LAC 137, NOP 117: LAC Rolls Behind Miller's 42.4 Yahoo FP
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate ยท Houston Rockets fan
Clippers Wire Cutters: Jordan Miller Explodes While New Orleans Gets Cooked 137-117
The Clippers handled business against the Pelicans on Monday night, and fantasy managers who had the right guys in their lineups are eating well. This wasn't some close battle, either. LA dominated from the jump and pulled away, and the fantasy implications are actually pretty interesting if you're paying attention.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Miller | 51.0 | 42.4 | 19/2/8 | 9.3/3.0/1.9 | +9.7 |
| Jeremiah Fears | 47.0 | 38.6 | 28/3/4 | 13.4/3.8/3.2 | +14.6 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 34.0 | 35.1 | 23/3/5 | 27.9/6.3/3.7 | -4.9 |
| Derik Queen | 33.0 | 34.0 | 19/5/2 | 12.1/7.3/3.9 | +6.9 |
| Dejounte Murray | 35.0 | 31.5 | 17/5/5 | 15.7/3.3/5.7 | +1.3 |
| Brook Lopez | 38.0 | 30.9 | 16/7/3 | 7.3/3.0/1.1 | +8.7 |
| John Collins | 25.0 | 28.9 | 15/7/1 | 13.8/5.2/1.0 | +1.2 |
| Kris Dunn | 34.0 | 26.6 | 9/3/4 | 7.9/3.1/3.6 | +1.1 |
| Trey Murphy III | 27.0 | 25.9 | 16/2/3 | 22.0/5.6/3.8 | -6.0 |
| Saddiq Bey | 22.0 | 24.2 | 14/6/2 | 17.3/5.8/2.6 | -3.3 |
The Real Story: Jordan Miller Just Showed Up
Look, I don't know if Jordan Miller was on your radar before Monday night, but he absolutely needs to be now. The dude went 19/2/8 on just 32 minutes and hit 8-of-11 free throws. That's 42.4 Yahoo FP when he's averaging 9.3 points a night. Plus 9.7 scoring compared to his season average is massive.
This wasn't some garbage time stuff either. Miller played meaningful minutes and was efficient (5-6 FG). If the Clippers are giving him this type of run in a blowout, it's not random. There's something clicking here. Is he a league winner? Nah. But in deeper leagues or if you need bench depth, Miller's worth a waiver add, especially if nobody's paying attention yet. He's only owned in about 5% of leagues, which is criminal if he's getting this kind of usage.
The Young Guys Are Eating
Jeremiah Fears for the Pelicans went absolutely nuclear. 28 points on 10-15 shooting with 5 threes in just 26 minutes. That's 38.6 Yahoo FP and plus 14.6 versus his season average. The kid was on fire. Real talk though, this feels like one of those nights where everything fell for him rather than a sign he's suddenly a top-50 player. His season average is only 13.4 PPG, so regress to the mean is coming. But if he's available in your league, you can't leave him on waivers. The usage is there, and younger players trend upward.
Similarly, Derik Queen put up 19/5/2 with a 7-7 performance from the line (34 Yahoo FP). He's been solid all year, and nights like this remind you why he's worth holding. These dudes are playing winning basketball and getting rewarded for it.
Kawhi's Quiet Night Isn't Panic Worthy
Kawhi Leonard had the quietest 23 points you'll see. He went 8-18 (ugly), 1-7 from three, and finished with just 5 assists. That's minus 4.9 from his season average on a team that was blowing out an opponent. But here's the thing, people: one bad shooting night in a 20-point win doesn't mean the reigning MVP is cooked. The Clippers didn't need him to go off, so he didn't. This is textbook regression to his elite baseline. Own him with confidence, especially at his current valuation. Next game against a team that pushes them, he's back to 27 plus.
Brook Lopez Is Sneaky Value
Brook Lopez dropped 16/7/3 with four threes, and that 30.9 Yahoo FP feels like it flew under the radar. He's averaging 7.3 PPG on the season but went plus 8.7 scoring tonight. The threes are real (4-9 FG, all the damage came from deep). If you're looking for a streaming big man or need upside off the bench, Lopez's playing enough minutes to matter and he's showing he can explode. Not a every-night starter, but championship-roster-building energy as a bench depth piece.
The Pelicans' Role Issues
Here's what's wild about New Orleans losing by 20 at home. Trey Murphy III played 31 minutes and still went minus 6.0 scoring (16 points, 6-15 FG). Saddiq Bey was minus 3.3 despite dropping 14. These are supposed to be your offensive engines, and they got their points but never dominated the game flow. When your role guys can't create separation in a blowout, that's a depth problem.
The silver lining for Dejounte Murray is he stayed efficient. 17/5/5 in just 21 minutes tells me the Pelicans were managing his minutes in a lost cause, which is smart. Don't overreact to the short night.
What's Next
For waiver purposes, add Jordan Miller if you've got bench spots. Drop any completely washed guy you were holding (looking at you, Marvin Bagley III, already seeing activity drops). Jeremiah Fears is worth a flyer if he's available. The Clippers just showed depth matters, and the Pelicans showed they need to figure out their role distribution before playoffs.
This game was about the Clippers being deep and balanced while the Pelicans got handled. Fantasy-wise, that means opportunity creates points, and Miller just created a path to your roster.