NOP 133, SAC 123: Precious Achiuwa Goes Nuclear With 59.9 Yahoo FP
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate · Houston Rockets fan
Precious Achiuwa Just Became a Must-Own After Going Nuclear on Sacramento
Pelicans 133, Kings 123
Look, I'm gonna be straight with you. I didn't expect Precious Achiuwa to turn into a 60-point Yahoo machine tonight. Nobody did. But that's fantasy basketball for you, especially when a bench guy gets 40 minutes and decides to turn into a two-way threat out of nowhere.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precious Achiuwa | 70.0 | 59.9 | 29/12/5 | 8.6/6.0/1.3 | +20.4 |
| Trey Murphy III | 49.0 | 43.4 | 21/7/4 | 21.9/5.7/3.8 | -0.9 |
| Zion Williamson | 44.0 | 41.3 | 23/9/5 | 21.6/5.9/3.4 | +1.4 |
| Russell Westbrook | 44.0 | 40.4 | 19/2/10 | 15.3/5.3/6.4 | +3.7 |
| Derik Queen | 33.0 | 33.3 | 12/9/5 | 12.0/7.2/4.0 | +0.0 |
| Bryce McGowens | 37.0 | 33.2 | 14/6/2 | 8.4/2.1/1.5 | +5.6 |
| Karlo Matković | 32.0 | 30.8 | 9/9/2 | 5.4/3.6/0.9 | +3.6 |
| Drew Eubanks | 29.0 | 28.2 | 15/11/0 | 5.3/2.9/0.4 | +9.7 |
| Jeremiah Fears | 28.0 | 28.2 | 13/6/6 | 13.3/3.8/3.3 | -0.3 |
| Yves Missi | 34.0 | 26.9 | 7/2/1 | 5.6/5.5/1.2 | +1.4 |
The Achiuwa Explosion That Changes Everything
Precious Achiuwa just put up 29/12/5 on 12-16 shooting (75% FG) with four free throws made. He was +20.4 points above his season average. That's not a fluke, that's a statement. He was on the court for 40 minutes because Sacramento's defense collapsed in stretches, and when he got playing time in previous games, we kept sleeping on him.
Here's the thing though. His season average is 8.6 points and 6.0 rebounds. That's a role player. But tonight he took 16 shots and hit 12 of them. If this represents actual increased usage, he's absolutely a waiver add in any league. If this is just a hot game against a tired Sac team, then we pump the brakes. Watch his minutes and shot attempts over the next two games. That'll tell you everything.
For ESPN scoring, he went off for 70 points because volume matters there. Yahoo still shows the real value at 59.9, which is still elite tier for a guy normally putting up mid-teens in points. Ownership jumped 2.5% to 28% owned, so people are already noticing. If you're in a 10-team league and he's available, you're making a mistake not grabbing him.
New Orleans Did What They Needed to Do
The Pelicans won a road game, and that's the baseline. Trey Murphy III had a quiet night relative to his talent, posting 21/7/4 but that's basically his season line every night. He's a consistency machine. Zion Williamson was efficient as ever, 23/9/5 on 10-14 shooting, which is exactly what you expect from him. No drama, no surprises.
Jeremiah Fears had a nice run with 13 points and 6 assists in 27 minutes. That's the kind of game where you notice a depth piece stepping up, but he's a role player. Don't overreact. Same with Derik Queen, who put up 12/9/5 and stayed solid on the glass.
The Pelicans also got some bench scoring from Bryce McGowens (14/6 with two blocks and a steal in 26 minutes), Karlo Matković (9 points with 9 rebounds and 3 blocks), and Saddiq Bey going for 20 points on efficient shooting. That's a balanced attack that should worry the West.
Sacramento's Bench Carried Them, But It Still Wasn't Enough
Russell Westbrook had a solid fantasy night, dropping 19 points with 10 assists and 2 steals. That's 40 Yahoo points, which is fine. He's averaging 15.3/6.4 (assists per night), so he was actually up tonight. Problem is, the Kings got out-executed when it mattered.
Drew Eubanks went nuclear off the bench with 15/11 in just 21 minutes. That's insane efficiency. He was +9.7 points vs his season average, which means he did everything right when he was on the court. But 21 minutes isn't a lot, and it probably doesn't happen again unless Sacramento loses more bigs to injury. Don't chase this one.
Malik Monk had another solid scoring night with 18 points on 7-14 shooting. He's been consistent all season, so nothing new there. The problem is the Kings bench, even when it played well, wasn't enough to overcome a Pelicans team that had better ball movement and spacing.
The Waiver Wire Move You Need to Make
If Precious Achiuwa is sitting there, add him immediately. He's still under 30% owned in most leagues, which is criminal after tonight. Yes, it could be a one-game spike. But 40 minutes, 75% shooting, and clear opportunities in the offense? That's not random. Kings have multiple frontcourt options, which is why he got the run, but the question now is whether Sacramento keeps giving him that many minutes.
Everyone else tonight was pretty much in line with expectations. New Orleans' depth is solid but not panic-add material. Sacramento's bench got theirs but the starters didn't show up enough.
Bottom Line
The Pelicans are built to win tight games on the road. The Kings have talent but need more consistency from their third and fourth options. And Precious Achiuwa just reminded us why we need to watch the minutes reports, not just the box scores.
Get him while you can.