Raptors 122, Kings 109: Scottie Barnes posts 55.1 fantasy points
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Scottie Barnes Reminds Everyone He's the Raptors' Ace, Westbrook Can't Carry Sacramento Home
Toronto just punked Sacramento 122-109, and if you've been sleeping on Scottie Barnes in your league, tonight was the wake-up call you needed. Barnes dropped 23/8/7 with four steals in 31 minutes, putting up 55.1 Yahoo points and going +3.3 on scoring versus his 19.7 average. This wasn't a fluke night either. He was efficient as hell, 8-17 from the field with a perfect 6-6 from the stripe. The Raptors needed someone to take over in the second half, and Scottie answered. If he's still available in your league, that's a problem you should fix immediately.
The Kings looked completely lost without their full rotation. Sacramento's offense looked like it was playing in molasses, and Russell Westbrook tried to heroball his way to relevance with 23 points, but it came on 9-22 shooting. Yeah, he put up 36.1 Yahoo points, but that's what happens when you're jacking up shots. This team is in trouble if Domantas Sabonis can't stay healthy, and tonight showed exactly why.
Tonight's Top Performers
| Player | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | vs Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottie Barnes | 55.1 | 23/8/7/4/1 | 19.7/8.2/5.5 | +3.3 pts |
| Immanuel Quickley | 41.2 | 18/6/8/2/0 | 16.9/4.1/6.2 | +1.1 pts, +1.8 ast |
| Sandro Mamukelashvili | 37.8 | 22/9/4 | 10.7/5.0/1.9 | +11.3 pts, +4.0 reb |
| Russell Westbrook | 36.1 | 23/3/3/3/0 | 15.4/6.2/7.0 | +7.6 pts |
| Brandon Ingram | 32.6 | 23/3/4 | 21.7/6.0/3.8 | +1.3 pts |
| Zach LaVine | 31.7 | 19/1/5/1/1 | 19.8/2.9/2.3 | -0.8 pts |
The Winners
Scottie Barnes is officially back on the menu. 55.1 Yahoo points on a 19.7 PPG average is the kind of breakout that matters when your playoff seeding is on the line. He was aggressive early, stayed out of foul trouble, and let the game come to him in the second half. This is what he's capable of doing night in and night out, and if your league is sleeping on him because of some down games earlier this season, time to pounce.
Sandro Mamukelashvili is the sneaky play nobody saw coming. The big man went absolutely off for 22/9 on 8-14 shooting with three threes. That's 37.8 Yahoo points versus a 10.7 scoring average. Up 11.3 from his norm. Look, this might be a one-off, but if Toronto is running more pick and roll action with him, he could be a league winner off the waiver wire. Check your league right now, he's probably still there.
Immanuel Quickley kept doing what he does. 41.2 Yahoo points with 18/6/8 is exactly the kind of consistency that won championships. He's only +1.1 on scoring versus his 16.9 average, but his assist total was +1.8, which matters in Yahoo scoring. This is a guy you can build around because he doesn't have nights where he disappears.
The Letdowns
DeMar DeRozan was a ghost. The man who averages 19.1 PPG only put up 9 points on 3-8 shooting. That's a -10.1 nosedive from his norm, and it killed Sacramento's offensive flow. When your secondary scorer can't get going, you're basically playing four-on-five. If you're holding DeRozan, don't panic yet, but watch the next two games closely. One stinker is fine. Two means something's wrong.
Zach LaVine was fine but not great. 19 points on 7-17 shooting is baseline performance. He's averaging 19.8, so -0.8 is basically right there. The problem is he only grabbed one rebound and had five assists. That's volume offense without the secondary production you need in fantasy. He's still a hold, but he's not a difference-maker right now.
The Trends
Sacramento is absolutely broken without full health. Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis, and a bunch of role players being out means Westbrook is getting 34 minutes of hero ball instead of playing his actual position. This is not sustainable. When the Kings get healthy, his usage drops and his efficiency gets better, so don't overreact to tonight's performance even though he hit 36.1 Yahoo.
Toronto's rotation is tightening up. Scottie, Quickley, and Brandon Ingram are eating almost all the wings/perimeter minutes. Jonathan Mogbo got some burn at 22 minutes but Poeltl didn't play, which is interesting. If Mogbo keeps getting opportunities, he could be a sneaky add for rebound and block streaks.
The Moves
Add: Sandro Mamukelashvili - Look, I know one game doesn't make a player, but if Toronto is actually going to run him in the pick and roll more, he's a walk-on three-point shooting big in a contract year. That's a low-risk add in deep leagues. Worst case he gets 15 minutes. Best case he keeps getting 32.
Drop: Precious Achiuwa - The Sacramento guy is down to 20 minutes and getting pushed out of the rotation. 22.1 Yahoo points tonight but his season average is 7.6 PPG. He was a hold before, but with all the Kings' injuries he should've been getting more work, not less. Time to cut him loose.
Monitor: Jamal Shead - The Raptors guard went 35 minutes with 15/5/6 tonight. That's bench scorer territory turning into starter minutes. If he keeps getting this run, he's a depth add worth watching.
Next Up
Toronto's got breathing room now, and Scottie Barnes is playing like he wants to prove everyone wrong. The Raptors' next matchup will tell you if tonight was real or an outlier. If he stays aggressive, he's league-winning upside.
Sacramento needs bodies back yesterday. This team can't compete without Sabonis, and Westbrook solo isn't enough to carry the load. Watch the injury report religiously over the next week.