Suns 126, Nets 117: Collin Gillespie posts 40.5 fantasy points
Maya Chen
UX Designer ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Collin Gillespie Just Became Your Sleeper PG, And It's Not a Fluke
The Suns just won 126-117 in Brooklyn, and honestly, the story here isn't Devin Booker or Dillon Brooks going off. It's Collin Gillespie putting up 40.5 Yahoo points on a 13.2 PPG average, absolutely cooking for +8.8 points above his norm. This wasn't some garbage time explosion either. Gillespie dropped 22 points on 7-10 shooting with 5 threes in 28 minutes and orchestrated the offense with 5 assists. If you've been sleeping on this guy because he's not a household name, your league mates just made you pay for it.
Tonight's Top Performers
| Player | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | vs Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collin Gillespie (PHX) | 40.5 | 22/5/5/1/1 | 13.2/4.1/4.9 | +8.8 PPG |
| Michael Porter Jr. (BKN) | 39.2 | 23/6/4/2/0 | 25.8/7.5/3.2 | -2.8 PPG |
| Mark Williams (PHX) | 38.6 | 16/8/0/2/3 | 12.3/8.3/1.1 | +3.7 PPG |
| Dillon Brooks (PHX) | 36.0 | 27/5/2/0/0 | 20.7/3.3/1.7 | +6.3 PPG |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 31.8 | 24/4/4/0/0 | 25.3/4.1/6.4 | -1.3 PPG |
The Winners
Collin Gillespie is officially on the board. 40.5 points on his season average of 13.2 is a massive spike, but look at the tape. He was running the offense, got hot from three, and the Suns clearly trust him in big moments. The minutes were reasonable at 28, so this wasn't a crazy outlier setup. This is a guy who just proved he can be more than a spot-start.
Dillon Brooks came to play with 36 Yahoo points, dropping 27 with 6 threes on a 20.7 PPG average, +6.3 above the norm. He's been a consistent scorer all season, but tonight he found another gear. The 8-15 shooting and perfect 5-5 from the line shows he wasn't jacking up garbage.
Mark Williams dropped 38.6 despite only putting up 16 points. That's the Phoenix defense doing work on the boards, 8 rebounds with 3 blocks in 28 minutes. He went 5-6 from the field and 6-8 from free throw, which is basically a cheat code for fantasy points. For a guy averaging 12.3 PPG, +3.7 above average is legit.
The Letdowns
Michael Porter Jr. has to be annoying for Nets owners right now. 39.2 Yahoo points looks decent on its face, but he's averaging 25.8 PPG and tonight he delivered -2.8 below that average. Yeah, he got 23 points and 6 boards, but he needed 23 shots (10-23 FG) to get there. That's inefficient, and efficiency is what separates "fine" from "worth starting." The All-NBA Third Team selection should be delivering more consistently.
Devin Booker with 31.8 points is fine for most players, but he's supposed to be Booker. He averaged 25.3 PPG coming in, so -1.3 below average while shooting 10-18 feels like he's not quite locked in. The 4 assists on 33 minutes when he usually dishes 6.4 is the real red flag. Defense held him in check.
The Trends
The Phoenix role clarity is getting sharper. Grayson Allen picked up 29.6 points, and while that's -2.4 below his 16.4 average, he's seeing heavy minutes (30) and got 8 assists. The ownership jumped 1.3% after this game, which is smart. He's becoming a reliable secondary playmaker next to Gillespie. The Suns are rotating minutes smartly, and Allen looks like a 4-5 game consistency play if Gillespie keeps getting 25+ minutes.
Nic Claxton for Brooklyn stayed steady with 32.6 points, basically meeting expectations at -0.9 below his 12.9 average. He went 6-8 from the field and grabbed 8 rebounds in 37 minutes, which is reliable backup center production. Not flashy, but not worrisome either.
The Moves
Add Collin Gillespie immediately if he's available. A 40-point night with legit shooting metrics isn't a fluke when you're running the offense. He's at 13.2 PPG, so he's still underrated in most leagues.
Drop Precious Achiuwa if you own him. He's down 2.5% in ownership league-wide and isn't getting the burn. This is your signal to cut him loose.
Trade for Grayson Allen if you can. He's getting 30 minutes a night, playing alongside Booker and Gillespie, and chipping in playmaking numbers. At 45.8% owned, he's still available in shallower leagues. If someone has him and you need a role player who's actually getting used, he's worth a mid-tier asset.
Next Up
Watch Gillespie's usage rate over the next three games. If it stays north of 20%, he's a hold. If it dips to 15%, the game tonight was a one-off. The Suns are building something with this guard rotation, and you need to stay on top of it. For Booker, expect him to bounce back next game when the Suns draw a weaker defensive unit. Don't panic trade him over one slightly-below-average outing.