CHA 111, SAS 106: Diabaté Delivers 45 ESPN FP
'">
Jasmine "Jazz" Porter
University Student · Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Charlotte Snatches One From San Antonio, Brandon Miller Goes Nuclear
The Hornets pulled off a 111-106 win over the Spurs last night, and honestly, this game tells you everything you need to know about why fantasy basketball is chaos. Charlotte's role players showed up when it mattered, San Antonio's stars didn't deliver, and now we've got some real moves to make heading into your next lineup.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Miller | 38.0 | 42.6 | 26/8/2 | 20.8/4.6/3.4 | +5.2 |
| Moussa Diabaté | 45.0 | 39.0 | 12/10/6 | 8.5/8.5/1.5 | +3.5 |
| Stephon Castle | 36.0 | 35.5 | 16/5/9 | 16.6/5.0/7.0 | -0.6 |
| LaMelo Ball | 30.0 | 34.6 | 16/8/8 | 19.0/4.8/7.6 | -3.0 |
| Miles Bridges | 29.0 | 29.2 | 14/6/2 | 18.4/6.2/3.5 | -4.4 |
| De'Aaron Fox | 31.0 | 28.9 | 11/2/7 | 19.9/4.1/6.1 | -8.9 |
| Dylan Harper | 36.0 | 28.2 | 20/1/2 | 10.6/3.2/3.5 | +9.4 |
| Victor Wembanyama | 23.0 | 28.1 | 16/8/1 | 24.1/11.1/2.7 | -8.1 |
| Devin Vassell | 31.0 | 28.0 | 13/5/2 | 14.6/3.9/2.3 | -1.6 |
| Collin Sexton | 40.0 | 27.5 | 21/0/3 | 14.4/2.0/3.8 | +6.6 |
Brandon Miller Took Over the Game
Brandon Miller showed up with 42.6 Yahoo points (26/8/2/1/1), which is 5.2 points above his season average. Here's what matters: he went 7-21 from the field but bailed himself out going 9-9 from the line. That's not the most reliable path to 26 points, but the rebounds and overall output suggest he was in the right places all night. He's doing this consistently enough that if he's sitting on your bench, we need to talk about getting him into your rotation. Charlotte's offensive load is heavy on a few guys, and Miller's been the most consistent second option behind LaMelo.
Moussa Diabaté's Breakout Game
Moussa Diabaté dropped 12/10/6 with 39 Yahoo points, and that's a jump. His season average is 8.5/8.5/1.5, so the assists number (six!) was the real standout. He went 6-9 from the field and didn't need to shoot from deep. The big thing here is that Diabaté looks like he's getting more offensive touches. In a shallow league where centers are thin, this is an add. He played 33 minutes too, which tells you Charlotte trusts him.
The Spurs Got Exposed
Victor Wembanyama was supposed to dominate but only put up 16/8/1 for 28.1 Yahoo points. That's minus 8.1 from his season average (24.1/11.1/2.7), and it stings because he went 6-15 from the field and only got one assist. For a guy with All-NBA Defensive First Team pedigree, limiting his touches this much is unusual. Watch his next game closely, because if the Spurs are moving away from him as a primary option, his fantasy floor just dropped.
De'Aaron Fox was equally disappointing with 11/2/7 for 28.9 Yahoo points. He's a 19.9 PPG guy and only got 11 last night. Five threes attempted too, which suggests Charlotte was playing defense differently against him. This feels like a matchup thing more than a trend, so I'm not panicking, but it's worth noting if Charlotte comes up in your schedule.
The Real Story: Charlotte's Bench Showed Up
Collin Sexton came off the bench and went nuclear in 17 minutes. 21 points on 7-8 shooting with five threes? That's 27.5 Yahoo points and plus 6.6 from his average. He's getting more minutes lately, and honestly, he might be creeping into relevance territory depending on your league depth. If Sexton's on the wire in a 12-team league, I'm at least checking his upcoming minutes.
Stephon Castle was solid but not spectacular for San Antonio. 16/5/9 for 35.5 Yahoo points is fine, but it's basically his season average (minus 0.6). He's a reliable floor guy but doesn't have the ceiling nights you want from a young talent who was Rookie of the Year last season. He's still a hold in most formats, but he's not the kind of guy you're trying to trade for right now.
What This Means for Your Roster
Charlotte proved they can win when role players step up. Miller and Diabaté both showed they can handle bigger roles, and if you're looking for bench depth, keep an eye on both. Sexton's minutes are worth tracking.
San Antonio's stars underwhelmed, but I'm not firing sale on either Wembanyama or Fox. One bad game doesn't tank your season, and Wembanyama especially is too talented to panic on. But if you're trying to sell high on any Spurs player right now, last night's performance probably didn't help your cause.
The takeaway: grab whoever's available from Charlotte's bench, hold your Spurs stars, and pay attention to tonight's waiver wire moves. Someone in your league is definitely dropping a Spurs player in panic mode.