BOS 110, DAL 100: Flagg Posts 64 ESPN FP Despite DAL Loss
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician ยท Boston Celtics fan
Celtics Roll in Dallas, but Flagg's Night Steals the Show
Look, I'm not gonna pretend this wasn't a good night for Boston. A 10-point road win over the Mavericks is a solid W, and Jaylen Brown was exactly what you want from him in February. But if we're being real about fantasy, last night belonged to one guy, and it wasn't even a Celtic.
Cooper Flagg went absolutely nuclear. 36 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists on 12-24 shooting with 10 makes from the line. That's a 60.8 Yahoo night, which is elite territory. The dude was +16.2 points above his season average, and those free throws hit different when you're in deep leagues trying to differentiate. If you've got Flagg, you're sitting pretty for the week.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Flagg | 64.0 | 60.8 | 36/9/6 | 19.8/6.6/4.1 | +16.2 |
| Jaylen Brown | 50.0 | 50.7 | 33/11/3 | 29.4/6.9/4.8 | +3.6 |
| Payton Pritchard | 46.0 | 39.3 | 26/4/7 | 16.8/4.3/5.3 | +9.2 |
| Daniel Gafford | 33.0 | 32.9 | 10/12/1 | 8.0/6.4/0.9 | +2.0 |
| Luka Garza | 42.0 | 31.3 | 16/4/1 | 7.7/4.3/1.1 | +8.3 |
| Neemias Queta | 30.0 | 27.1 | 8/8/3 | 10.1/8.1/1.5 | -2.1 |
| Sam Hauser | 28.0 | 24.2 | 11/6/0 | 9.1/3.8/1.4 | +1.9 |
| Caleb Martin | 23.0 | 23.5 | 13/5/3 | 3.0/2.3/1.6 | +10.0 |
| Derrick White | 19.0 | 22.4 | 11/2/8 | 17.2/4.6/5.4 | -6.2 |
| Naji Marshall | 15.0 | 22.1 | 9/8/3 | 14.6/5.0/2.9 | -5.6 |
The Celtics Got What They Needed, Even If It Was Quiet
Jaylen Brown finished 33/11/3 and hit 50.7 Yahoo points. That's solid, not spectacular. He was basically his season baseline, which honestly is fine in a road win. The thing is, when Jaylen puts up 15-29 FG and grabs 11 boards, you're not complaining. He was efficient enough and stayed healthy. That's the ask in February.
The story though is Payton Pritchard coming off the bench for 26/4/7 on 12-20 shooting. That's +9.2 points above his average, and 39.3 Yahoo FP is back-of-the-rotation gold. Pritchard's been a reliable depth play all season, and when he gets 34 minutes and shoots like this, you're looking at a tier-1 bench guy. Keep him on your radar for injuries ahead.
The Bench Went Off, and That Matters
Boston's role players were dialed in. Luka Garza hit 4 threes and posted 31.3 Yahoo FP in 20 minutes. That's a 16/4/1 night when he's averaging 7.7 points. That's not repeatable. Garza's a crafty vet, but that was a hot night, not a breakout. Don't draft him higher.
Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta both did work on the glass and kept things tidy. Hauser was +1.9, Queta was -2.1. Not exciting, but these guys are doing what they're supposed to do. In 12-team leagues, they stay on your bench.
The real outlier was Caleb Martin coming in for 13/5/3 on 5-10 shooting. That's +10.0 above his season average, and honestly, I have no idea what the deal is with his minutes allocation. The dude averages 3 points a night and suddenly gets 29 minutes? That feels like playoff preparation or someone dealing with a minor injury. Worth asking around, but don't get cute trying to predict it.
Dallas Had Holes, and One Guy Couldn't Fill Them All
Daniel Gafford was the only Maverick who showed up with consistency. 10/12/1 with 32.9 Yahoo FP is exactly what you want from a backup center. He was +2.0 on his average, quiet night in a blowout, but he did his job.
Naji Marshall put up 9/8/3 and somehow posted 22.1 Yahoo FP, but he was -5.6 on his season average on 4-15 shooting. That's a bad night wrapped in a decent fantasy score because of volume on the glass. Don't get fooled here.
Caleb Martin went for 13 points, which sounds fine until you realize he was a non-factor for three quarters. That +10.0 was inflated by garbage time once the game was decided.
Bottom Line
Flagg had a star turn. Brown was Brown. Pritchard reminded you why he's in rotations. Celtics win. Mavericks need more from their supporting cast when Flagg goes off like this. Nothing crazy, nothing to panic about, just good basketball and better fantasy nights from the right guys.
If you got Flagg points, take the W. If you had both Brown and Pritchard, that's a week-winner. And if you're on Dallas, you already know the story, and it's not pretty.