MIL 105, IND 99: Jr. Tops Fantasy Charts With 50.4 Yahoo FP
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
Bucks Edge Pacers in Gritty Home Win, Kevin Porter Jr. Steals the Show
Final: Bucks 105, Pacers 99
Look, I'm not gonna lie, I'm biased as hell being a Bucks fan, but that was a fight. Not pretty, not explosive, just two teams grinding it out for 48 minutes. And if you had the right guys on your roster, you cashed. If you didn't, well, this is why waiver wire discipline matters.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Porter Jr. | 54.0 | 50.4 | 23/7/8 | 17.1/5.2/7.5 | +5.9 |
| Andrew Nembhard | 38.0 | 37.4 | 22/2/8 | 17.4/2.9/7.5 | +4.6 |
| Pascal Siakam | 29.0 | 36.2 | 19/6/4 | 23.7/6.8/4.0 | -4.7 |
| Jericho Sims | 35.0 | 34.0 | 4/15/4 | 3.1/4.0/0.8 | +0.9 |
| Jarace Walker | 34.0 | 31.3 | 15/9/1 | 10.2/4.4/2.0 | +4.8 |
| Ryan Rollins | 29.0 | 28.8 | 22/4/4 | 16.9/4.6/5.5 | +5.1 |
| Bobby Portis | 30.0 | 28.7 | 21/6/1 | 13.4/6.7/1.7 | +7.6 |
| T.J. McConnell | 28.0 | 22.4 | 8/2/6 | 9.5/2.2/4.8 | -1.5 |
| Myles Turner | 18.0 | 22.0 | 9/10/2 | 12.9/5.6/1.6 | -3.9 |
| Johnny Furphy | 18.0 | 19.1 | 2/8/3 | 5.2/4.4/1.1 | -3.2 |
Kevin Porter Jr. Put the Team on His Back
KPJ didn't just show up tonight, he showed OUT. 23 points, 8 assists, 7 boards on 50% shooting? That's the kind of all-around impact that gets you 50+ Yahoo points. The crazy part is he did it without even attempting a three, going old school with 10-20 from the field and 3-3 from the line.
Here's what matters: he's up +5.9 from his season average. That's not noise. That's a guy who was locked in defensively, running the offense, and finishing at the rim. Bobby Portis helped set the tone with a +7.6 upside pop (21 points on 9-18 shooting), but KPJ was the engine that made this work. If you've got him on your squad, that's a hold. If he's available on waivers in your league, honestly, that's a league quality issue because he should be rostered.
Jericho Sims Had the Rebound Night of His Life
This one's wild. Jericho Sims finished with 4/15/4 and somehow scored 34 Yahoo FP. How? That's 15 rebounds in 31 minutes. That's a +11.0 rebound explosion compared to his season average of 4.0. For context, Sims is averaging 3.1 PPG this year, so his scoring was basically quiet, but he was in the paint all night cleaning up.
From an orthopedic standpoint (yeah, I'm bringing the nurse perspective), that kind of rebounding volume is taxing. You're constantly absorbing contact, fighting for position, taking hits. If he stays healthy and this is a trend rather than a one-off, he could become a sneaky source of boards, which matters if you're punting points in your league build. But one game doesn't make a narrative. Watch his next two games before you get too hyped.
Ryan Rollins Stepped Into the Spotlight
Ryan Rollins with 22/4/4 on 9-19 shooting and 4 threes is exactly the kind of performance that makes people add you off waivers. He went +5.1 from his season average in scoring and didn't take too many shots to do it. That's efficiency.
Thing is, he only played 33 minutes. That's interesting. In a close game, you're usually seeing closer to 35-38 for your main perimeter guys. Either he was in foul trouble or the rotation was deep. Either way, if he's been riding your bench, tonight's a reminder he has upside. But don't expect this every night. He's a career 16.9 PPG guy, so this was him having a strong shooting night, not him breaking through to a new tier.
Pascal Siakam Actually Had a Quiet Night (For Him)
Pascal Siakam scoring 19 points might sound fine, but he went -4.7 from his season average of 23.7. His 6 rebounds and 4 assists were also slightly below his typical 6.8 and 4.0, respectively. That's an off night for an All-NBA selection. He shot 7-19, which tells you the Bucks' defense had a plan for him.
If you own Siakam, don't panic. One down game doesn't reset a guy playing at his level. But this is also valuable data: he's capable of getting contained when teams game plan. We'll see if the Pacers adjust next time.
The Minutes Situation Matters Going Forward
Here's what I'm watching: Myles Turner only played 26 minutes and T.J. McConnell was in for 14. That's a pretty significant reduction for both guys in a close, competitive game. Turner went -3.9 from his average, which makes sense when you're not getting run. McConnell stayed solid with 22.4 Yahoo FP despite the limited minutes, going +1.2 in assists.
For Pacers owners, this could mean a few things. Either Turner was in foul trouble, or Indiana was leaning on their bench more. I'd want to see the game film to tell you which, but if Turner's minutes stay compressed going forward, that's a red flag for his ceiling. He's a depth play at best in most leagues, and limited minutes make him a GPP dart throw at this point.
The Bottom Line
Bucks pulled out a W at home, and it came down to role players stepping up (Portis, Rollins) and KPJ taking over when he needed to. The Pacers got solid performances from Andrew Nembhard (37.4 FP) and a breakout night from Jarace Walker (+4.8 rebounds), but it wasn't enough.
For your roster, hold KPJ if you have him, watch Sims to see if that rebound rate was real, and don't freak out on Siakam for one down night. This is the kind of game where you're rewarded for having depth. The stars didn't all go off, but the role guys who showed up paid dividends.