ilgauskas is getting up there in years, but his play continues to stay strong in Cleveland. This past week he averaged 16.7 points, 2.7 assists, 8.7 rebounds, .7 steals, 1.7 blocks and two turnovers in 30.3 minutes. "Z" has always been consistent, so if you are a conservative fantasy owner, he might be your pick. He's never flashy, but he does make big plays. Cleveland plays Milwauke, New York and the LA Lakers this week, so expect good things from Ilgauskas.