Regardless of how you feel about tanking four seasons in a row, like the Philadelphia 76ers did to assemble a roster around talented lottery picks, make no mistake: Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have a way of erasing four bad years in a hurry.
Both young stars elevated their games in the past week, with Embiid having the performance of his life in a win over the Lakers -- 46 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and seven blocks -- and Simmons posting four consecutive double-doubles (two via points/rebounds and two via points/assists).
The advanced chemistry between the two and their ability to dribble, pass and move without the ball make for a perfect fit for the rest of the starting five, with JJ Redick, Dario Saric and Robert Covington spacing the floor and providing the constant threat of a 3-pointer.
Embiid moves all the way up to No. 12 this week, while Simmons, who remains a nonfactor from 3-point range and is a negative at the free throw line (58 percent), moves up to No. 28 behind his scoring, passing, rebounding and penchant for the steal (2 SPG). The others mentioned above also rise this week, with Covington all the way up to No. 19, Saric to 109 and Redick to 141.
Rajon Rondo appears at No. 102 after averaging 5.8 points and six assists in his first four games since returning from a sports hernia, and his ranking will likely rise along with his numbers as his workload increases in the weeks ahead.
Greg Monroe also makes his 2017-18 debut, coming in at No. 150 after showing his upside with a 20-point, 11-rebound effort in his Phoenix Suns debut on Thursday. Monroe's role and how he fits in with Alex Len and Tyson Chandler also in the rotation will be worth keeping a close eye on in the weeks ahead.
Dropping off the list this week is Mike Conley, who is sidelined indefinitely due to an Achilles injury. His fill-in, veteran point guard Mario Chalmers, is a steals, assists and 3-point contributor and is worth a look on the waiver wire. He comes in at No. 131.
Others who take a tumble in the rankings include Otto Porter Jr. (30), James Johnson (63) and Dennis Smith Jr. (120). Porter is having a good season, but I might have been too quick to move up him; his 15.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.8 SPG and 1.9 3PG make him more suitable at his current ranking.
Johnson's numbers haven't been the same since Dion Waiters returned to the lineup, particularly when it comes to assists, which is why he slides this week.
Smith continues to wow with his athleticism and highlight-worthy plays, but he's shooting only 38.2 percent and turning it over 3.3 times per game. These numbers are hard to absorb for someone who is averaging 14.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 4.4 APG -- good numbers for a rookie but relatively average numbers for a fantasy point guard.
