Bulls 114, Celtics 111: Jaylen Brown posts 54.1 fantasy points
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician · Boston Celtics fan
Jaylen Brown Goes Nuclear, But Celtics Still Take the L in Chicago
So here's the thing about being a Celtics fan, and I say this with the full weight of a guy who's been through every heartbreak Boston sports can dish out: sometimes the best performance of the night doesn't matter if the final score has the other team's name on top. Jaylen Brown dropped 33 points on 50% shooting and went for 54.1 Yahoo Fantasy points, obliterating his season average of 29.7 by 3.3 points. And it still wasn't enough. Bulls 114, Celtics 111. That's basketball sometimes. That's why we punch walls. That's why I'm writing this article at 11 PM on a Saturday instead of celebrating.
But here's what matters for your roster: Brown proved he can absolutely go nuclear when he's feeling it, and the guy who said he wasn't a closer? He's still closing. The all-around game was there too, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, solid defense. This is the version of Brown you drafted to win championships. Keep riding that wave.
Tonight's Top Performers
| Player | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | vs Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Brown | 54.1 | 33/8/5/1/1 | 29.7/6.7/4.9 | +3.3 pts |
| Derrick White | 39.9 | 15/7/7/1/1 | 17.6/4.6/5.4 | -2.6 pts, +1.6 ast |
| Anfernee Simons | 37.3 | 21/4/5/2/0 | 13.8/2.4/2.4 | +7.2 pts |
| Nikola Vučević | 41.4 | 16/7/6/1/2 | 16.8/9.1/3.8 | -2.1 reb |
| Coby White | 29.7 | 22/1/7/0/0 | 18.7/3.6/4.6 | +3.3 pts |
| Matas Buzelis | 32.1 | 14/8/5/0/1 | 14.9/5.2/1.9 | +2.8 reb |
Brown was the obvious star, but let me talk about the real story here: Anfernee Simons came out of absolutely nowhere and went for 37.3 points on just 27 minutes. 8-16 shooting, 5 threes, +7.2 above his season average. This is the third or fourth time I've seen Simons put up numbers like this off the bench, and it keeps looking like a fluke until it doesn't. If he's available in your league, there's real juice here.
Coby White had a quiet 22 points, 7 assists, but he's shooting 5-5 from the line and hit five threes. That's efficient. On a night where the Bulls needed everyone, he delivered without forcing it. Season average was 18.7 points, so +3.3 above norm is solid work.
The Winners
Jaylen Brown is the obvious one. 54.1 Yahoo, 56 ESPN. The man was unstoppable in the second half. 14-28 from the field, 3-4 from the line, and he played 37 minutes of heavy minutes. This is what happens when Brown is locked in. He's a top-20 asset when he's feeling it, and tonight he felt it. Not just volume either, the efficiency was there. That's not a fluke, that's a guy asserting dominance.
Derrick White went for 39.9 Yahoo even though he shot 5-18 from the field. How? Because he launched 18 shots, hit three threes, grabbed 7 rebounds, and distributed 7 assists in 38 minutes. The All-Defensive selection is doing All-Defensive things. He's down 2.6 points from his average but he's getting the volume and the peripherals. In a close game like this, that's exactly what you want.
Anfernee Simons with 37.3 on the bench? That's a dart throw that's hitting. 21 points on 8-16, 5 threes. If he keeps getting 25-30 minutes, this is league-winning upside. I'm not saying start him every night, but if he's on waivers in a 12-man league, you hit the add button.
The Letdowns
Payton Pritchard went for 23.1 Yahoo, but that's -6.8 from his 16.8 season average. The Sixth Man of the Year (yes, that's his real award from last year) got 29 minutes and didn't have it. 4-10 shooting, one three. When your bench guy is hitting threes, you're good. When he's not, you notice.
Josh Giddey had 23.6 Yahoo but went for 4 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists. That's -15.3 from his 19.3 season average in scoring. The assists were there, the rebounds were there, but this is a guy you've been rostering for scoring and he went silent on the scoreboard. One of those nights where the line looks okay but it's actually rough.
The Trends
Anfernee Simons is getting serious minutes off the bench and that should terrify Payton Pritchard owners. Pritchard's role is getting squeezed. That's happening in real time right now.
Derrick White is playing 38 minutes in a close game. He's not a bench player anymore, he's a starter, and he's getting the volume to prove it. 5 assists on the night with decent rebounds for a guard. That's a fantasy-relevant trajectory.
Vučević got 34 minutes and touched the ball all night. 7-10 shooting is efficient, but 6 assists is less than his 3.8 average which feels weird for a guy that active. He's still a top-50 option though.
The Moves
Add: Anfernee Simons if he's available. We've seen this movie before where a guy gets 25+ minutes off the bench and starts cooking. Even if it's not every night, the ceiling here is league-winning. In a 12-man, this is a free pickup. In a 10-man, spend a low waiver claim.
Drop: Ayo Dosunmu. 10 points on 4-9 shooting, only 22 minutes. He's not getting consistent volume and he's not getting consistent minutes. There's better lottery tickets on the wire.
Watch: Payton Pritchard's role. The Sixth Man of the Year is getting outworked by Simons right now. If this trend continues, his value takes a serious hit. Don't panic yet, but monitor it hard.
Next Up
Celtics got that L at home, so they need a response. Brown showed he's got the gear to win games when it matters. White showed he can do it without shooting well. The bench needs to step up because Simons going off against Boston shouldn't become a trend.
Bulls got the win but it was close. Vučević played heavy minutes and delivered. The real question is whether Simons is for real or a one-game spike. Watch his minutes next outing. That's the tell.