CLE 138, WAS 113: Sam Merrill Coasts to 44.3 Yahoo FP in Blowout
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
Cavaliers Roll Past Wizards, Sam Merrill Goes Nuclear from Three
The Cavaliers walked out of this one looking like the team everyone thought they were coming into the season. Donovan Mitchell led the charge with a clean 30 points on efficient shooting, Jarrett Allen reminded everyone why he was All-Defensive Second Team last year, and then Sam Merrill absolutely torched the Wizards from deep. Final score: 138-113. Not close.
Here's the thing though, and I'm being real with you, that final margin doesn't tell the whole story for fantasy. The Wizards had some guys who went off in their own right, which matters if you own them or are trying to land them. Let me break down what actually happened tonight.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Merrill | 65.0 | 44.3 | 32/4/1 | 13.0/2.2/2.3 | +19.0 |
| Donovan Mitchell | 44.0 | 41.1 | 30/3/5 | 29.0/4.5/5.9 | +1.0 |
| Jarrett Allen | 43.0 | 37.3 | 21/9/1 | 14.5/8.3/2.0 | +6.5 |
| James Harden | 28.0 | 31.3 | 13/4/11 | 25.3/4.9/8.1 | -12.3 |
| Justin Champagnie | 34.0 | 30.8 | 12/9/2 | 7.7/5.7/1.1 | +4.3 |
| Sharife Cooper | 31.0 | 28.7 | 11/6/5 | 5.4/2.0/1.6 | +5.6 |
| Kyshawn George | 25.0 | 28.5 | 17/5/3 | 15.1/5.5/4.9 | +1.9 |
| Jamir Watkins | 27.0 | 27.6 | 16/3/2 | 4.5/3.6/0.8 | +11.5 |
| Bilal Coulibaly | 30.0 | 25.0 | 13/0/2 | 9.7/4.6/2.5 | +3.3 |
| Tre Johnson | 21.0 | 22.6 | 10/3/2 | 12.9/2.7/2.2 | -2.9 |
Sam Merrill Had The Game of His Life
Look, I watch a lot of basketball between my shifts at the hospital, and I've seen Sam Merrill be a solid role player. But 32 points in 24 minutes on 11-12 shooting with nine threes made? That's not a role player performance, that's someone who got hot and stayed hot. He finished with 44.3 Yahoo points, which is absolutely insane for a guy averaging 13 points on the season.
Here's the reality check though: This is likely a ceiling game. Merrill shot 75% from three, and his season average is 34% from deep. The volume was there (9 threes attempted), but you don't just replicate that kind of efficiency. He also played 24 minutes in a blowout, so the minutes played were helping him hit that fantasy ceiling.
Is Merrill a guy to target in trades or pick up if he's available? In 12-team leagues and deeper, absolutely. His role in Cleveland's offense is legit, and he's proven he can be a fantasy asset. But manage expectations. Tonight was elite. Next game might be 12 points on 4-10 shooting, and that's normal for him.
Donovan Mitchell: Exactly What You Wanted
Donovan Mitchell did the All-NBA thing he does. 30 points on 11-19 shooting with 6 free throws made. He hit a couple threes but wasn't chucking. Five assists for a guy on an All-NBA First Team is fine, it's not spectacular, but when you're putting up 30 points efficiently, nobody's complaining.
What you want to see from Mitchell is consistency, and he delivered. Only +1.0 versus his season average, which means this was a normal Mitchell game, just with a higher final score because Cleveland was demolishing Washington. In terms of your fantasy team, this is exactly what his ADP projected. He's a league-winner type, and performances like this are why.
Jarrett Allen Goes Quiet, Except He Didn't
Jarrett Allen went 8-8 from the field. Eight for eight. In 26 minutes. The man shot 100% and still only put up 21 points because he wasn't jacking threes and he got limited shot volume in a blowout situation.
But here's what actually matters for fantasy: 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks. Defensive Anchor stuff. Allen is second-team All-Defensive and it showed tonight even if his scoring didn't go crazy. He was +6.5 from his season average at 14.5 points per game, so this was a really solid performance. The fact that he didn't need to score 30 to put up 37.3 Yahoo points tells you how valuable he is on the glass and on D.
If you own Allen, you're happy. If you don't, he's probably already rostered in most competitive leagues. Just keep playing him.
James Harden Choked, Plain and Simple
James Harden finished with 13 points on 1-4 shooting. One for four. That's rough. He did have 11 assists which is vintage Harden playmaking, but the scoring dried up completely.
Here's the thing: Harden was -12.3 from his season average of 25.3 points. That's a significant miss. The free throw volume was decent at 10-12, but when your field goal shooting is that bad, there's only so much you can do. On a night when his team got cooked, Harden couldn't bail them out.
If Harden's on your team, don't panic. Bad shooting nights happen to everyone. But this is the kind of performance that reminds you why Harden can be a boom-or-bust asset depending on how his role shifts game to game. He's still a solid fantasy contributor, but nights like this are why you can't sleep on him in the waiver wire.
The Wizards Bench Showed Up, But It Doesn't Matter Yet
Jamir Watkins went off for a guy averaging 4.5 PPG. Sixteen points on 7-16 shooting with 3 rebounds in 28 minutes. That's +11.5 from his average and landed him 27.6 Yahoo points. Same with Sharife Cooper, who had 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in 23 minutes, +5.6 from his average.
Justin Champagnie came off the bench and put up 12 points and 9 rebounds, which is a solid fantasy line but not shocking given he's capable of that.
Here's my take: These performances are real, but they came in a blowout. When a game gets out of hand early, bench guys get more minutes and more opportunities. The Wizards were down by double digits and were playing loose, which helped these guys. I'm not saying ignore them, but I'm also not immediately adding Watkins to my watch list based on one good game in a loss where the team got punched in the mouth.
Kyshawn George was the only Wizard who looked like he might have a consistent role going forward. 17 points on 4-12 shooting with 8 free throws made. That's a real player getting real shot volume even in a game that wasn't close.
Waiver Move to Make
Jarrett Allen ownership ticked up to 88.6%, which means he's basically rostered everywhere. That's fine. He deserves to be.
If you're in a deeper league (14+ teams) and Sharife Cooper is available, take a look. He played 23 minutes and had a line that could've been useful. The Wizards are clearly rotating in bench pieces, and Cooper showed he can contribute. Might be a streamer option depending on your league depth.
Bottom Line
Cleveland is what we thought they were. A team that can flank your All-NBA-caliber players with solid role players and role players can get hot from three and suddenly you're winning by 25. Mitchell did his job, Allen did his job, and Merrill had the game of his season.
The Wizards played like a team missing some key contributors. When your stars don't show up (more on James Harden in a minute), losing by 25 is what happens. It's not a panic situation for Harden owners, but it's a reminder that nights like this exist even for quality NBA players.
For fantasy purposes, hold your Cavaliers pieces and don't get cute. If Merrill's available in your league, grab him. Don't sell low on Harden because of one bad shooting night. And if you've been sleeping on Jarrett Allen because his name isn't flashy, wake up.