BOS 107, MIL 79: Jaylen Brown Fills Stat Sheet With Double-Double
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
Celtics Roll Past Bucks: Brown Goes Off, Rollins Keeps Milwaukee Alive
Look, I'm not happy about this one. Giannis didn't play, and it showed. The Celtics walked into Milwaukee and handled the Bucks 107-79 on Sunday night, and honestly, if your best player is out, you're fighting uphill no matter what. But here's what actually matters for your roster: some guys stepped up big, a couple rookies got legit minutes, and there's actually a buy-low opportunity hiding in here.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Brown | 50.0 | 47.6 | 30/13/2 | 29.4/6.9/4.8 | +0.6 |
| Ryan Rollins | 48.0 | 42.7 | 25/6/7 | 16.5/4.6/5.5 | +8.5 |
| Derrick White | 43.0 | 39.4 | 17/7/8 | 17.2/4.6/5.4 | -0.2 |
| Anfernee Simons | 40.0 | 32.1 | 27/3/1 | 14.2/2.4/2.4 | +12.8 |
| Neemias Queta | 34.0 | 30.6 | 14/8/4 | 10.1/8.1/1.5 | +3.9 |
| Kyle Kuzma | 24.0 | 27.0 | 16/5/2 | 12.8/4.8/2.4 | +3.2 |
| Bobby Portis | 19.0 | 26.9 | 8/12/3 | 13.2/6.7/1.7 | -5.2 |
| Jordan Walsh | 16.0 | 18.5 | 6/5/3 | 5.7/4.4/0.9 | +0.3 |
| Payton Pritchard | 17.0 | 18.1 | 7/3/5 | 16.8/4.3/5.3 | -9.8 |
| Myles Turner | 14.0 | 17.3 | 7/4/1 | 12.8/5.5/1.6 | -5.8 |
Jaylen Brown Met the Moment
Jaylen Brown put up 30/13/2 in 29 minutes and was basically the only All-NBA guy on the floor. He finished with 47.6 Yahoo points and only ran +0.6 above his season average, which actually tells you something important: this performance was exactly what you should expect from him when he's healthy and focused. 12-20 from the field, 4 threes, locked in on the boards. That's baseline elite for Brown, not a breakout. The Celtics played him limited minutes because they were cooking the Bucks so badly there was no reason to run him heavy. Keep him on your roster and don't get cute.
Ryan Rollins Actually Balled Out
Here's what jumped out at me: Ryan Rollins went for 25/6/7 with 10-16 shooting and finished 36 minutes. That's +8.5 above his season average, which is real. In a game where Milwaukee got blown out, he was one of the few bright spots, running the offense and actually putting pressure on Boston's guards. He's averaging 16.5 PPG on solid shooting, and this wasn't a "lucky shot night" situation. Rollins was aggressive and efficient. If he's available in your 12-team league, take a look. He's playing meaningful minutes on a Bucks team that needs offensive help with Giannis out.
The Anfernee Simons Pop-Off
Anfernee Simons went absolutely nuclear for 27 points on 10-16 shooting with six threes. He's usually a role player (14.2 PPG average), so +12.8 above his season average is the kind of spike that gets people excited. Problem is, he played 24 minutes in a blowout. When the game gets competitive and tight, his minutes compress back down. Don't rush to overpay for him in trades thinking this is a new version of Simons. This was a great game, but it's not a pattern yet. Hold if you have him, but don't go crazy trying to acquire him.
Payton Pritchard and the Bench Disappearing Act
Payton Pritchard finished 7/3/5 on 26 minutes, which sounds fine until you look at the +/- column: -9.8 against his season average of 16.8 PPG. He shot 2-8 and couldn't get going. Look, he won the Sixth Man of the Year last season, but when Boston gets up big early, the rotation shrinks and bench guys' value evaporates. This is a blowout situation, not a referendum on his season. If you own him, don't panic.
Bobby Portis' Weird Night
Bobby Portis grabbed 12 boards but only put up 8 points on 4-13 shooting. That's -5.2 on the scoring side, but he played 37 minutes because Milwaukee needed the rebounding help with Giannis out. This is a buy-low spot if someone got spooked by his shooting line. He was one of the few Bucks actually trying, and his rebound total (12 on 30 minutes season average of 6.7) shows he was engaged. Don't drop him. If someone did, add him.
The Injury Context Nobody's Talking About
Working in orthopedics, I see this stuff all the time. When your franchise player doesn't suit up, role guys either step up or they don't. Ryan Rollins stepped up tonight. That's the kind of thing that sticks with coaching staffs. Myles Turner actually looked fine defensively despite the 7/4/1 line (he was +2 on steals), and Kyle Kuzma did what Kyle Kuzma does: 16/5/2 on 34 minutes, solid glue guy work.
Giannis being out changes everything for Milwaukee's entire fantasy profile. When he's healthy, role guys' value compresses. When he's not, opportunities appear for guys like Rollins. Monitor his status closely before the next game.
Waiver Wire After This One
Cole Anthony got dropped league-wide (down to 2.3% ownership), but honestly, tonight was rough for him. 2 points on 1-7 shooting in 14 minutes says he wasn't getting trust from the coaching staff. That's not a "buy the dip" situation. That's a guy who might be losing his rotation spot.
Derrick White and Neemias Queta for Boston did their jobs. White was solid running the offense (8 assists), and Queta grabbed 8 boards with a block. Neither went crazy, but both were reliable. No need to chase either one.
The real pickup candidate is someone already on your bench who put up 40+ Yahoo FP tonight and showed something. Rollins is the only one I'm genuinely interested in long-term. The rest were either blowout inflation or exactly what we expected.
Bottom Line
This was a complete game for the Celtics and a bad night for the Bucks without their MVP. For fantasy purposes, don't overreact to blowout performances. Brown played his game, Simons had a heater, and Rollins showed he can be an interesting option when Giannis is out. Hold your studs, ignore the bench noise, and wait for Giannis to come back before making major moves.