SAS 111, HOU 99: Victor Wembanyama Tops Fantasy Charts With 68 ESPN FP
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate ยท Houston Rockets fan
Spurs Shut Down the Rockets, but Fantasy Winners Still Emerged
The Spurs took care of business in Houston last night, 111-99, and it wasn't even close down the stretch. For the Rockets, this was the kind of loss that stings in the standings but actually produced some solid fantasy nights. Let me break down who ate and what it means for your roster going forward.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | 68.0 | 68.7 | 28/16/3 | 24.3/11.2/2.8 | +3.7 |
| Amen Thompson | 55.0 | 52.4 | 25/7/4 | 18.3/7.7/5.4 | +6.7 |
| Alperen Sengun | 39.0 | 45.5 | 18/10/7 | 21.4/9.0/6.4 | -3.4 |
| Kevin Durant | 37.0 | 35.4 | 24/2/6 | 26.4/5.4/4.5 | -2.4 |
| Stephon Castle | 38.0 | 35.0 | 16/5/6 | 16.6/5.0/7.0 | -0.6 |
| De'Aaron Fox | 36.0 | 34.0 | 18/5/8 | 20.2/4.1/6.0 | -2.2 |
| Keldon Johnson | 34.0 | 31.9 | 17/7/5 | 13.6/6.0/1.4 | +3.4 |
| Tari Eason | 32.0 | 29.2 | 10/6/0 | 11.9/6.2/1.4 | -1.9 |
| Dylan Harper | 31.0 | 26.3 | 16/4/3 | 10.4/3.3/3.5 | +5.6 |
| Reed Sheppard | 21.0 | 23.0 | 9/5/0 | 12.8/2.6/3.0 | -3.8 |
The Monster: Victor Wembanyama Did What All-NBA Defenders Do
Victor Wembanyama put up 28/16/3 with 5 blocks in just 28 minutes. That's 68.7 Yahoo points, and it wasn't some crazy outlier performance, either. He hit 12-15 from the line, grabbed 16 boards, and essentially did whatever he wanted defensively. The crazy part? He played less than 30 minutes. That's efficiency on steroids.
The fact that he went +3.7 from his season average in a shorter window tells you everything you need to know about dominance. If Pop had kept him out there, this gets ugly fast. Wembanyama is locked into your lineups every single night at this point. The All-NBA defensive accolades he earned last season aren't slowing down.
Amen Thompson Went Off (and the Rockets Still Lost)
Look, I gotta ride for the Rockets because I'm from Houston, but watching Amen Thompson drop 25/7/4 with 4 steals on 11-23 shooting and feel like the team still got exposed says something. That's 52.4 Yahoo points, his season high territory. He was the only Rockets guard who really attacked downhill and made something happen.
The issue? He's still searching for consistency. He went +6.7 from his season average tonight, which is nice, but when your team loses by 12 and your best perimeter guy plays 35 minutes, that's a ceiling game, not a floor game. Hold him, but don't expect every night to look like this.
The Alperen Problem
Alperen Sengun had 18/10/7 and still finished with 45.5 Yahoo points. That's literally his season-long averages getting hit slightly, and it feels hollow because the Rockets offense looked sluggish. He went -3.4 from his season average in a losing effort, which means the team's dysfunction is bleeding into his scoring efficiency.
The thing is, Sengun doesn't need to go off for you to get value, but when he's quiet on nights like this, it's a red flag about team health. He's still a hold, but San Antonio's defense made him work for every bucket.
Kevin Durant Stayed Reliable (Again)
Kevin Durant did Kevin Durant things: 24 points, 6 assists, perfect from the line (6-6). The 35.4 Yahoo points is about right for him, and honestly, -2.4 from his season average in a loss shows he remained steady even when the game got away from Houston.
This is your reminder that elite scorers don't need high volume nights to be fantasy valuable. Durant is getting his, staying healthy, and when the Rockets eventually figure things out, he's gonna be there. Not a buy-low situation at all, but not a concern either.
San Antonio's Supporting Cast Ate
Stephon Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, put up 16/5/6 for 35 Yahoo points despite being -0.6 from his season average. That's quality production in a winning game. Keldon Johnson went +3.4 above his season average with 17/7/5, which is exactly the kind of secondary scoring you want to see in the playoffs.
More interesting? Dylan Harper popped off for 16/4/3 on 8-11 shooting, going +5.6 above his average. That's a dude who's getting minutes and making the most of them. Harper isn't someone you're targeting in 12-team leagues yet, but in deeper formats where you're always hunting, he's worth tracking.
Waiver Moves and League Implications
Steven Adams is getting dropped in leagues everywhere (down -0.2% ownership to 2.8%), and that makes sense when you're not getting minutes and the team's losing games. Unless you're in a deep format where centers are scarce, let him go.
Jabari Smith Jr. was a ghost tonight at 8/7/2 on limited efficiency (3-8 FG), finishing with just 20.4 Yahoo points. The Rockets need him to be more aggressive when the team's struggling like this. Don't panic drop, but this is a guy to monitor if the scoring dries up another night.
The league-wide adds are telling you that Santi Aldama, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Jarrett Allen are the safer holds right now. Nothing wild happened in this game that changes the waiver wire drastically.
Bottom Line
San Antonio's just the better team right now, but Houston's fantasy contributors still showed up. Wembanyama is a generational talent playing at an All-NBA level. Amen Thompson had the kind of night that keeps him relevant in PPP formats. Durant and Sengun did their jobs even in defeat.
For Rockets fans like me, this one hurts. But for your fantasy team, the production was there. Lock in the Spurs players, don't panic on the Rockets core, and keep moving forward into the stretch run.