GSW 114, MEM 113: Hendricks Clutch in Heart-Stopper
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Warriors Survive Memphis Thriller in One-Point Squeaker, But the Real Story? Role Players Went Nuclear
114-113. One point. That's the margin, and honestly, that's all you need to know about how tight this one was. But if you're here thinking this was just another close game, you're missing the fantasy goldmine that played out tonight.
Let me break down what actually mattered for your lineups.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor Hendricks | 37.0 | 39.0 | 15/10/2 | 5.0/3.0/0.7 | +10.0 |
| Al Horford | 44.0 | 38.8 | 16/9/6 | 7.4/4.8/2.3 | +8.6 |
| Ty Jerome | 45.0 | 38.1 | 19/3/7 | 20.0/2.3/5.5 | -1.0 |
| Pat Spencer | 40.0 | 35.1 | 17/3/7 | 6.0/2.2/3.0 | +11.0 |
| Scotty Pippen Jr. | 42.0 | 31.0 | 11/0/4 | 13.0/3.0/6.0 | -2.0 |
| Brandin Podziemski | 31.0 | 30.3 | 16/4/5 | 11.9/4.6/3.5 | +4.1 |
| Gui Santos | 29.0 | 27.6 | 16/8/2 | 5.4/2.8/1.4 | +10.6 |
| Moses Moody | 29.0 | 26.7 | 15/1/3 | 11.4/3.3/1.4 | +3.6 |
| Gary Payton II | 27.0 | 25.8 | 7/4/2 | 5.1/3.2/1.5 | +1.9 |
| Jahmai Mashack | 30.0 | 23.9 | 17/2/1 | 2.1/1.1/0.9 | +14.9 |
The Warriors Bench Saved Them (And Your Fantasy Week)
Listen, I'm a Warriors guy. Been riding with the Bay since Run TMC, so I'm not gonna act like I'm unbiased here. But what happened tonight was pure role player fantasy gold, and it's something we need to talk about seriously.
Al Horford dropped 38.8 Yahoo FP on a +8.6 versus his season average. Sixteen points, nine boards, six dimes in 26 minutes. That's All-Star level production from a veteran anchor. More importantly, he's doing this consistently now. At 38 years old, Horford is playing like a back-end first-round pick finally making sense. If you somehow grabbed him off waivers, hold him tight.
Pat Spencer went absolutely nuclear off the bench. 35.1 Yahoo FP, a ridiculous +11.0 above his season average. 17 points on 8-13 shooting, seven assists in 31 minutes. This is a guy averaging 6 PPG, and he went for nearly triple that. The question you're asking yourself right now is: is this real? Here's my take. Spencer got extended run because this game was close, and when the Warriors need a floor general next to their core, Spencer's been getting the nod. That's playable in 12-team leagues if the minutes stick. But one hot night doesn't rewrite his narrative. Monitor the next two games.
Gui Santos coming off the bench for 27.6 Yahoo FP, +10.6 above season average. Seven-10 from the field is the kind of efficiency you ride with. Santos is someone I've had my eye on because those size-athleticism-shooting combos don't grow on trees. Sixteen points in 29 minutes is getting real close to consistent rotation value.
Moses Moody went 3-5 from the field but 8-9 from the line for 26.7 Yahoo FP. That's what happens when you get fouled shooting. He's been a dead leg most of the season, so this was nice to see, but it's not a turning point. Moody has the talent. He just can't stay healthy or consistent enough to bank on.
Then there's Brandin Podziemski with his steady 30.3 Yahoo FP. This guy is like the Warriors' utility knife. He's not flashy, but he's always useful. Sixteen points, five assists, good defense. That's exactly what he does night in and night out.
Memphis Bench Players Cooking Too (But It Wasn't Enough)
Taylor Hendricks was the star of this game from a fantasy perspective. 39 Yahoo FP, a monster +10.0 above season average. This kid dropped 15-10-2 in just 24 minutes. Hendricks is a name I've been hearing more and more, and tonight showed why. He's got that young-athletic-big energy that translates in the minutes he gets. But here's the real question: are the minutes going up consistently? That's what you need to know before you go chase him off waivers.
Ty Jerome with 38.1 Yahoo FP, but here's the thing, he was basically at his season average output (20 PPG), so this wasn't some breakout. He was just Jerome doing Jerome things. Nineteen points, seven dimes in 19 minutes. The production's real, but it's not a new development.
Jahmai Mashack had the crazy outlier game. 23.9 Yahoo FP on a +14.9 above his season average. Eight-10 from the field for 17 points? That's insane efficiency for a bench guy averaging 2 PPG. This is literally a one-night stand. Don't chase it.
Scotty Pippen Jr. disappointed relative to his season numbers. Dropped to 31 Yahoo FP, a -2.0 versus season average. Four steals in 20 minutes was good defense, but zero boards and only 11 points when he's usually around 13? That's a down night for him. Nothing to freak out over in a close game, but it's the kind of variance you live with.
The Real Story: Where Were the Stars?
Here's what jumped out at me, and this matters for your future lineups. The Warriors didn't have Stephen Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, or Jimmy Butler tonight. I don't know if they were rested or injured, but the fact that the Warriors still won this close game on the road says something about roster depth. It also means when those guys come back, the bench minutes are gonna compress.
Pat Spencer and Gui Santos getting extended run tonight? That might be a mirage. Be careful about overreacting to one game where the team's missing half its rotation.
On the Memphis side, you notice Ja Morant was out. That's a bigger deal. Santi Aldama also didn't play, which is why he's getting dropped right now (down 0.9% ownership). Without those two, Memphis still came within one point at Golden State. When Ja and Aldama get back, the rest of that lineup gets squeezed.
Waiver Moves to Consider
Kyle Anderson is sneaking into leagues at 0.7% owned after this game. He grabbed three steals and was solid defensively. But he's a fringe player, and I'm not losing sleep over adding him unless you're in a deep league with streaming spots available.
The bigger move is staying away from Santi Aldama now that he's dropping. Forty-four percent of leagues owned him before tonight, and he's gonna keep bleeding as more people realize he wasn't playing. Don't buy the dip. Wait until he plays and proves he's back to form.
Bottom Line
This was a Warriors win that matters more for their roster construction than your fantasy season. Memphis played hard, it was tight, and the bench players on both sides stepped up because it had to. That's not sustainable, and it's not predictive for next week.
If you own Al Horford, you're good. Keep playing him. If you grabbed Pat Spencer and Gui Santos tonight, take the points but don't get married to them. And if you're thinking about chasing Taylor Hendricks or Jahmai Mashack, pump the brakes. One night doesn't change what these guys are long term.
Stay solid, and I'll catch you next game.