GSW 133, MEM 112: Richard Makes It Look Easy: 53 ESPN FP
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Warriors Blow Out Grizzlies Without Their Stars, Role Players Feast on 21-Point Win
Look, I'm not gonna sit here and act like this was some pretty Warriors victory. Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis, De'Anthony Melton, the whole starting five basically sat this one out. But that's exactly why this game matters for your fantasy squad. When the A-team doesn't show up, the bench guys either step up huge or they get exposed. Tonight, Golden State's reserves decided to cook.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Richard | 53.0 | 44.0 | 21/5/6 | 7.0/2.5/1.5 | +14.0 |
| GG Jackson | 44.0 | 40.6 | 24/8/2 | 10.4/3.9/1.3 | +13.6 |
| Ty Jerome | 45.0 | 37.1 | 22/3/5 | 19.6/2.8/5.6 | +2.4 |
| Gary Payton II | 45.0 | 37.0 | 19/5/4 | 5.8/3.1/1.6 | +13.2 |
| Brandin Podziemski | 34.0 | 34.6 | 19/8/6 | 12.3/5.0/3.7 | +6.7 |
| Taylor Hendricks | 36.0 | 34.2 | 14/6/4 | 5.8/3.3/0.9 | +8.2 |
| Pat Spencer | 35.0 | 31.9 | 12/2/9 | 6.3/2.2/3.4 | +5.7 |
| Gui Santos | 40.0 | 31.6 | 17/3/4 | 6.6/3.2/1.7 | +10.4 |
| Malevy Leons | 31.0 | 29.6 | 9/8/2 | 2.5/2.8/0.5 | +6.5 |
| Javon Small | 37.0 | 29.2 | 16/6/4 | 7.6/2.5/3.5 | +8.4 |
Will Richard: The Revelation
Will Richard put up 44 Yahoo points and we need to talk about it. Kid went 9-15 from the field with 21 points, 5 boards, and 6 dimes in 29 minutes. That's not noise. That's a season-best +14.0 over his average of just 7 points a night.
Here's the thing though, and I say this as a Warriors guy who wants to be excited: we have no idea what his role is going to be when Curry comes back. Right now he's getting 29 minutes in a blowout with half the team missing. In a normal Warriors rotation? He might get 12. So if you're thinking about picking him up off waivers, sure, grab him for short-term floor games where Golden State is shorthanded. But don't expect this 44-point fantasy night to be the new baseline. That's how you get burned in fantasy.
Gary Payton II and the Deep Bench Guys
Gary Payton II going for 37 Yahoo points on 8-12 shooting with three steals is what happens when you get real minutes in a blowout. He's averaging 5.8 points and 3.1 boards this year. Tonight he shot 67% from the field and got 19 points. Again, sustainable? Probably not. Useful information? Absolutely. If you've got an injury or bye week problem this week, Payton's available and playing, which beats the wire in most leagues.
Same story with Gui Santos (31.6 Yahoo FP), Malevy Leons (29.6 Yahoo FP), and Quinten Post (28.6 Yahoo FP). These are all bench guys who got real opportunities. You're not starting any of them in leagues that matter unless you're desperate, but they all deserve a waiver wire look if you need bodies.
The Grizzlies Tell a Different Story
Now flip to Memphis. GG Jackson went absolutely off for 40.6 Yahoo points on 8-12 shooting. That's 24 points, 8 boards in just 25 minutes. The kid was +13.6 over his season average of 10.4 points. That's the kind of performance that gets you excited about a young player's future, and it's real production even if it's a short sample. Jackson's a hold if you've got him.
But here's where it gets dark for Grizzlies fans. Your top three scorers came off the bench. Ty Jerome (37.1 Yahoo FP, 22 points), Taylor Hendricks (34.2 Yahoo FP, 14 points, 6 boards), and Javon Small (29.2 Yahoo FP, 16 points) all went off, but where were your starters? Ja Morant didn't play. Zach Edey didn't play. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope didn't play. Brandon Clarke didn't play. This wasn't the Grizzlies' A-squad getting beaten. This was a skeleton crew getting worked by a Warriors bench mob.
That's important context. You can't use this game to make long-term decisions about these Memphis guys. This was injury management or rest night. Don't panic sell anyone.
Who Actually Hurt You This Week
Santi Aldama sitting out entirely is the only relevant drop I'm seeing here. He's down 0.9% in ownership because people are wondering what's going on with him. At 14.0 points and 6.7 boards normally, he's a solid bench piece. But if he's dealing with injury or getting phased out, that's a problem. Check the injury report before your next waiver move.
The Bottom Line
Warriors beat Memphis 133-112 without their entire starting five. Your takeaway shouldn't be "add these bench guys," it should be "understand that blowouts with missing starters create weird fantasy days that don't predict the future." Will Richard was nice tonight, but he's not suddenly your league's next pickup star. Gary Payton II played well, but in normal Warriors games he's back to 8-10 minutes.
Jackson and Jerome had real games though. Keep an eye on them for next week, but remember, when your team's top scorers are sitting and you're getting dunked on, everyone looks good in garbage time.
Stay sharp out there. Waiver wire's got real moves, but they're not in this box score.