PHX 111, CHA 99: Devin Booker Powers Through for 46.6 Yahoo FP
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
Booker's Free Throw Clinic and the Suns' Bench Depth Problem Just Won Them a Game
The Suns beat the Hornets 111-99, and here's the thing: Devin Booker won this game from the free throw line more than anywhere else. That shouldn't be the story in 2026, but it is, and it matters for your roster.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Booker | 46.0 | 46.6 | 30/3/10 | 24.9/3.9/6.1 | +5.1 |
| LaMelo Ball | 40.0 | 37.4 | 22/7/6 | 19.3/4.8/7.3 | +2.7 |
| Collin Gillespie | 41.0 | 35.0 | 24/5/4 | 13.6/4.1/4.8 | +10.4 |
| Jalen Green | 29.0 | 31.8 | 24/4/2 | 14.8/3.2/2.2 | +9.2 |
| Royce O'Neale | 29.0 | 27.9 | 3/7/1 | 9.8/4.9/2.8 | -6.8 |
| Brandon Miller | 23.0 | 27.3 | 11/9/3 | 20.6/5.0/3.4 | -9.6 |
| Miles Bridges | 19.0 | 23.9 | 16/7/1 | 17.5/5.9/3.4 | -1.5 |
| Kon Knueppel | 22.0 | 22.2 | 15/1/4 | 19.2/5.3/3.4 | -4.2 |
| Ryan Kalkbrenner | 21.0 | 21.4 | 10/7/0 | 7.9/5.9/0.8 | +2.1 |
| Khaman Maluach | 21.0 | 20.8 | 4/9/0 | 2.0/2.0/0.1 | +2.0 |
Booker's Night: Volume Over Efficiency, But It Worked
Devin Booker went 7-18 from the field. By normal standards, that's a clunker. But he hit 15 of 15 free throws, which is genuinely automatic. He finished with 30 points, 3 boards, 10 assists for 46.6 Yahoo FP, about 5 points ahead of his seasonal average. The assists spike (+3.9) is what won you this fantasy game if you own him. You need him running the offense when he's not falling.
Here's my concern though: he only took 1 three-pointer. That's not sustainable for a guy averaging 24.9 PPG on a team with All-NBA talent. If the Suns want to win in the playoffs, Booker needs to be more aggressive from deep. For fantasy purposes, the free throw volume saved this line, but don't expect 15-15 from the stripe every night. Hold him, obviously, but watch his shot selection.
Gillespie's Explosion Is Real But Risky
Collin Gillespie dropped 24 points on 8-15 shooting with 5 threes. That's a +10.4 points above his season average. He's getting 36 minutes, he's hitting shots, and on paper this looks like a breakout.
But let's be real: he's a 13.6 PPG guy who's suddenly at 24. The three-point volume is there (5 threes on 11 attempts), which is good, but this screams one-game hot streak. I'm not saying drop him, but I'm also not trading your actual players to get him off waivers. If he stays above 20 PPG for the next two weeks, we talk about him differently. Right now, this is a nice one-off that won you a matchup.
Jalen Green Finally Playing Minutes
Jalen Green logged 29 minutes and turned 24 points with 4 threes into 31.8 Yahoo FP. He's +9.2 from his seasonal average, which is massive. The thing is, 29 minutes is still not starter's volume for a guy his caliber. This could mean two things: either the Suns are slowly easing him into a bigger role, or this was just a matchup thing against Charlotte's shaky perimeter defense.
Add him in 12-team leagues if he's available. In 10-teamers, you probably already have him. But the minutes are the ceiling right now. Once that hits 32-35 consistently, he's a rotation target.
Charlotte's Bench Carried Them (Still Lost)
LaMelo Ball had a solid game (22/7/6), nothing flashy, just LaMelo doing LaMelo things. But here's where Charlotte died: their wing depth. Brandon Miller came off the bench and grabbed 9 rebounds but shot 4-12. Miles Bridges was 7-16. Kon Knueppel went 4-11 but made 5 of 6 free throws, keeping Charlotte alive longer than they had business staying.
The problem? Royce O'Neale was an absolute anchor on the Suns' side. 1-6 from the field, -6.8 points from his average. If O'Neale plays well, this game's never close. Charlotte needed everyone firing, and they didn't get it from their depth guys. This is a matchup-dependent game, not a season-trajectory game. Don't panic if you own Miller or Bridges. Don't get excited about Knueppel's night either. This was noise.
The Depth Guys Won This For Phoenix
Rasheer Fleming went off for 16 points on 6-8 shooting with 4 threes in 22 minutes. Khaman Maluach pulled down 9 boards in garbage time minutes. Ryan Kalkbrenner had 10 and 7. These guys aren't fantasy relevant in most leagues, but it's worth noting that Phoenix can win games when their role players are this aggressive. That's a scary ceiling for a playoff team.
Bottom Line
Booker's your guy, he proved it tonight. Gillespie's a one-game story. Green's breaking through minute-wise, which actually matters. Charlotte gave everything they had and still got run off the court, which is concerning if you're banking on their young guys for fantasy production the rest of the season.