POINT GUARDS

Dennis Schroder, ATL: Schroder is posting career-bests in points (22.6), assists (6.6), steals (1.2), made three-pointers (1.6), shooting percentage (47.6) and three-point shooting percentage (40.0) in his second full season as a starter. With an average of 32.4 minutes per contest and career-high 18.2 shot attempts per game, he's poised to continue delivering superb production throughout the season.

Kyrie Irving, BOS: Irving 's team-high 33.1 percent usage rate is unsurprising in the wake of Gordon Hayward's season-ending ankle injury, and it should remain the norm for the balance of the season. Beyond serving as an effective facilitator, he's shown the willingness to put the offense on his shoulders when necessary, as his 35-point outburst versus the Hawks on Monday night demonstrates.

Dennis Smith, Jr., DAL: Smith's knee has been a lingering issue, but the rookie seems to be working through it thus far in November. The ninth overall pick is averaging 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 made three-pointers across 28.8 minutes over his first four games of the month, topping out with a career-best 22-points and eight rebounds against the Wizards on Tuesday.

Damian Lillard, POR: Prior to a Tuesday night dud versus the Grizzlies, Lillard had ripped off four consecutive 30-point tallies and is averaging 28.4 points, 7.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 made three-pointers in his last seven games overall. He's shown improvement in each of his five seasons, and with career-best rebounding and assist numbers at present, he's well on his way to establishing new high-water marks across the stat sheet.

ALSO TRENDING UP:Ricky Rubio, UTA; Kris Dunn, CHI; Emmanuel Mudiay, DEN; Jeff Teague, MIN

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Lonzo Ball, LAL: Ball's shot simply doesn't look NBA-worthy at present, as evidenced by a cringe-worthy 29.9 shooting percentage, a figure that includes a 23.4 percent success rate from three-point range. While his 6.9 assists and 6.4 rebounds per contest provide a smidgen of solace for fantasy owners, there's still likely some major buyer's remorse going around countless leagues with respect to Ball.

George Hill, SAC: As an elder statesman on a rebuilding squad, one might have expected Hill's production to take a dive in the latter portion of the season as younger pieces were given extra run. However, the veteran seems to have skipped ahead to that phase already, posting single-digit point totals in five of the last six and generating the lowest scoring (8.5) and shot attempt (7.5) totals since his rookie season. With talented rookie De'Aaron Fox waiting in the wings as well, Hill's stock is nearing rock-bottom.

SHOOTING GUARDS

Avery Bradley, DET: After a slow start, Bradley is averaging 18.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.2 steals and 2.3 made three-pointers across his last six contests. With his trademark defense and a career-best 42.2 percent success rate from three-point range in tow, Bradley is an asset to own in all formats.

Bradley Beal, WAS: Now in his sixth season, Beal looks like he's truly entered his prime, with his career-best 25.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 49.2 shooting percentage lending credence to that notion. His 6.6 free throw attempts and 18.3 field goal attempts per game both testify to his increased aggressiveness with the ball in hand, and with backcourt mate John Wall also not quite himself in the early going, Beal's stock is at an all-time high.

Tyreke Evans, MEM: Evans is the Grizzlies' unquestioned offensive leader off the bench, averaging 20.5 points (on 53.1 percent shooting), 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals across 28.8 minutes over the last eight games. The former No. 4 overall pick's career-high 49.3 percent success rate from the field – which includes a career-best 43.1 percent from three-point range – may not be sustainable, but it shouldn't see too much of a drop, considering Evans' is a career 44.5 percent field goal shooter.

Malcolm Brogdon, MIL: The 2016 second-round pick is scoring a full six points more per game than in his rookie campaign (10.2 to 16.2), while also seeing notable boosts in assists (4.2 to 4.9), shooting percentage (45.7 to 50.5) and three-point shooting percentage (40.4 to 48.8). Brogdon is off to a fantastic start, but it remains to be seen how the addition of Eric Bledsoe will impact his role.

ALSO TRENDING UP:Dillon Brooks, MEM; Evan Fournier, ORL; J.J. Redick, PHI; Devin Booker, PHO; Buddy Hield, NOP; Joe Ingles, UTA; Donovan Mitchell, UTA; Austin Rivers, LAC, Will Barton, DEN

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Paul Zipser, CHI: Zipser was expected to take on a more prominent role this season for the rebuilding Bulls, but his scoring has actually dropped compared his rookie campaign. The second-year swingman is averaging just 5.0 points on 32.7 percent shooting, with the latter representing a notable downgrade from last season's 39.8 percent mark. He's re-entered the starting lineup in the wake of David Nwaba's ankle injury, but that won't matter much if he continues this pattern of inefficiency.

J.R. Smith, CLE: His Tuesday night, 20-point awakening aside, Smith has been largely irrelevant in the early stages of the campaign. He's shooting a career-worst 32.5 percent from the field while also averaging his fewest shot attempts per game (7.3) since his second season in the league. For a player with scoring-reliant fantasy output, those numbers render him an afterthought in all formats at present.

Andrew Harrison, MEM: Harrison's stint as a starting two-guard has been decidedly underwhelming, as evidenced by his 5.1 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists through nine games. With Tyreke Evans considerably outpacing him in minutes and production off the bench, plus the expected return of Ben McLemore from a foot injury, Harrison's stock is on the decline.

