DET 109, DEN 107: Jamal Murray's 46 Yahoo FP Not Enough for DEN
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse · Milwaukee Bucks fan
Detroit Steals Two on the Road, But This One's About Jokic's Ghost
The Pistons walked out of Denver with a 109-107 win last night, and honestly, this game tells you everything you need to know about what happens when an All-NBA team's franchise player doesn't suit up. Denver looked like they were playing with 12 fewer feet than they started with.
Let me be clear: I'm not trying to dump on the Nuggets' bench. What happened here is just what fantasy basketball looks like when you lose the reigning back-to-back All-NBA selection. Nikola Jokic sitting out means opportunity everywhere else, but it also means nobody in that Denver jersey is getting 29 and 12 like normal. That changes everything about how this game plays out.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamal Murray | 40.0 | 46.0 | 24/5/10 | 25.9/4.4/7.4 | -1.9 |
| Cade Cunningham | 52.0 | 45.1 | 22/3/11 | 25.3/5.7/9.8 | -3.3 |
| Tobias Harris | 49.0 | 42.1 | 22/8/3 | 13.6/4.6/2.5 | +8.4 |
| Ausar Thompson | 45.0 | 37.3 | 14/4/1 | 10.8/5.9/2.6 | +3.2 |
| Jonas Valančiūnas | 32.0 | 35.7 | 16/16/1 | 8.9/5.1/1.3 | +7.1 |
| Bruce Brown | 41.0 | 35.4 | 16/7/2 | 7.3/4.2/2.2 | +8.7 |
| Peyton Watson | 21.0 | 27.1 | 13/3/3 | 14.4/5.0/1.9 | -1.4 |
| Jalen Duren | 26.0 | 26.6 | 14/8/0 | 17.7/10.6/1.7 | -3.7 |
| Spencer Jones | 34.0 | 25.1 | 12/3/1 | 6.3/3.1/0.9 | +5.7 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 25.0 | 23.3 | 14/4/3 | 13.7/2.4/1.4 | +0.3 |
Murray Did His Thing, But That's All He Had
Jamal Murray put up 46 Yahoo fantasy points on 24 points and 10 assists, which looks totally normal for him on paper. It basically matches his season average in scoring (down 1.9 from 25.9), and he bumped his assists up slightly. The issue? He went 7-18 from the field. That's 39% shooting. Against a Pistons team missing defensive pieces, in a game Denver needed to win.
Murray forced the issue because he had to. Without Jokic running the show, the offensive burden completely shifted. He took 18 shots because there was nobody else to create rhythm offense. That's not sustainable. This is what wins look like when your MVP sits out, but it's also exactly the kind of game where if Murray keeps jacking up 18 shots in future games without Jokic, people are going to stop loving the efficiency metrics.
For fantasy purposes, he still delivered. That's a solid night. Just don't expect 10 assists every time Murray plays without Jokic, because Denver's entire offense gets uglier without that center doing everything.
The Real Winners: Pistons Role Players Went OFF
Tobias Harris posted 42.1 Yahoo points on 22 points and 8 boards. That's a +8.4 on his scoring average alone. He shot 10-15. That's not a fluke, that's efficiency. Harris is someone who's been frustrating this season (season average just 13.6 ppg), so seeing him finally get downhill and get to 66% shooting is exactly what you want from a veteran in a tight game.
Cade Cunningham didn't go crazy scoring wise, but 45.1 Yahoo points on 11 assists against a team missing rotational guys? That's point guard heaven. He was under his scoring average (22 vs 25.3) but he did what Denver couldn't do: actually run an offense. He got 11 dimes in 36 minutes.
The breakthrough performance came from Ausar Thompson, who crushed it with 37.3 Yahoo points off the bench. He went 5-7 from the field, grabbed 5 steals in just 19 minutes, and had people leaving early thinking he was going to rack up another 15 points. Steals are worth 3 points in Yahoo, so getting 5 of them changes the entire night. He's a defensive first prospect and last night was proof that when the matchup is right, he can absolutely punish you on that end.
Denver's Bench Stepped Up, But It's Empty Calories
Look, Jonas Valančiūnas put up a double double with 16 points and 16 boards. That's +7.1 on his scoring average. Bruce Brown came off the bench with 16/7/2 on 70% shooting. Both guys had great nights. But here's the reality check: they combined to score 32 points and Denver still lost by 2 at home. When your best remaining player is dropping 24 on 39% shooting and you can't win, that tells you something about the gap Jokic leaves.
This isn't about these guys flopping. They both exceeded their season averages. It's about context. Bench scoring looks great on a box score and terrible when your team drops a winnable game.
What To Do Now
If you've got Harris on your team, hold him. One night doesn't fix a whole season, but it proves the talent is there. If you've got Murray and you're worried he's going to keep chucking 18 shots, relax. This is an anomaly created by circumstances. When Jokic comes back, Murray's usage normalizes.
Thompson's steals were real. That 19 minutes might expand depending on what Denver needs from their bench going forward. Don't go crazy adding him in 8-team leagues, but in 12-team and deeper, he's worth a look if someone got sloppy with their waiver wire.
The bigger story here is the Nuggets as a unit. This loss doesn't define them when healthy, but it's a reminder that even All-NBA teams have a ceiling without their franchise player. For fantasy managers, that means until Jokic returns, Denver's perimeter guys (especially Murray) are going to have inflated shot attempts and possibly inflated volume stats. That's not the same as inflated value.