DAL 134, IND 130: Middleton Reliable With 44.9 Yahoo FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Middleton Goes Supernova, Mavs Steal One in Indy
134-130 final, Mavericks over Pacers. This one had everything: a fourth-quarter gut-check, role players stepping up when it mattered, and one absolutely disgusting performance from Khris Middleton that reminded us why he's still got it. Let's break what happened and what it means for your roster.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khris Middleton | 56.0 | 44.9 | 25/7/7 | 10.9/4.0/3.2 | +14.1 |
| Jarace Walker | 43.0 | 41.8 | 18/9/6 | 10.8/4.8/2.2 | +7.2 |
| P.J. Washington | 43.0 | 41.8 | 23/9/2 | 14.3/7.1/1.9 | +8.7 |
| Andrew Nembhard | 50.0 | 41.7 | 22/1/11 | 17.2/2.9/7.5 | +4.8 |
| Pascal Siakam | 40.0 | 39.1 | 30/8/3 | 23.9/6.8/3.9 | +6.1 |
| Brandon Williams | 37.0 | 33.7 | 15/1/7 | 12.7/2.8/3.8 | +2.3 |
| Marvin Bagley III | 28.0 | 29.7 | 12/11/1 | 10.3/6.1/1.4 | +1.7 |
| Kobe Brown | 28.0 | 25.4 | 15/7/0 | 3.9/2.2/0.8 | +11.1 |
| Quenton Jackson | 27.0 | 23.8 | 11/4/6 | 8.9/2.1/2.2 | +2.1 |
| Jay Huff | 26.0 | 23.7 | 9/1/1 | 9.0/3.8/1.3 | +0.0 |
Khris Middleton Just Reminded Everyone He's Elite
Middleton went absolutely nuclear. 25 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists on 11-15 shooting with 3 threes in 29 minutes. That's 44.9 Yahoo points, and the +14.1 versus his season average isn't even close. This wasn't him being "efficient," this was him being a primary offensive weapon for the Mavs when it mattered most.
The real question: is this sustainable or a one-off? Look at his shooting efficiency, 11-15 FG. That's not fluky. He took high-percentage looks and buried them. But the workload matters here. Season average is 10.9 PPG. Tonight he went full primary scorer. If the Mavs keep leaning on him like this, he's got real value going forward. If this was just a hot-shooting night on limited volume, don't get crazy.
I'm leaning toward buying him in the short term. The Mavs look like they need reliable scoring beyond the names we usually lean on, and Middleton proved he can deliver.
P.J. Washington Keeps Punching
P.J. Washington (23/9/2, 41.8 Yahoo FP) played 36 minutes and stayed aggressive. +8.7 points versus season average is legit. The thing here is consistency. He's getting the minutes, he's getting the looks, and he's not killing you on efficiency (8-14 FG). For a player at his ownership level, this is the kind of performance that keeps him relevant in deeper leagues.
The 6-8 free throws is notable too. He's attacking the rim, not settling. That's the P.J. we want.
Pascal Siakam Showed Up Despite the L
Pascal Siakam dropped 30 points on 12-19 shooting for the Pacers. 39.1 Yahoo points, +6.1 from average. He cooked in a losing effort, which is the worst kind of fantasy game because you get the points but your team takes the L.
The real take: Siakam is playing like his season average (23.9 PPG) is a floor, not a ceiling. He went off by 6 when the Pacers needed a win. Don't worry about the loss, worry about whether he's trending upward. He is.
Marvin Bagley Just Got Interesting
Marvin Bagley III (12/11/1, 29.7 Yahoo FP) pulled down 11 boards in 26 minutes. That's +4.9 rebounds versus his season average. He's getting added (we saw that +0.2% ownership bump), and honestly, I get it.
Here's the thing though: his volume is still low. 5-9 FG, limited minutes. The Mavs might just be dealing with matchup-specific bench depth issues. Don't go crazy on waivers thinking he's now a reliable 10 rebound guy. But if your league is thin at the 5 and you're streaming, he could have value in specific matchups.
Andrew Nembhard Ran the Offense, Then...
Andrew Nembhard with 22 points, 11 assists on solid efficiency (7-14 FG, 5-5 FT). That's 41.7 Yahoo points, respectable even though it's only +4.8 from his season average. The assists jumped way up, which tells you the Pacers were running everything through him down the stretch.
Problem: The Pacers lost. And if they're going to lose when their point guard puts up 22 points and 11 dimes, something is broken. Nembhard is still a solid fantasy contributor, but this game should make you question the ceiling for the Pacers' role players going forward.
The Flop Report: Brandon Williams?
Wait, no. Brandon Williams dropped 15 points, 7 assists on 4-8 FG with a steal and a block in 21 minutes. That's 33.7 Yahoo FP. Not a flop. Nobody really flopped tonight, which is what happens in a 4-point game.
What This Means for Your Roster
Khris Middleton just became more interesting as a buy-low target. Don't panic sell him, but also don't reach for him. Wait and see if this was a game-by-game thing or a real trend shift.
Marvin Bagley is getting waiver attention, but stay measured. He's still a bench guy on a deeper team. In 12-team leagues, maybe take a flier. In shallower leagues, keep the waiver money for bigger moves.
Pascal Siakam remains a strong hold. The Pacers are going to lean on him, and he's delivering.
The Mavs win was close. That matters for health going forward. Cooper Flagg didn't play, which is worth monitoring. Kyrie Irving didn't play either. If those guys return and the Mavs keep Middleton in this elevated role, you've got a dynamic offense that'll pay off down the stretch.
Tight game, no injury scares beyond what we already knew about. Fantasy gold is usually hidden in the role guys who pop up when the stars align. Tonight, that was Middleton and Bagley. Keep an eye on both, but don't overreact.