Nuggets 102, Bucks 100: Myles Turner posts 48.4 fantasy points
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
Nuggets Steal One in Milwaukee, But The Real Story Is Julian Strawther's Breakout Night
This one stings. Two points. Two. Points. That's how close Denver came to leaving the Fiserv Forum with an L, and honestly, as a Bucks fan, I'm still not over it. But let's pump the brakes on my bias for a second because there's a massive fantasy story buried in this loss, and it's not about the guys you'd expect.
The Nuggets won 102-100 in a grind-it-out game that felt more like playoff basketball than late January. Both teams shot poorly, both teams played defense, and the Bucks... well, the Bucks had a legitimate chance to steal this. But here's what nobody saw coming: Julian Strawther went absolutely nuclear.
Tonight's Top Performers
| Player | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | vs Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myles Turner | 48.4 | 17/7/2/1/6 | 12.2/5.3/1.6 | +4.8/+1.7/+0.4 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 44.1 | 22/13/7/0/0 | 28.2/9.9/5.6 | -6.2/+3.1/+1.4 |
| Ryan Rollins | 35.3 | 21/4/1/3/0 | 16.0/4.5/5.5 | +5.0/-0.5/-4.5 |
| Julian Strawther | 33.5 | 20/5/3/1/0 | 3.8/1.3/0.7 | +16.2/+3.7/+2.3 |
| Zeke Nnaji | 32.4 | 11/12/2/0/2 | 4.5/2.5/0.5 | +6.5/+9.5/+1.5 |
| Aaron Gordon | 29.7 | 13/6/3/2/0 | 17.9/6.2/2.5 | -4.9/-0.2/+0.5 |
The Winners
Julian Strawther just turned in the most important game of his career from a fantasy perspective. Thirty-three and a half Yahoo points on a 3.8 scoring average? That's not a blip. That's a +16.2 point surge that tells you something fundamental changed. He finished 6-13 from the field, hit a three, and went 7-8 from the line in just 26 minutes. The kid got minutes, got opportunities, and executed. This wasn't garbage time production either. This was real minutes against real competition.
Myles Turner showed up exactly when the Bucks needed him most. Forty-eight and a half Yahoo points with two blocks and a three-pointer in limited action. Turner didn't put up huge scoring numbers, 17 points, but the efficiency was there: 7-12 from the field. For a guy averaging 12.2 PPG, this was a solid night, not earth-shattering, but he stayed disciplined and didn't force anything.
Zeke Nnaji (32.4 Yahoo FP) is becoming a legitimate rebounder. Twelve boards off the bench on a 2.5 average is massive. That's +9.5 boards out of nowhere. If he's locking in on the glass like this, he's worth stashing in deeper leagues.
The Letdowns
Giannis Antetokounmpo played 32 minutes and put up 22 points with 13 boards and 7 assists. On paper that sounds fine. On reality? He shot 4-8 from the field. Four makes. That's rough. He leaned on free throws (14-16) to pad the stats, and he was still 6.2 points below his season average. For an All-NBA selection and the face of the Bucks, this was a step backward. No steals, no blocks, and the efficiency wasn't there. Don't panic, but also don't expect this to happen regularly.
The Trends
Cole Anthony getting 16 minutes and turning in 23.9 Yahoo FP is worth a look. He ran the offense (5 assists) and stayed in bounds (1 TO in 16 minutes). The ownership bump is tiny (2.5% owned), but if he's eating into someone else's minutes, that's a problem. This isn't a add-him-now situation yet, but monitor it.
Ryan Rollins (35.3 Yahoo FP) went off for 21 points in 35 minutes. He's averaging 16.0 PPG normally, so this is +5.0 above the norm. But here's the thing, he shot 8-20 from the field and turned it over 4 times... wait, no, he had 3 steals and only 1 TO. That's efficient volume. He hit four threes. This is the version of Rollins you drafted him to be.
The elephant in the room: where was everyone else? The Bucks' role players didn't show up. Kyle Kuzma had 31 Yahoo FP but shot 4-10. Bobby Portis came off the bench for 21.8 FP. This game was a grind, and Denver's depth proved it when it mattered most.
The Moves
Add Julian Strawther immediately in any league 12+ deep. A player who just turned in 33.5 points on a 3.8 average with real minutes is worth a flyer. Even if this is a one-off, you're getting a shot at someone who got hot when minutes opened up.
Drop or trade Deandre Ayton. Lakers fans aren't happy. Ownership dropped -0.8%, and for good reason. There are better center options on waivers.
Grab Spencer Jones if he's available. Twenty-three Yahoo points in 38 minutes. That's the Nuggets experimenting with lineups, and Jones actually held his own defensively. Longer term, this depends on Jamal Murray's status.
Next Up
The real question for Denver: where is Jamal Murray? And for Milwaukee: can they bounce back from a gut punch? If Murray's missing extended time, Strawther gets minutes. If he returns, this whole thing normalizes. Watch the injury report like a hawk tomorrow.