NYK 103, SAC 87: Jalen Brunson Reliable With 43 ESPN FP
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
Knicks Survive Ugly Western Conference Test, But The Real Story Is DeRozan Going Absolutely Nuclear
The Knicks got the job done at MSG, 103-87, but let's be real, this wasn't pretty. Sacramento came in looking dangerous and left looking lost. For fantasy purposes though? There's some genuinely useful intel here, especially if you're looking at waiver adds or considering some trades.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Brunson | 43.0 | 38.6 | 28/3/4 | 28.0/3.2/6.0 | +0.0 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 35.0 | 38.0 | 34/5/0 | 19.1/3.3/3.9 | +14.9 |
| Domantas Sabonis | 34.0 | 35.9 | 11/12/7 | 15.5/11.4/4.2 | -4.5 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 30.0 | 34.2 | 17/11/4 | 20.5/11.4/2.9 | -3.5 |
| Mikal Bridges | 38.0 | 31.1 | 18/3/5 | 15.7/4.4/4.2 | +2.3 |
| Josh Hart | 26.0 | 28.8 | 7/9/4 | 11.8/7.9/5.1 | -4.8 |
| Mitchell Robinson | 28.0 | 28.6 | 7/13/0 | 4.9/9.3/1.0 | +2.1 |
| Russell Westbrook | 15.0 | 23.3 | 14/4/5 | 15.4/6.0/6.7 | -1.4 |
| Dylan Cardwell | 23.0 | 22.0 | 4/10/0 | 4.8/7.2/1.2 | -0.8 |
| Nique Clifford | 21.0 | 20.1 | 7/3/1 | 5.5/2.9/1.3 | +1.5 |
DeMar DeRozan Went Full Playoff Mode
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. DeMar DeRozan dropped 34 points on the Kings and that wasn't some fluky night where everything fell. 13-26 shooting, 7-8 from the line, and he was +14.9 from his season average in points. That's the kind of performance that makes you wonder if Sacramento's offense has deeper issues than just a bad shooting night.
Here's the thing though, and I'm gonna be straight with you because that's my job: this is likely a ceiling game. DeRozan's averaging 19.1 PPG on the season. Getting 34 is great, but expecting it every night is setting yourself up for disappointment. If you own him, you're not selling low after this. But if you're in a league where someone panic-drops him after a three-game slump next week, you take the call and trade for him. That's the play.
Mitchell Robinson Is a Top-10 Waiver Priority Right Now
This is the one I'm actually fired up about. Mitchell Robinson grabbed 13 rebounds in 26 minutes and scored 7 points with 2 blocks. His season average is 4.9/9.3, so the rebounding was exactly what we expect, but the role is expanding. He's getting consistent run, the Knicks are trusting him, and in a league where centers are scarce, this dude is available in a lot of places still.
If you're streaming centers or dealing with injury at the five, Robinson's on waivers in tons of 10 and 12-team leagues. Go get him. He's not going to put up 25 PPG, but 8-10 rebounds with some blocks is valuable and he's getting the minutes to do it.
Jalen Brunson Did His Job, Nothing More
Brunson went 28/3/4 on solid efficiency (9-17 FG, 6-7 FT) for 38.6 Yahoo points. That's exactly his season line (28.0/3.2/6.0), so he hit his marks. The issue is he's basically a floor play at this point in the season. You're getting his average, which is good, but he's not the kind of guy who's gonna have 45-point games. He's consistent, he's reliable, and if you own him you should be happy with him as your point guard. But he's not a get-rich-quick fantasy play anymore.
Karl-Anthony Towns in Foul Trouble? Or Just Off?
KAT had 17/11/4 on 5-15 shooting in just 27 minutes. That's -3.5 points from his season average, and the limited minutes are the real story here. Check the injury report and box notes because 27 minutes for a key rotation guy is worth investigating. If there's an injury concern, that's fantasy-relevant information. If it's just rotation management, don't panic. But do your homework before he plays again.
Kings Are a Mess Right Now
Sacramento couldn't get anything going outside of DeRozan. Domantas Sabonis put up a stat-line (11/12/7 with a block) but he's -4.5 from his average, and Russell Westbrook went 6-19 from the field. When your second option is getting cooked and your third option can't find the rim, you're not winning games. This loss might look like an outlier, but if the Kings continue to struggle on the road, their fantasy guys become sell-high candidates when they have good games.
The Bottom Line
Buy low on Kings depth pieces if they hit and give you a good game. Hold your Knicks guys, they're doing their job. And get Robinson on waivers if he's still there, because that's genuine value hiding in plain sight.