SMALL FORWARDS

Taurean Prince, ATL: Handed the reins of the starting small forward spot to open the season, Prince has proven worthy of the assignment. Last year's 12th overall pick is averaging 30.7 minutes per game and has hit double digits in the scoring column in eight of 11 games. With strong production across the stat sheet and an emerging long-distance game, he's a player that checks off multiple boxes for fantasy owners.

Brandon Ingram, LAL: Ingram seemed to be finding his way courtesy of heavy minutes in the second half of last season, and the extra run he saw has paid significant dividends in his sophomore campaign. He's averaging 15.6 points (on 48.3 percent shooting), 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals across his last seven, while flashing considerable improvement from beyond the arc. His penchant for multi-category production should endear him to fantasy owners in all formats, especially considering his sizable role on a fast-paced offense.

Khris Middleton, MIL: Middleton is posting career bests in multiple categories, with his biggest leap compared to last season coming in scoring (14.7 to 19.1). His career high 16.9 shot attempts per game are certainly playing a pivotal role in that boost, and as the Bucks' most accomplished scorer behind Giannis Antetokounmpo, his robust usage will endure as long his health remains intact.

ALSO TRENDING UP:Bojan Bogdanovic, IND; Otto Porter, Jr., WAS; James Ennis, MEM; Tim Hardaway, NYK; Robert Covington, PHI; T.J. Warren, PHO; Rudy Gay, SAN

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Justise Winslow, MIA: Winslow hasn't rounded back into form after being limited to just 18 games last season due to shoulder and wrist woes. Operating as the backup to Josh Richardson at the three, he's averaging a modest 6.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists across 23.2 minutes and doesn't appear primed for any boost in role or numbers in the foreseeable future.

POWER FORWARDS

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, BKN: The bruised hip he's currently sidelined with is a mere bump in the road for RHJ, who's enjoying the best season of his three-year career. Working as the starter at the four on a high-octane offense, Hollis-Jefferson has seen his scoring jump from last season's 8.7 points per contest to 14.9 through his first 10 games. A 51.6 percent success rate from the field and a bump up from 6.9 to 9.3 shot attempts per game have been largely responsible, and the 2015 first-round pick is also keeping his numbers up in rebounding, assists, steals and blocks.

Aaron Gordon, ORL: Gordon has taken the next step, averaging career highs in points (19.1), rebounds (8.9), assists (2.3) and steals (1.0) while also draining a blistering 53.3 percent of his shots, including 55.9 percent from three-point range. The floor-spacing big man is a significant matchup problem for most teams, and with 13.1 shot attempts per game, there's no question he'll remain heavily involved throughout the season.

Thaddeus Young, IND: The veteran is enjoying a nice resurgence after a down year to open his tenure with the Pacers. Young is averaging a solid 14.6 points and 5.9 rebounds over his first 11 games while also shooting a career-high 39.0 percent from behind the arc. An increase in field-goal attempts from 9.3 to 12.2 is certainly playing a part, with the latter figure a sustainable one for Young over the course of the season.

ALSO TRENDING UP:Draymond Green, GSW; Dario Saric, PHI; Paul Millsap, DEN

CENTERS

DeMarcus Cousins, NOP: Cousins' stock is usually sky-high to begin with, but across-the-board improvements in the early going make him worthy of a mention just the same. The versatile big man is just a rebound short of having double-doubled in all 11 games this season and boasts career-highs in points (28.9), rebounds (13.6), assists (5.8), steals (1.7), blocks (1.9), made three-pointers (2.5) and three-point attempts (7.5). The question of whether Cousins and Anthony Davis could co-exist in the same frontcourt without affecting each other's production has long been answered, as Cousins' 32.6 percent usage rate corroborates.

Nikola Jokic, DEN: Jokic's 41-point, 12-rebound double-double versus the Nets on Tuesday night crystallizes his significant fantasy ceiling. The third-year pro boasts a career-high 17.9 points and 11.5 rebounds, while his 43.9 percent success rate from long range is also a personal best. A versatile asset that can strike from multiple spots on the floor, his production projects to continue rising, especially considering the lack of truly reliable scoring options (outside of Paul Millsap) in the Nuggets' starting five.

Andre Drummond, DET: One of the biggest double-take-inducing stats of the young season is Drummond's free-throw percentage, which sits at 75.0 percent through the first 10 games after never having risen above 41.8 percent in his first five campaigns. He's also posting career bests in assists (3.2) and steals (2.3) and supplying a solid 15.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per contest. Drummond's newfound proficiency from the charity stripe only helps boost his overall fantasy upside and should buy him extra late-game minutes over the course of the season.

ALSO TRENDING UP:Dwight Howard, CHA; Enes Kanter, NYK; Steven Adams, OKC; Robin Lopez, CHI

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Willie Cauley-Stein, SAC: Prior to the season, it seemed the conditions were in place for the talented seven-footer to take a major step forward, considering his status as a key part of the Kings' rebuilding efforts. However, single-digit point totals in five straight and six of the last eight have dampened those prospects, as have rebounding numbers that are somewhat underwhelming for a player with Cauley-Stein's size. He should continue getting the minutes with which to better his production, but there's not much light at the end of the tunnel at present.