PHX 106, BKN 102: Jr. Lights It Up With 52.5 Yahoo FP
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician · Boston Celtics fan
Nets Fall to Suns in Low-Scoring Grind, But MPJ Reminds Everyone Why He's Special
Alright, so the Suns squeaked out a 106-102 win over the Nets last night, and honestly, this game was about as fun to watch as watching paint dry at a job site. Four points separated these teams in a slugfest where both offenses looked like they forgot how basketball works. But for fantasy purposes, there were some genuinely interesting developments buried in the box score, so let's dig in.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Porter Jr. | 64.0 | 52.5 | 36/5/3 | 25.2/7.2/3.2 | +10.8 |
| Mark Williams | 53.0 | 41.7 | 27/6/1 | 12.3/8.1/1.0 | +14.7 |
| Dillon Brooks | 42.0 | 37.1 | 26/3/3 | 20.5/3.5/1.7 | +5.5 |
| Grayson Allen | 37.0 | 31.6 | 18/3/6 | 16.4/3.1/3.8 | +1.6 |
| Nic Claxton | 29.0 | 30.0 | 8/5/8 | 12.5/7.4/4.0 | -4.5 |
| Day'Ron Sharpe | 30.0 | 27.4 | 7/7/2 | 7.8/6.2/2.3 | -0.8 |
| Ryan Dunn | 34.0 | 26.4 | 9/2/2 | 6.5/4.4/1.7 | +2.5 |
| Royce O'Neale | 22.0 | 23.4 | 7/2/4 | 10.2/4.9/3.0 | -3.2 |
| Egor Dëmin | 24.0 | 22.5 | 15/5/3 | 10.4/3.0/3.4 | +4.6 |
| Ziaire Williams | 24.0 | 21.7 | 11/1/5 | 9.5/2.5/0.7 | +1.5 |
MPJ Went Absolutely Berserk
Look, Michael Porter Jr. put on a clinic last night. 36 points on 15-24 shooting, six threes, 52.5 Yahoo FP. That's +10.8 points above his season average, and it came in a game where nobody was scoring. The Nets shot 38% from the field as a team. It was ugly basketball all around. And there's MPJ, just destroying everybody.
The thing that matters here: this isn't some random hot shooting night where he went 10-15 from three. He was efficient, he was in rhythm, and he got to spots. This is what he's supposed to be doing. If you have him on your squad, you ride that all the way. He's averaging 25.2 PPG on the season, so nights like this aren't accidents, they're just him being himself.
Mark Williams Had the Game of His Life
Now here's where it gets wild. Mark Williams for the Suns dropped 27/6/1 on 13-16 shooting. Thirteen for sixteen. That's not even fantasy basketball anymore, that's just disrespect. His 41.7 Yahoo FP crushed his season average by 14.7 points.
The problem? I have no idea if this is real or a mirage. Look at his numbers: 12.3 PPG on the season. He's a rim-running, screening big who benefits when the offense flows. Last night's game was the opposite of flow. It was grindy and weird. Williams was just hitting everything near the basket because the Nets couldn't figure him out in the paint.
Here's what I'd do: don't sell him. Don't panic add him in 12-team leagues either. Let me see two more games like this before I'm convinced he's made a real leap. One game doesn't change the narrative when you're averaging 12 a night normally.
The Grayson Allen Waiver Wire Play Is Real
Grayson Allen is trending up league-wide for a reason, and last night showed why. 18 points, 6 assists, 31.6 Yahoo FP. He's only +0.8 above his season average, which means this is closer to his norm than Williams' explosion. And at 51.6% ownership, he's still available in plenty of leagues.
The Suns' offense is built around spreading the floor and moving the ball. Allen fits that perfectly. He's getting 34 minutes, he's hitting threes (2-3 last night), and he's running the offense. In a league where scoring is down across the board, a guy who can give you 18 and 6 on efficient shooting is worth having on your bench. If he's available, add him.
The Nets' Front Court Problem
This is going to sound harsh, but Nic Claxton looked lost last night. 8/5/8 on 2-6 shooting. The assists are nice, and I get it, he's facilitating. But minus-4.5 points vs his season average tells you something. He's averaging 12.5 PPG, and when he's not scoring, he's not really the fantasy weapon you drafted him to be.
Meanwhile, Day'Ron Sharpe continues to be weirdly useful. 7/7/2 with 3 steals on 19 minutes. He's only minus-0.8 vs average, and he's getting meaningful minutes off the bench. He's not gonna blow you away, but in PPR leagues, he's sneaky consistent. He's barely owned at all (I'm guessing sub-10%), so if you're desperate for a big off waivers, he's a name to know.
The Actual Story
Both teams looked sluggish. The Suns won because they made slightly better decisions down the stretch. Dillon Brooks (26/3/3, +5.5 vs avg) showed up when it mattered, Egor Dëmin (15/5/3, +4.6 vs avg) was their point guard and kept things moving, and everyone else just held on.
For fantasy, the headline is MPJ went off and Williams had a career night. Everyone else was pretty much what you'd expect. Don't overreact to one game, especially not one this sloppy. Let the dust settle and see what Monday's games look like before making any major moves.