The High Score 100 — the top-100 players in Yahoo's newest fantasy basketball format — is a running reflection of year-to-date performance and trending production. Each weekly update captures who's actually delivering value and who's fading.

Here's a breakdown of the biggest risers and fallers through the ninth week of fantasy basketball — with the complete High Score 100 at the bottom of the article. I'll be updating my rankings every Tuesday throughout the fantasy basketball season.

Kevin Porter Jr. – G, Milwaukee Bucks: 75th overall (⬆️ 31)

Porter Jr. is soaring from No. 106 to No. 75 on the back of an extended hot streak. He's played in just 10 games this season; however, he's averaging 48.3 fantasy points per game, which ranks 17th overall. Instead of ranking him in the top 20, I thought 75 was appropriate given he's clearly surging, but let's keep it in context. KPJ's putting up 20-5-7 without one of the top-5 players in the league (Giannis Antetokounmpo) in the lineup. Giannis (calf) hasn't been given a formal return date, but he was seen at practice over the weekend. The Bucks are 2-10 without Giannis and the further they move away from contention, the more we'll likely hear about a potential Giannis trade. So, if you have KPJ, you can ride the wave or cash in on that sell-high window with a pretty hefty haul in a trade when factoring in his production in December. For now, he’s a must-start guard across all formats.

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Kon Knueppel – G/FC, Charlotte Hornets: 78th overall (⬆️ 11)

Knueppel continues to close the gap on the rookie class’s elite. Over the past two weeks, he's upped these numbers to 25.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.2 stocks per game. He ranks 32nd over that span, averaging 44.2 fantasy points per game, tied with Victor Wembanyama. I broke down his efficiency last week, but he's been outstanding in most facets of fantasy, performing as a top 85 option across formats through 29 games. Knueppel's chemistry with LaMelo Ball has elevated Charlotte’s half-court offense — and his mix of shooting, rebounding and playmaking translates perfectly in High Score’s balanced format.

Jalen Brunson – G, New York Knicks: 17th overall (⬆️ 8)

I underrated Brunson outside of the top 20, so here is the course correction. With an NBA Cup title in hand, plus a few heroic performances over the past 14 days, Brunson is moving up. He's been a top-5 player in his last five games, posting 55.8 fantasy points per contest, while averaging 33.8 points, 4.6 boards and 7.2 assists. Brunson’s an offensive engine who morphed into one of the most tactical scorers in the league. On pace for a career-best 29 points per night, he's entered the elite guard tier in High Score.

And onto the fallers... Bennedict Mathurin – G/FC, Indiana Pacers: 99th overall (⬇️ 30)

The biggest drop of the week belongs to Mathurin, falling from No. 69 to No. 99. It's a bit aggressive. However, his numbers across Week 8 and 9 were not it — 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, 23.8 fantasy points. He certainly needs to be benched after registering just one 30+ point performance since December 12. His volume is down (12.8 attempts) and is converting on just 32.8% of his shots over that span and with basically no stocks or assists, he's tumbling down the rankings. Now that he nearly ranks outside of the top 100, he's moving more towards a drop than a hold.

Chet Holmgren – FC, Oklahoma City Thunder: 60th overall (⬇️ 8)

Holmgren takes a slight dip because in his last four games spanning weeks 8 and 9, he ranks 94th overall at 33.5 fantasy points per game in High Score. It's not anything to get concerned about, as the Thunder are rolling over opponents. Still, Holmgren had a third-round ADP in the preseason and fantasy managers will need him to perform at that level at least once per week. His numbers look better in December than in November, so there could be a small buy-low opportunity, as he missed his last game because of a back injury and put up 14 points with 5 rebounds and 2 blocks the game before.

Quentin Grimes – G/FC, Philadelphia 76ers: 90th overall (⬇️ 6)

Grimes, one of the top reserves in the league, falls to 90th overall after losing some traction. While Grimes has mostly maintained his rebounding and assist numbers, the scoring dropped considerably to 10.9 per game in December, primarily due to shooting 37% from the field (he was at 45% in November). With the Sixers getting healthy again, Grimes’ role has narrowed to a 3-and-D specialist — valuable to Philly, but a tough sell to hold onto in High Score lineups.

Complete High Score 100 rankings

The High Score 100 is a running reflection of year-to-date performance and trending production.

Stay tuned for the next look at the High Score 100!

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