Knicks 120, Nets 66: Landry Shamet posts 31.2 fantasy points
Hiro Tanaka
Physical Therapy Assistant ยท Los Angeles Lakers fan
Knicks Demolished Brooklyn Like a 54-Point Practice, and Your Waiver Wire Just Got Spicy
The Nets showed up to Madison Square Garden and got absolutely humiliated, 120-66. That's not a game, that's a crime scene. But here's what matters for your roster: the Knicks' role players went absolutely nuclear while their stars underperformed their season averages. This is the kind of blowout that reshapes waiver priorities, and we need to talk about it.
Tonight's Top Performers
| Player | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | vs Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landry Shamet | 31.2 | 18/1/2/2/1 | 9.2 PPG | +8.8 pts |
| Jalen Brunson | 30.3 | 20/4/5/0/0 | 27.9 PPG | -7.9 pts |
| Miles McBride | 30.2 | 14/6/4/1/0 | 13.1 PPG | +0.9 pts |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 29.1 | 14/8/3/1/0 | 20.8 PPG | -6.8 pts |
| Mikal Bridges | 27.8 | 11/4/4/1/1 | 15.8 PPG | -4.8 pts |
| Josh Hart | 27.3 | 11/9/3/1/0 | 12.0 PPG | -1.0 pts |
The Knicks' depth is the story here. When you're winning 120-66, garbage time production gets real, and that's exactly what happened.
The Winners
Landry Shamet dropped 31.2 Yahoo FP on a 9.2 average, an absolutely disgusting +8.8 above normal. Six threes in just 15 minutes. Look, Shamet's always been capable of going off in rhythm, but this isn't a sustainable thing. He's a deep bench guy who got cooked minutes because the game was already decided by halftime. Don't chase this. He'll be back to 9-10 PPG next week.
Miles McBride is the more interesting play here. 30.2 FP on a 13.1 average is solid without being explosive. He got 19 minutes and shot efficiently (5-10 FG, 3 threes). McBride's been getting consistent run as the backup point guard, and if Brunson ever needs a rest day or gets dinged up, McBride becomes immediately relevant. He's already 97.1% owned, so this isn't a waiver wire steal, but it confirms he's viable for deep leagues.
Josh Hart put up 27.3 FP on his 12.0 average. This guy is the definition of "always there." He doesn't need blowouts to produce. He's consistently one of the most reliable 25+ minute guys on the Knicks, and that's the fantasy player you want. No surprises, just steady contribution.
The Letdowns
Jalen Brunson shot 8-17 with just one three and dropped 20 points on a 27.9 average. That's -7.9 below his normal output. For an All-NBA Second Team guy, that's ugly. But real talk, the Knicks were up 40 points, so there's zero incentive to let him cook in the fourth quarter. Don't panic here. This was game script, not performance. He'll bounce back immediately.
OG Anunoby went 2-4 for 5 points, 5 rebounds in 29 minutes. That's a brutal 12.5 FP on a 15.5 average. OG just got added to 86.9% of leagues, but tonight shows why the market's split. When he's off, he's really off. The good news? He was on the floor 29 minutes, so the Knicks still trusted him. The bad news? He couldn't punish a literal lottery team. This is a wait-and-see, not a panic button.
The Trends
The Nets got demolished across the board. Nic Claxton (19.3 FP, 4/4/1) and Ziaire Williams (20.2 FP, 11/1/0) led the charge, but this was just noise. A 54-point loss doesn't tell us anything useful about these guys long-term. What matters is the Knicks' rotation stayed healthy and the bench got real minutes. Robinson played 16 minutes and was efficient (7/7 FG, 7 rebounds). That's a good sign for his rehab arc if he's been dealing with anything.
The Moves
Add Ziaire Williams immediately if he's available. 20.2 FP on a 9.4 average is a +1.6 game, but more importantly, he's getting consistent 19-25 minute run. The Nets are tanking, and Williams is getting opportunities. He's only in 81.6% of leagues. Grab him while the market's looking elsewhere.
Drop Deandre Ayton if you have him. He's bleeding ownership (down 1.3%) and with good reason. The Lakers' frontcourt is a nightmare, and Ayton's only 74.9% owned. That's a red flag on a team that should be deploying him regularly. There are better centers available.
Don't trade for Cam Thomas yet. He dropped 9.2 FP tonight on a 16.6 average. The Nets are cooked, and Thomas is going to be a sell-low candidate soon if this continues. But one bad blowout doesn't mean he's broken. Wait for another two games before moving him.
Next Up
The Knicks get a few days off before facing a real playoff contender. That's when we'll see if Brunson and OG can actually get back to form or if tonight's trends continue. The Nets face literally anyone else, and we might finally get real data on who's actually playable long-term versus who was just padding stats against a historically bad defensive effort.