ORL 115, DAL 114: Silva Makes It Look Easy: 49 ESPN FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Magic Survive Late Thriller Over Mavs, but This L Stings Different
I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. Watching my Mavs lose 115-114 in Orlando hurts, especially when we had the W right there. But fantasy-wise? This game had some legitimate storylines, and one of them is a straight-up waiver wire gem you need to know about.
Let me start with the carnage:
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Flagg | 44.0 | 46.0 | 18/5/6 | 20.3/6.5/4.2 | -2.3 |
| Paolo Banchero | 33.0 | 39.4 | 16/12/6 | 22.0/8.5/5.0 | -6.0 |
| Jalen Suggs | 43.0 | 36.9 | 17/2/7 | 13.6/3.8/5.4 | +3.4 |
| Tristan da Silva | 49.0 | 35.1 | 19/3/3 | 9.1/3.6/1.3 | +9.9 |
| P.J. Washington | 39.0 | 34.5 | 18/5/1 | 14.3/6.9/1.9 | +3.7 |
| Daniel Gafford | 35.0 | 34.1 | 12/13/1 | 8.3/6.5/1.0 | +3.7 |
| Klay Thompson | 41.0 | 32.3 | 24/4/1 | 11.7/2.4/1.4 | +12.3 |
| Wendell Carter Jr. | 37.0 | 30.9 | 15/7/1 | 11.6/7.6/2.1 | +3.4 |
| Desmond Bane | 24.0 | 27.1 | 14/8/3 | 20.2/4.2/4.1 | -6.2 |
| Khris Middleton | 22.0 | 25.9 | 19/2/7 | 10.9/4.0/3.3 | +8.1 |
Klay Just Woke Up (For Real This Time)
Look, Klay Thompson dropped 24 points on 7-12 shooting with seven threes in 25 minutes. That's a +12.3 bump from his season average. I know we've been waiting for Klay to go nuclear all year, but this wasn't some fluke high-volume night, it was efficient as hell. 7-12 from the field, 7-12 from deep, no wasted possessions.
The thing is, his season average of 11.7 PPG has been mid all year. Tonight looked like the Klay we thought we were getting. Whether this sticks depends on usage, and the Mavs clearly gave him looks down the stretch. If he's seeing 20+ shot attempts going forward, he's a must-start in your lineup.
Tristan da Silva is a Problem (In a Good Way)
Tristan da Silva went 7-7 from the field. Seven. For. Seven. And he's a 9.1 PPG guy on the season. That's not a typo, that's a 24-year-old who just carved up our defense like he was prime Dirk.
The concern is minutes. He only played 24 minutes. Was that a game flow thing or is he actually backing up someone? Either way, if he's seeing consistent run and shooting like this, he's an absolute league winner type pickup at 9.1 PPG. Check the waiver wire. This guy should not be available in 12-team leagues.
Cooper Flagg Did Okay, but Here's the Thing
Cooper Flagg finished with 46 Yahoo points on 18/5/6, which looks fine until you realize it's actually 2.3 points below his season average. He went 7-22 from the field. Yeah, he had the four blocks and six assists, which helped, but that's not a crushed-it performance against Orlando. That's a "we're still figuring out his role" type of game.
The blocks are what saved him here. Without those four swats, you're looking at a genuinely mediocre night from your supposed centerpiece. The Mavs are in chaos mode without Kyrie and Dereck Lively, and it shows.
Paolo Undercooked Again
Paolo Banchero had 16/12/6 and still came in 6 points below his season average. That's the clearest indicator that something's off with his shot selection or usage rate right now. He's taking fewer threes (1-2 tonight, season norm is 2.5), and the rebounds are nice but he's not getting enough volume to justify a top-tier fantasy asset status at the moment.
This isn't panic territory yet, but if you're thinking about trading him, now might be the time to sell before someone else notices.
The Bright Spots We'll Actually Remember
Jalen Suggs was actually solid, going 6-14 but hitting four threes for 17/2/7/2. That's +3.4 from his average, which isn't massive but it's real production. He's becoming a reliable 35+ Yahoo guy, which matters in deeper leagues.
Khris Middleton going 7-15 for 19/2/7 is interesting because that's +8.1 from his season average. Middleton's been a ghost in my league all year (10.9 PPG), and nights like this are why you hold him. When he gets hot, he actually helps.
Daniel Gafford with 12/13/1 on 5-6 shooting is exactly what we need from a rim runner. +3.7 from average, solid efficiency, and he didn't need 30 minutes to do it. That's role clarity.
The Waiver Wire Move You Need
Marvin Bagley III got dropped league-wide. He's now at 6.7% ownership. If he's on your wire and you're in a 12-team or deeper league, he's a stash. The Mavs' frontcourt is destroyed right now without Dereck Lively, and Bagley saw some run tonight. That usage could explode if anyone else gets hurt.
What I'm Doing
Personally? I'm adding Tristan da Silva this week if he clears waivers. That 7-7 shooting isn't sustainable, but a 9.1 PPG guy who can go off for 19 on efficient shooting in 24 minutes is the definition of a lottery ticket. And that's exactly what the best waiver pickups are.
I'm also keeping my eye on Klay. If he shoots like this again in his next two games, he's back in the rotation for real. Right now he's a matchup play, but one more 20+ point night and I'm starting him full-time.
As for the Mavs, yeah, this stings. We're clearly short-handed without Kyrie and Dereck, and it's showing in these close losses. But from a fantasy perspective, Cooper Flagg is still the priority, P.J. Washington is stepping up, and Daniel Gafford is doing exactly what you want from a backup big.
Orlando played cleaner basketball down the stretch. That's the game. Now let's see who capitalized on the fantasy waiver wire.