PHX 120, DAL 111: Marshall Can't Save DAL Despite 39.8 Yahoo FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Naji Marshall Just Reminded Everyone Why He's a Must-Own, But The Real Story Is Dallas Choked This Away
Look, I'm a Mavs guy. I bleed silver and blue. So it stings watching us lose 120-111 to Phoenix when we absolutely should've had this one. But here's the thing about fantasy basketball that separates the casual players from the people actually making money: sometimes the team that loses produces better fantasy value. And tonight is textbook proof.
Let me break down what actually mattered.
The Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naji Marshall | 46.0 | 39.8 | 31/4/2 | 14.7/5.0/3.0 | +16.3 |
| Cooper Flagg | 27.0 | 36.0 | 27/5/2 | 20.3/6.6/4.2 | +6.7 |
| Devin Booker | 37.0 | 35.8 | 19/4/6 | 25.3/4.0/6.3 | -6.3 |
| Oso Ighodaro | 40.0 | 34.0 | 10/10/4 | 5.4/4.5/1.8 | +4.6 |
| Collin Gillespie | 26.0 | 27.8 | 5/9/8 | 13.6/4.1/4.7 | -8.6 |
| Dillon Brooks | 22.0 | 27.3 | 23/4/1 | 21.1/3.6/1.8 | +1.9 |
| Max Christie | 25.0 | 25.7 | 5/6/3 | 13.3/3.4/2.2 | -8.3 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 27.0 | 25.1 | 8/3/3 | 8.7/4.8/2.2 | -0.7 |
| Royce O'Neale | 30.0 | 24.8 | 12/4/2 | 10.3/4.9/2.9 | +1.7 |
| Mark Williams | 27.0 | 24.1 | 13/8/1 | 12.2/8.2/1.1 | +0.8 |
Naji Marshall Is Now The Guy And It's Not Even Close
Naji Marshall just put on a clinic. 31 points on 12-17 shooting? That's not a fluke night, that's someone stepping into a role and absolutely taking it. He was +16.3 on his season average, 39.8 Yahoo points, and he did it in 36 minutes of legitimate crunch time. This wasn't garbage time padding.
The scary part for Phoenix is that Marshall isn't going away. He's in the rotation now, and when you're shooting 70% from the field against a top-10 defense, you've earned your minutes. If you don't have him yet, add him immediately in any league deeper than 10 teams. Yeah, he's only averaging 14.7 PPG on the season, but that's before whatever development happened between last week and tonight.
Cooper Flagg Is The Kind of Sophomore You Dream About
Cooper Flagg is doing the thing we hoped rookies in the draft class would do. 27 points, 11-14 from the line, and he was +6.7 on his season average. The kid is getting to the rack constantly, and even with an off shooting night (8-20 FG), he's still manufacturing 36 Yahoo points. That's floor, not ceiling.
The concern here is minutes. 35 minutes is healthy, but if Dallas is actually committed to bringing him along long-term instead of just feeding him now, we might see some variance. Still, if Flagg is available in your league, he shouldn't be. He's a lock for top-100 value the rest of the way.
The Suns Won But Book Had A Rough Night
Devin Booker dropping to 35.8 Yahoo points in a win? That's -6.3 off his season average. He only took 16 shots and was 7-16 from the field. This is one of those nights where your All-NBA selection just didn't have it, but the rest of the team stepped up. Don't panic if you own him. One quiet night doesn't change the fact that he's elite, and honestly, if Phoenix won without him going off, that might be more concerning for the rest of the league.
Oso Ighodaro Is A Glitch In The System
Here's where I lose my mind a little bit. Oso Ighodaro played 23 minutes and put up 10 points, 10 boards, 4 assists with 2 blocks. He's averaging 5.4/4.5/1.8 on the season and just dropped a line that would make a max contract guy jealous.
This is the classic trap game for fantasy. You see 34 Yahoo points and think "I need this guy." But he's getting 23 minutes in a game Phoenix won by 9. The opportunity was there because of the blowout risk, not because he's earned starter's minutes. Don't overreact. Don't add him unless your league is like 18 teams deep and you're desperate for bench production.
The Bad Beats (And There Were Several)
Collin Gillespie went full dud even though he put up 27.8 Yahoo points. Wait, that's not a dud, but here's the thing: he was -8.6 on his average and only scored 5 points. He won on steals and assists (8 of them) but took 7 shots and hit 2. That's not a sustainable path to fantasy relevance, even as a pass-first guy.
Max Christie dropped to 25.7 Yahoo points while being -8.3 on his season. 5 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists doesn't scream "lock this guy in." He got value from a steal and a block, but if he's not scoring more consistently, he's more of a streaming play than a hold.
The real letdown was Grayson Allen and Cole Anthony not even taking the floor for Phoenix. Allen disappeared from the box score entirely (0 min), and now he's watching from the bench down 1.5% in ownership. That's the clearest waiver wire signal from tonight: if your guy didn't get minutes in a close game, something changed.
What This Means For Your Roster
Add Marvin Bagley III immediately if he's available. Yeah, he only scored 9 points tonight, but he grabbed 8 boards in 24 minutes and went +2.2 on his season. The Mavs are giving him consistent playing time, and that's the golden ticket in fantasy. He's only at 14.6% ownership, which is insane for someone getting 24-30 minutes a night.
Monitor Naji Marshall's next game like it's the lottery. If he gets 30+ minutes again and repeats anywhere close to tonight's efficiency, he's a top-40 player value. If it was a one-off, you need to know that fast. Either way, he's worth the add in redraft and weekly leagues.
Don't panic on Kyrie Irving's absence. Yeah, he didn't play, but that's clearly load management or a nagging thing. The Mavs still put up 111 on Phoenix and would've won with him. Don't drop him thinking he's cooked.
Grayson Allen is officially in the doghouse. Down 1.5% in ownership, benched in a close game, and no signs of returning. If you own him in a 12-team league or shallower, he's a drop candidate now.
The Real Move
The biggest takeaway? Depth wins games, and depth wins fantasy championships. Phoenix won this game because Dillon Brooks (23 points, +1.9 on avg), Royce O'Neale (12 points, 4 threes, +1.7 on avg), and Mark Williams (13 points, 8 boards, +0.8 on avg) all showed up when it mattered. That's three different guys stepping in and being reliable. Dallas had Marshall and Flagg carrying the load, but the supporting cast couldn't close it out.
For fantasy purposes, that means Phoenix's role players are getting more trust from coaching, and that translates to minutes and opportunity. Keep your eyes on that Suns bench. There's always one guy who breaks through.