Nuggets 118, Mavericks 109: Jamal Murray posts 39.9 fantasy points
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Jamal Murray Reminded Us He's a Closer, But Denver's Depth Just Murdered Dallas
Look, I'm not happy about this one as a Mavs guy, but I gotta respect it. The Nuggets walked into the American Airlines Center and executed exactly what they needed to do, with Jamal Murray going absolutely nuclear and Denver's role players stepping up when it mattered. Dallas got exposed tonight, and not in a fun way. Here's the thing nobody wants to say yet: the Mavs depth rotation is a disaster right now, and it cost them this game.
Tonight's Top Performers
| Player | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | vs Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamal Murray | 39.9 | 33/2/5 | 25.8/4.5/7.5 | +7.2 pts |
| Aaron Gordon | 36.7 | 22/6/3 | 18.5/6.2/1.8 | +3.5 pts |
| Brandon Williams | 34.9 | 20/7/1 | 11.9/2.9/3.7 | +8.1 pts |
| Caleb Martin | 33.3 | 15/4/3 | 2.5/1.8/1.3 | +12.5 pts |
| Naji Marshall | 31.5 | 24/5/3 | 14.0/4.6/2.8 | +10.0 pts |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 27.6 | 12/3/4 | 13.8/2.4/1.4 | +2.6 assists |
Murray cooked. Period. 13-24 from the field, 5-5 from the line, 33 points in 38 minutes. That's +7.2 above his season average and he was efficient doing it. This is the All-NBA version showing up when it matters. Aaron Gordon wasn't far behind at 36.7 FP, shooting 8-12 and draining three 3s. Solid night for Denver's core.
But here's where it gets interesting for fantasy managers...
The Winners
Jamal Murray continues to be one of the most underrated fantasy assets in the league. When the Nuggets need buckets, he delivers. +7.2 above season average on efficient shooting. If you've got him, you're sleeping well.
Brandon Williams absolutely cooked, and I'm not ignoring this. 20 points on 6-13 shooting, 8-12 from the line, +8.1 above his season average in just 25 minutes. This is the kind of breakout game that gets people asking "wait, who is this guy?" He's averaging 11.9 PPG but went for 20 tonight. The minutes and opportunity are there, and he's playing with real confidence.
Caleb Martin with the wildest line of the night: 15/4/3 with three steals in 23 minutes. +12.5 above his season average (the dude averages 2.5 PPG). This is a desperation play that somehow worked, but don't get cute trying to replicate this. He's not a regular scorer.
Naji Marshall had a monster game for Dallas, 24 points on 9-16 shooting, staying on the floor for 38 minutes. +10.0 above his season average and he's looking like a legit rotation guy. This is worth watching because Marshall had some real talent that got buried in other systems.
The Letdowns
Cooper Flagg completely disappeared. 6 points on 3-9 shooting in 14 minutes, -12.8 below his season average. For a guy averaging 18.8 PPG, this is rough. Something's off in the rotation or matchup-wise, and until we understand why he lost 14 minutes and productivity, he's a hold-and-watch situation. Don't panic sell yet, but this stings.
P.J. Washington did literally nothing. 12 points on 4-13 shooting, -2.6 below average. He wasn't featured, and Denver's defense made sure of that. Not disaster territory but zero pop from a guy who should be hungry.
The Trends
The Mavericks' bench rotation is completely cooked right now. You've got D'Angelo Russell, Max Christie, Dereck Lively II, and Anthony Davis all unavailable or DNP, and the team is trying to fill minutes with Brandon Williams and Caleb Martin suddenly carrying weight. Williams' 25 minutes is a sign of how thin they are right now. That's not sustainable volume.
Denver keeps rolling with their deep rotation and it's paying dividends. Gordon at 29 minutes, Jalen Pickett getting 27 (24.7 FP), Spencer Jones at 32 minutes. They're not running everything through Nikola Jokic and it's working. The load management is real and it's effective.
The Moves
ADD: Brandon Williams immediately. If he's available in your league, grab him now. I don't care about his season average. The minutes are real, the opportunity is real, and Dallas is desperate. He's averaging 11.9 but that number is about to shift fast.
DROP: Any Mavericks bench piece you're holding as a lotto ticket. This roster is imploding at depth and until we see clarity on who's healthy, the bench guys are dead weight.
TRADE: Target Naji Marshall in your league if you can. 24 points, 38 minutes, showing real scoring chops. The narrative around him is still low because he's been buried, but that could be changing fast.
Next Up
Denver stays rolling and will likely see Jokic get heavier minutes next game to close this out. Keep an eye on whether Flagg gets his minutes back or if this is a rotation shift. For Dallas, somebody needs to get healthy or this bench core is going to lose them games. Brandon Williams is the fantasy gem here, but don't bet your season on a third-stringer going off.