SAS 131, PHI 91: Victor Wembanyama Goes for 49.6 Yahoo FP
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
Spurs Dismantle 76ers 131-91, Wembanyama and Vassell Lead Blowout
Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. The 76ers came out completely flat, and San Antonio punished them in ways that made fantasy managers holding Philly assets absolutely cringe. This wasn't a close game. This was a mercy killing.
The Top Performers:
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | 56.0 | 49.6 | 10/8/4 | 23.4/11.1/2.9 | -13.4 |
| Tyrese Maxey | 35.0 | 37.6 | 21/8/2 | 29.0/4.2/6.7 | -8.0 |
| Devin Vassell | 49.0 | 37.5 | 22/5/1 | 14.6/3.9/2.4 | +7.4 |
| Stephon Castle | 42.0 | 36.8 | 15/4/10 | 16.5/4.9/6.8 | -1.5 |
| De'Aaron Fox | 35.0 | 30.5 | 11/5/7 | 18.6/3.8/6.2 | -7.6 |
| Jabari Walker | 30.0 | 26.2 | 20/6/0 | 3.9/3.0/0.5 | +16.1 |
| Keldon Johnson | 24.0 | 25.8 | 12/9/0 | 13.0/5.6/1.3 | -1.0 |
| Dylan Harper | 31.0 | 25.4 | 22/2/2 | 11.2/3.3/3.7 | +10.8 |
| Carter Bryant | 28.0 | 25.3 | 11/9/3 | 3.4/2.2/0.4 | +7.6 |
| Cameron Payne | 21.0 | 20.4 | 10/2/2 | 3.7/1.0/1.9 | +6.3 |
The Real Story: Joel and Paul Were No-Shows
Here's what you need to know right away. Joel Embiid and Paul George didn't play. That's a 43.5-point swing from their season averages. When your two guys combining for 42.6 PPG on the season sit out, you're not winning 131-91, you're losing it. I don't have injury details in front of me, but this is the kind of game that matters for understanding minutes trends going forward. If either of them is dealing with something legitimate, that affects league-wide availability for weeks.
Wembanyama Was Efficient, But Not Historic
Victor Wembanyama put up 49.6 Yahoo FP (56 ESPN), which sounds great until you look closer. The All-Defensive, All-NBA guy put up 10/8/4 with 6 blocks in 24 minutes. He went 3-5 from the field. That's not dominance, that's efficiency in a blowout where he didn't need to do much.
His -13.4 against his season average on scoring tells you everything. He was fine, the Spurs were just destroying everyone. Don't panic if you own him, but also don't expect this every night. The minutes restriction (24) is worth monitoring for load management down the stretch.
Vassell Was Actually The Star
Devin Vassell went off for 22/5/1 on 7-10 shooting with 6 threes in 22 minutes. That's +7.4 on his season scoring average and 37.5 Yahoo FP. This is a guy who's been steady all year but not exactly a league winner. Tonight? He was the most consistent bucket-getter the Spurs had outside of the blowout script flipping everything on its head.
Vassell's still probably not a priority add in most leagues, but if you're in a deeper format and need shooting off the bench, he showed up here.
The Castle Assist Party
Stephon Castle (the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year, by the way) put up 15/4/10 with a steal in 20 minutes. That 10 assist game is real. He also went 3-4 from the line and didn't turn it over. That's 36.8 Yahoo FP and solidly above his season average on assists (+3.2).
Castle's been solid all year, and this reinforces what you probably already know if you own him: he's a reliable combo of scoring and playmaking. The minutes restriction (20) is the only concern, but that's classic blowout management.
Maxey Tried To Will Them Back (It Didn't Work)
Tyrese Maxey finished with 21/8/2 on 8-19 shooting in 25 minutes for 37.6 Yahoo FP. Look at that shooting line though. He was 8-19. In a 40-point loss. He was down 8.0 on his season scoring average, which tells you the offensive system collapsed around him without Embiid spacing the floor.
Maxey's not the problem here. He played 25 minutes in a game that was over by the third quarter. You're not benching him, but tonight is a perfect example of how one missing star (Embiid) can kill a complementary scorer's fantasy output.
The Bench Went Wild (For Different Reasons)
Jabari Walker put up 20/6/0 on 7-10 shooting for 26.2 Yahoo FP, +16.1 on his season average. That's a massive outperformance. Walker's averaging 3.9 PPG, so 20 points is legitimately out of character. This was a garbage-time special where the Sixers were trying random lineups.
Don't add him in 12-team leagues. Don't even think about it. This is your reminder that blowouts create statistical noise, not predictable fantasy value.
Dylan Harper also went off for 22/2/2 on 8-11 shooting with 2 threes, putting up 25.4 Yahoo FP (+10.8 on average). Same energy: we don't know what Harper actually is yet based on one blowout game. Carter Bryant followed suit with 11/9/3 and 25.3 Yahoo FP. These are waiver vultures feasting on a dead game, not future league-winners.
The Real Waiver Move
Dominick Barlow played 13 minutes and put up a goose egg. He's 2.6% owned and just got added by 0.3% of leagues. I'm telling you right now: don't chase this. He scored zero in a blowout. That's not a signal to add, that's a signal he might not be getting playing time even in garbage time when the Sixers needed literally anyone.
Bottom Line
This game was over by halftime. Embiid and George being out turned a potentially competitive matchup into a 40-point rout. Wembanyama was solid but not spectacular, Vassell had his best game of the year, and Castle ran the offense like we've come to expect.
On the Sixers side, don't panic about Maxey yet, but do find out when Embiid and George are back. That's where your fantasy season actually lives. The bench guys who went off tonight? Fun for one night, forget about them tomorrow.