CHA 131, CHI 99: Fantasy Fireworks: Buzelis vs Diabaté
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student · Dallas Mavericks fan
Hornets Absolute Clinic: Buzelis Goes Nuclear While Bulls Roster Gets Exposed
Charlotte came into the United Center and straight up dismantled Chicago 131-99, and this wasn't even close. This was the kind of beatdown where you're checking the score in the third quarter and wondering if the Bulls forgot to show up. For fantasy purposes, this game told a crystal clear story: depth matters, and the Hornets have it while the Bulls are running on fumes.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matas Buzelis | 56.0 | 44.4 | 32/7/2 | 15.3/5.4/2.0 | +16.7 |
| Moussa Diabaté | 53.0 | 42.9 | 9/7/5 | 8.2/8.6/1.6 | +0.8 |
| Brandon Miller | 41.0 | 36.5 | 23/5/3 | 20.6/4.6/3.4 | +2.4 |
| Miles Bridges | 40.0 | 34.4 | 16/7/2 | 18.1/6.1/3.4 | -2.1 |
| Kon Knueppel | 39.0 | 31.2 | 21/1/2 | 19.3/5.4/3.5 | +1.7 |
| LaMelo Ball | 33.0 | 31.1 | 16/3/7 | 19.4/4.8/7.3 | -3.4 |
| Guerschon Yabusele | 24.0 | 22.3 | 11/4/1 | 4.0/2.8/0.7 | +7.0 |
| Coby White | 22.0 | 20.6 | 10/3/4 | 18.3/3.7/4.7 | -8.3 |
| Tre Mann | 23.0 | 19.3 | 7/4/1 | 6.9/2.3/2.1 | +0.1 |
| Josh Giddey | 12.0 | 18.9 | 8/2/5 | 17.8/8.1/8.4 | -9.8 |
The Buzelis Breakout Was INSANE
Matas Buzelis put up 32 points on 13-19 shooting (68% FG) with 6 threes and 7 boards in 33 minutes. That's 44.4 Yahoo points and he was +16.7 from his season average. This guy just destroyed his usage expectations and frankly, nobody saw it coming. He's averaging 15.3 PPG on the season, so going off for 32 is a massive spike.
Here's the thing though, and I'm trying not to get too cute with this: a 32-point explosion in a blowout is different than 32 in a close game. The Hornets were cruising by the third quarter, so the minutes were there and the shot selection was clean. Is he a league winner? Maybe. Is this repeatable? Probably not at this exact level. But what I will say is Buzelis is clearly getting real offensive opportunities now. In deep leagues where he's available (which he probably isn't anymore after tonight), grab him. In standard 10-12 team leagues, he's borderline rosterable depending on your bench depth.
Diabaté's All-Around Game is the Real Story
Moussa Diabaté with 9/7/5 and 3 steals on only 4-4 shooting isn't flashy on paper, but 42.9 Yahoo points for a big man in 30 minutes is exactly what you want. The defensive stats pushed him over the top here, and that's sustainable. He's been a defensive presence all year (listed above as All-Defensive material based on pedigree), and his rebounding uptick (+1.2 vs season avg on the boards is real volume stuff) suggests Charlotte is leaning on him more in game flow.
The real play: Diabaté is your reliable cheap insurance at center. He's not gonna blow up for 50 but he's gonna consistently hit in the 20-25 range with good defensive upside.
Hornets Depth is Killing It
Brandon Miller (23 points, 5 threes), Kon Knueppel (21 points, perfect FT), and Miles Bridges (16/7 despite being down 2.1 PPG from avg) all went off. This wasn't a one-man show. Charlotte just had the better roster on the court and it showed. LaMelo Ball was the only one who didn't fully execute (16/3/7 is fine, just a bit quiet for him), but honestly when you're blowing someone out 131-99, not everyone needs to go nuclear.
The Bulls Got Exposed
This is the depressing part if you have Bulls pieces. Josh Giddey was a disaster. 8/2/5 on 3-11 shooting is -9.8 from his season average. He's supposed to be a playmaker and a rebounder and just... wasn't. Collin Sexton (10 points) and Coby White (10 points, only 15 minutes) combined for 20 points. That's not getting it done.
The real problem: where are the role guys stepping up? You've got guys like Patrick Williams (11 points) and Isaac Okoro (7 points) sprinkled in but nobody's creating consistency outside of Buzelis. And even if Buzelis keeps this pace up, the Bulls just don't have enough scoring depth to compete.
If you own any Bulls roster guys besides maybe Buzelis going forward, this game should scare you. The team isn't close to contender status and that tanks their fantasy value. Sell high if you can and get out.
Looking Ahead
Buzelis has some juice now but I'd pump the brakes on making him a league winner pick. Diabaté is the more trustworthy add because defensive contributions are repeatable. LaMelo, Brandon Miller, and the Hornets' supporting cast just proved they can beat teams on any given night with balanced scoring.
For the Bulls, this was a reality check. Don't get cute trying to chase Giddey or White with hopes they'll bounce back immediately. Wait for lineup stabilization before diving back in.