GSW 101, PHX 97: Gui Santos Tops Fantasy Charts With 36.3 Yahoo FP
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Warriors Survive Backup Chaos, But This Ain't Sustainable
The Warriors won 101-97 tonight without their three best players, and honestly, that's the only story that matters. But before we get into the weeds on who went off, let's talk about the elephant in the room: this game was basically a preseason scrimmage masquerading as NBA basketball. Half the rosters didn't show up. The Suns were missing Devin Booker and Jalen Green. Golden State rolled out Gui Santos and Pat Spencer as their scoring punch. In my 15 years running our firehouse league, I've seen deeper benches in a pickup game at the park.
So when I tell you who performed well tonight, understand the context. This wasn't against full-strength competition.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gui Santos | 42.0 | 36.3 | 18/4/7 | 4.9/2.6/1.2 | +13.1 |
| Pat Spencer | 41.0 | 35.2 | 20/6/4 | 5.3/2.1/2.9 | +14.7 |
| Dillon Brooks | 29.0 | 33.7 | 24/6/1 | 20.9/3.6/1.8 | +3.1 |
| Grayson Allen | 34.0 | 33.0 | 21/5/4 | 16.9/3.0/4.0 | +4.1 |
| Gary Payton II | 37.0 | 32.1 | 15/8/1 | 4.7/3.0/1.5 | +10.3 |
| De'Anthony Melton | 28.0 | 27.9 | 17/2/1 | 11.6/2.9/2.3 | +5.4 |
| Mark Williams | 27.0 | 25.0 | 11/10/0 | 12.3/8.1/1.1 | -1.3 |
| Al Horford | 21.0 | 23.8 | 13/4/4 | 7.3/4.9/2.3 | +5.7 |
| Collin Gillespie | 23.0 | 22.6 | 11/3/4 | 13.8/4.1/4.7 | -2.8 |
| Moses Moody | 17.0 | 19.1 | 6/8/1 | 11.2/3.2/1.4 | -5.2 |
The Real Talk on Santos and Spencer
Gui Santos went 18/4/7 for 36.3 Yahoo points. That's a +13.1 swing from his season average. Look, I'm not going to sit here and act like this is his new floor. This guy averages 4.9 PPG for a reason. He got minutes, got opportunities, and made the most of them. But the second Steph Curry, Seth Curry, and the rest of the crew get healthy, Santos is back to being a deep bench consideration.
Same thing with Pat Spencer. Twenty points on 6-11 shooting with six threes? That's a career night, not a harbinger of things to come. Spencer's a spot-up shooter who got fed because there was nobody else to feed. When your actual offense is available, his role shrinks. Don't get cute with waiver wire claims here.
That said, if you're in a league where this kid is available and you're desperate for a game or two, sure, take a shot. Just don't make long-term plans around him.
The Suns Still Have Fight
Dillon Brooks staying true to form. Twenty-four points on an ugly 10-24 shooting line, but he attacked and kept the Suns competitive. This is who he is. He scores, he takes shots, he doesn't apologize about it. He was +3.1 from his average, which is basically nothing.
Grayson Allen picking up a tick in ownership after this (now at 55.4%) and I get it. Twenty-one points, five threes, solid complementary night. He's been steady all season at 16.9 PPG, so +4.1 is nice but not earth-shaking. The real question is whether Allen stays healthy and available. When he's on the court, he produces. That's what you need to know.
The Bench Depth Game
Gary Payton II was the Warriors' best-kept secret tonight, 15 points on 6-11 with eight boards in just 18 minutes. Now here's the thing, and I'm being honest with myself as a Warriors guy: that minute count is concerning. Payton doesn't usually get 18 minutes even when everyone's healthy. This was garbage time opportunity masquerading as production. When the rotation normalizes, he's a deep bench piece at best.
De'Anthony Melton added 17 points with three steals for the Warriors. Season high PPG basically, but again, bench depth at this level. He's the backup point guard getting chances because the real ones aren't available.
The Only Sustainable Take
If there's one thing worth noting that actually carries forward, it's Moses Moody pulling down eight boards while being -5.2 from his point total. Moody's not a rebounder normally (3.2 per game). That's a one-off. But when you're getting 30 minutes on a Warriors team missing multiple guys, those opportunities exist. He stayed efficient from deep (2-7 is fine for Moody) and didn't hurt you. That's acceptable depth play when the team's healthy.
Bottom Line
Don't panic add any of the Warriors' bench guys. Don't panic drop any Phoenix players. This was a weird night where two backup-laden rosters played at playoff intensity. The real conversation starts when everyone's healthy again.
For your waiver wire, Grayson Allen at +0.9 ownership uptick is worth noting if he's available in your league, but he was already owned in 55% of leagues before tonight. You probably don't have him available.
The rest of this group? Enjoy the box score screenshots and move on. This game was about availability, not sustainable value.