Fantasy Wrap: Wednesday, January 14

The Headlines

We got absolutely cooked last night. Trey Murphy III just reminded everyone that role players can go nuclear on any given Tuesday, dropping 61.3 Yahoo points and making his entire league chat question their life choices. But he wasn't alone. This was the kind of night where your waiver wire pickups outscored your first-rounders, and frankly, that's the game we're playing now.

The East got spicy too. Donovan Mitchell went full scorched-earth mode against Philly at home (58.9 FP), exposing a 76ers defense that looked absolutely lost. Meanwhile, Scottie Barnes reminded Toronto why he's a legit cornerstone with 59.9 FP in a convincing road win. The Cavs and Raptors are playing a different level of basketball right now.

Also worth noting: bench guys are eating. Precious Achiuwa (49.8 FP) just became a must-own after that waiver gem against New York, and Brice Sensabaugh dropped a 43-point explosion on 15-22 shooting (56 FP). If you're not checking the wire daily, you're getting left behind.

Top Performers

Trey Murphy III (Pelicans): 61.3 FP on 22 shots. Just owned the Nets and made everyone look stupid doing it.
Scottie Barnes (Raptors): 59.9 FP. Walked into Indy and took what he wanted. That's your All-Star caliber move right there.
Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers): 58.9 FP. Put the entire 76ers defense in a blender at home. Philly got exposed hard.
Brice Sensabaugh (Bulls): 56 FP on lights-out 15-22 shooting. An 11.4 PPG role player just entered the conversation. This is unsustainable but capitalize tonight.
Kawhi Leonard (Clippers): 53.6 FP. The Clippers remembered how to play and Kawhi was the primary reason why.

The Disappointments

Not much to report here because literally everyone who touched the court overperformed. But if you're looking for a warning sign: the Mavericks got absolutely manhandled by Denver despite being at home, so any Dallas guys outside of the names you already knew are looking shaky. The depth just isn't there.

The 76ers got run off their own court by Mitchell, so bank that performance against their primary defenders going forward.

Waiver Priority

Precious Achiuwa (GRAB NOW). He just dropped 49.8 FP off the bench against New York. If he's in your league and still available, this is a yesterday problem. Get him.
Brice Sensabaugh (HIGH PRIORITY). Yeah, 43 points on 15-22 is an outlier. But he just proved he can get hot in rotation minutes. Someone's dropping someone else for him today, so move now.
Trey Murphy III (if available). He might come back down to earth, but 61.3 FP isn't an accident. Grab him if he slipped through in your league.
Kawhi Leonard (if for some reason he's on wire). He's not, but if he is, go get him.

Sell High, Buy Low

SELL: Anyone on the 76ers not named Joel Embiid. Their defense got exposed at home by Mitchell. That's a red flag for depth value. Move depth pieces before they crater further.

SELL: Jamal Murray owners should consider cashing in now. 39.9 FP is solid, but Denver's depth just murdered Dallas. Murray's touches might shrink if the Nuggets keep blowing teams out like this.

BUY: Donovan Mitchell (if you can). One game doesn't make a season, but a 58.9 FP performance at home says the Cavs are for real and Spida is running the show. He's worth selling assets for.

BUY: Scottie Barnes. Road win, dominant performance, 59.9 FP. Toronto is playing winning basketball and Barnes is the centerpiece. Lock him in.