76ers 113, Pacers 104: Tyrese Maxey posts 70.8 fantasy points
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate ยท Houston Rockets fan
Maxey & Embiid Put Pacers in the Blender, But Don't Sleep on Nembhard's Bounce Back
The 76ers just handled business against Indiana 113-104, and for fantasy purposes, this game was basically a masterclass in star power vs depth. Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid took turns cooking while the Pacers tried to keep pace with Andrew Nembhard playing out of his mind. The real story though? Embiid is finally looking like the dude we drafted him to be, and Maxey reminded everyone why he's a top-tier PG even when the volume isn't insane. Plus, watch out for some Pacers depth pieces who are starting to get real minutes.
Tonight's Top Performers
| Player | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | vs Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrese Maxey | 70.8 | 29/4/8/8/1 | 30.3/4.4/6.7 | -1.3 pts / +1.3 ast |
| Joel Embiid | 45.8 | 30/9/4/0/0 | 24.0/6.9/3.3 | +6.0 pts / +2.1 reb |
| Pascal Siakam | 37.7 | 24/6/7/0/0 | 23.6/6.9/3.9 | +0.4 pts / +3.1 ast |
| Andrew Nembhard | 32.9 | 25/2/5/1/0 | 17.4/2.6/7.2 | +7.6 pts |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | 35.7 | 18/1/5/2/1 | 13.4/4.8/1.1 | +4.6 pts / +3.9 ast |
| Aaron Nesmith | 24.7 | 7/11/1/1/2 | 13.7/5.0/2.0 | +6.0 reb / +1 stl |
Maxey stayed locked in with 70.8 Yahoo points, right there with his season norm. Nothing flashy stats-wise, but 8 steals on 40 minutes? That's elite perimeter defense translating into fantasy gold. Embiid though, that's the real headline. He dropped 30 on 17 FG attempts with a perfect 9-10 from the line, finishing 45.8 points, +6.0 above his season average. For a guy who's been inconsistent scoring this year, this is exactly the kind of game that gets you believing he's back.
The Winners
Joel Embiid was the story of the night. 45.8 Yahoo points on a 24.0 PPG average means he went full beastmode, and the efficiency was disgusting. 10-17 from the field, 9-10 from the line in 33 minutes. This isn't a fluke either, that's just Embiid when he's clicking. If he can stay healthy and keep that FT rate, he's a league winner down the stretch.
Andrew Nembhard put up 32.9 Yahoo points off the bench (basically) with 25 points and 5 assists. That's +7.6 above his season average in scoring, and honestly, that's the kind of performance that matters. Nembhard has been limited by Tyrese Haliburton's presence all year, but when his usage goes up like this, he can fill it up. Worth tracking if Haliburton continues missing time.
Kelly Oubre Jr. was your perfect secondary contribution guy. 35.7 points with 8 steals across the whole team shared around him is nasty efficient shooting. The man went 8-14 and hit 2 threes. That's the kind of complementary scoring you need to round out a roster.
The Letdowns
The Pacers as a unit couldn't generate enough stops. Pascal Siakam was solid (37.7 points, +0.4 vs average) but that 9-21 shooting line is rough even if the threes fell (4-8 from deep). He kept them in it with playmaking though, adding 7 assists. Jay Huff (25.7 points) looked good in limited action with 3 blocks, but 22 minutes isn't sustainable for fantasy relevance.
Nothing catastrophic here since Siakam still delivered, but the Pacers got outgunned in a way that matters for fantasy. When star guys need 36 minutes to stay competitive, you're not going to win many games. That's a season trend, not tonight's issue though.
The Trends
VJ Edgecombe continues getting 35 minute looks (20 Yahoo FP), which is wild because he's averaging 15.7 PPG on the year. Tonight he went 11 points on 3-9 shooting, so he's not always efficient, but the minutes are real. Could be a value play if the shot falls. Meanwhile, Dominick Barlow got 24 minutes for Philly and dropped 11/7/2 steals (25.4 points). That's +2.9 above his season average. Barlow's being added league-wide right now because of exactly this, but one game doesn't make him a regular. Watch to see if this is real playing time or just matchup specific.
Quentin Grimes was a ghost, only 5 points on 1-7 shooting after averaging 14 PPG. That's a full-scale flop (-9.0 vs average), and it matters more because it signals the Philly guards might be taking all the perimeter creation. Not a panic yet, but keep an eye on bench distribution.
The Moves
ADD: Andrew Nembhard. If Haliburton's out or limited, Nembhard becomes a legit floor general with scoring punch. 25/5 is startable in most leagues right now.
MONITOR: Dominick Barlow. The ownership bump is happening anyway, but one explosive game doesn't mean he's cracked the rotation for good. Wait one more week before burning a claim. That said, if he gets consistent 20+ minute usage, he's a buy.
DROP if you own: Quentin Grimes. The shot isn't falling and the minutes are uncertain. There are better bench fliers out there.
Next Up
Embiid and Maxey get Atlanta next, which should be another shooting gallery for Philly. Nembhard and the Pacers draw Milwaukee, and that's a defensive tone-setter. If Haliburton is still out for Indy, Nembhard is your pickup target this week. For Philly, just ride the hot hand on Joel if this efficiency continues.