ORL 126, WAS 109: Paolo Banchero Tops All Fantasy Scorers With 50 Yahoo FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Paolo Goes Nuclear, Magic Handle Depleted Wizards 126-109
Paolo Banchero put on a clinic last night and basically played a different sport than everyone else on the court. 37 points on 15-21 shooting (71% FG) with 5 boards and 6 assists in 31 minutes. That's not just a good game. That's a "I'm tired of this" game where he decided to end things in the third quarter. Yahoo 50 FP. ESPN 59 FP. And yes, he still could've gone for more if the Magic weren't coasting.
The Wizards showed up completely overmatched on the wings, and it showed in the body language. This wasn't close. This was a 126-109 beatdown where Magic depth absolutely suffocated Washington's rotation.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paolo Banchero | 59.0 | 50.0 | 37/5/6 | 21.8/8.5/5.0 | +15.2 |
| Jalen Suggs | 44.0 | 37.1 | 10/3/9 | 13.6/3.9/5.3 | -3.6 |
| Justin Champagnie | 41.0 | 34.9 | 13/7/1 | 8.0/5.6/1.1 | +5.0 |
| Desmond Bane | 42.0 | 33.4 | 25/2/4 | 20.3/4.2/4.1 | +4.7 |
| Will Riley | 37.0 | 32.1 | 19/3/5 | 7.7/2.4/1.5 | +11.3 |
| Leaky Black | 25.0 | 26.3 | 8/9/1 | 4.0/7.0/0.0 | +4.0 |
| Julian Reese | 24.0 | 25.1 | 9/8/3 | 2.0/4.0/0.0 | +7.0 |
| Bub Carrington | 26.0 | 23.1 | 11/3/5 | 9.9/3.7/4.6 | +1.1 |
| Sharife Cooper | 22.0 | 23.1 | 16/3/3 | 7.3/2.2/2.4 | +8.7 |
| Goga Bitadze | 21.0 | 22.7 | 9/6/3 | 5.8/5.0/1.1 | +3.2 |
The Magic Depth Machine Went Brrr
Here's what actually happened: Orlando got contributions from literally everybody. Jalen Suggs wasn't lighting it up for scoring (10 points) but distributed 9 assists and grabbed 2 steals in 26 minutes. That's exactly what you want from a point guard, and the 37.1 Yahoo FP shows how the scoring system rewards the full package.
Desmond Bane was clean. 25 points on 7-10 shooting with 3 threes and a perfect 8-8 from the line. He's a target going forward if he keeps getting this kind of volume. The Wizards defense couldn't contain him, and he made them pay for every mistake.
The real wildcard was the Wizards' own depth coming through. Justin Champagnie went off for 13/7/1 with 3 blocks on just 9 FGA in 22 minutes. That's elite efficiency off the bench. Will Riley was absolutely cooking, 19 points on 8-13 shooting with a +11.3 against his season average. This guy has been under the radar all year but he's showing signs of real consistency. Leaky Black grabbed 9 rebounds out of nowhere (4.0 season avg), and Julian Reese put up 9/8/3 with a steal in limited minutes.
Even the bench guys were getting it done. Sharife Cooper came in cold for the Wizards but hit 5-6 from the line and dropped 16 points in 19 minutes. That's a solid spark plug energy. Bub Carrington had the game you want from a backup point guard, 11/3/5 with a steal.
The Reality Check
Here's the thing though. The Wizards had their entire starting lineup missing. No Kyshawn George. No Anthony Davis. No D'Angelo Russell. No Alex Sarr. No Trae Young. That's like... most of your offense. So these "excellent" Wizards performances came against a Magic team that was also playing some rotational guys more than usual, but Orlando's depth is legitimately different. Goga Bitadze playing 21 minutes and putting up 9/6/3 with a block? That's depth playing depth.
For fantasy purposes, this is one of those games where role clarity matters less than opportunity. Everyone on the Wizards got minutes because their main guys weren't there. Expect a regression when the lineup normalizes.
The Concerning Part for Banchero Owners
Paolo's 15.2 point bump over his season average is nasty, but let's be real, he was playing a Wizards team held together with duct tape. The real test is whether he can maintain this pace against actual defensive lineups. He's been sitting around 21.8 PPG all season, so tonight was definitely a "beat up the bad team" performance. Don't pencil him in for 37 points against the Celtics next week.
That said, the efficiency (71% FG) is the thing to watch. If he's figuring something out mechanically or mentally, that's a career-altering development. Keep tabs on his next game against a real opponent.
Waiver Wire Move
Desmond Bane ownership is already creeping up (97.1%), but if he's available in your league somehow, that's an absolute grab. 25 points on that volume is repeatable.
Will Riley is the only guy worth considering off the Wizards. He hit +11.3 against his season average, and if he keeps getting 30+ minutes, he's a consideration in deeper leagues. Just understand that's a function of the missing rotation.