BOS 97, PHX 81: Derrick White's 63 ESPN FP Eruption
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician · Boston Celtics fan
Celtics Roll Past Suns in Blowout, Derrick White Goes Absolutely Nuclear
Look, I'm gonna be straight with you. The Celtics just demolished the Suns 97-81, and honestly, as much as it pains me to say this about a Suns team that looked completely out of sorts, this game tells a pretty clear fantasy story. Boston's role players went OFF, and Phoenix's whole operation looked broken.
Let me break down who actually showed up tonight.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derrick White | 63.0 | 54.6 | 22/8/8 | 17.0/4.4/5.7 | +5.0 |
| Neemias Queta | 41.0 | 40.1 | 14/13/3 | 9.7/8.3/1.5 | +4.3 |
| Baylor Scheierman | 27.0 | 28.2 | 11/11/2 | 3.9/2.8/1.0 | +7.1 |
| Sam Hauser | 29.0 | 25.6 | 16/3/4 | 9.2/3.8/1.5 | +6.8 |
| Collin Gillespie | 30.0 | 25.1 | 15/3/3 | 13.4/4.1/4.7 | +1.6 |
| Ron Harper Jr. | 21.0 | 21.5 | 8/5/1 | 2.9/1.9/0.8 | +5.1 |
| Payton Pritchard | 11.0 | 21.2 | 8/6/4 | 17.6/4.2/5.4 | -9.6 |
| Ryan Dunn | 24.0 | 20.2 | 10/6/2 | 5.8/4.2/1.5 | +4.2 |
| Oso Ighodaro | 22.0 | 20.1 | 4/3/5 | 5.7/4.6/1.9 | -1.7 |
| Jalen Green | 10.0 | 18.3 | 13/4/1 | 13.3/2.8/2.4 | -0.3 |
Derrick White Had the Game of His Life
Derrick White dropped 54.6 Yahoo points on 9-18 shooting with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and three blocks. For context, that's a full +5.0 points above his season average. The guy basically ran the offense and wasn't afraid to shoot it either, draining 4 threes. This isn't some fluke either. White's always been a sneaky fantasy asset for Boston fans like me, but tonight he played like he was guarding someone's entire offensive gameplan while also orchestrating the other end. If you own him, you're sitting pretty. If you don't, he's worth tracking.
The Bench Mob Went Nuclear
Here's what blew my mind: Baylor Scheierman put up 28.2 Yahoo points off the bench on 11/11 rebounding. He's averaging 3.9 points and 2.8 rebounds a night. Tonight he went +7.1 on scoring alone. Sam Hauser dropped 25.6 Yahoo on 16 points and 4 threes, also crushing his season average by almost 7 points.
Ron Harper Jr. even got involved with 21.5 Yahoo points. These aren't your typical deep league pickups anymore. When a blowout hits this hard, the role guys get unleashed, and tonight they all benefited. This is the kind of game that gets streamers excited for tomorrow, but be careful chasing it. These numbers don't replicate in competitive games.
The Celtics' Big Guys Didn't Need to Show Up
And here's the wild part: Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum didn't play at all. Neither did Nikola Vučević really (19 minutes, 17.8 Yahoo points). Neemias Queta stepped up with 40.1 Yahoo on 14/13, which is solid bench big production, but the story here is that Boston was so locked in defensively that they didn't need their stars.
The Suns Were a Total Disaster
On the other end, Collin Gillespie led Phoenix with 25.1 Yahoo points on 15 points. That's basically his season average. Jalen Green went 5-18 from the field and still put up 18.3 Yahoo somehow, but that's just volume inefficiency getting rewarded by the stat line. Ryan Dunn actually looked solid with 20.2 Yahoo on solid efficiency (4-6 FG), but everyone else was rough.
Grayson Allen shot 2-12 and is already getting dropped in 48% of leagues. That's what happens when you play like garbage. Payton Pritchard for Boston went 2-13 and blew his season average by almost 10 points, so even the Celtics' bench had some duds once the starters sat.
What This Means for Your Roster
Don't panic on Pritchard over one terrible shooting night. Don't suddenly believe Baylor Scheierman is a fantasy asset because he rebounded against a team that quit. And definitely don't burn a waiver claim on anyone from this blowout.
The real takeaway: Derrick White proved he can carry fantasy nights when the offense flows through him. If you own him, keep rolling with confidence. If you're looking to add depth in a deep league, White's the only name from this game worth remembering come Thursday.
Everything else? Just enjoy the Celtics dominating, which never gets old, and forget about the Phoenix guys except for the fact that Grayson Allen is headed toward free agency in multiple formats.