CLE 115, PHI 101: James Harden Notches 40 ESPN FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Cavs Survive Without Allen, But This Feels Like a Mirage
Final: Cavaliers 115, 76ers 101
The Cavs won this game without Jarrett Allen suiting up and with most of their stars underperforming. That's the headline. That's also the warning sign if you're holding any of these guys.
Let me be real: this was an ugly game that happened to go Cleveland's way, but the fantasy story is way more interesting than the box score suggests.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donovan Mitchell | 37.0 | 35.6 | 17/3/6 | 28.4/4.5/5.8 | -11.4 |
| James Harden | 40.0 | 35.5 | 21/5/5 | 24.2/4.9/8.1 | -3.2 |
| Evan Mobley | 37.0 | 34.1 | 15/8/1 | 17.7/8.6/3.7 | -2.7 |
| Dean Wade | 35.0 | 31.0 | 13/10/2 | 6.0/4.3/1.6 | +7.0 |
| Quentin Grimes | 27.0 | 26.5 | 17/5/3 | 12.8/3.6/3.4 | +4.2 |
| Justin Edwards | 35.0 | 25.9 | 14/2/3 | 4.9/1.4/1.2 | +9.1 |
| Cameron Payne | 24.0 | 25.2 | 12/6/4 | 4.4/1.5/2.4 | +7.6 |
| Keon Ellis | 28.0 | 24.4 | 19/2/0 | 5.8/1.6/0.8 | +13.2 |
| Dalen Terry | 27.0 | 23.6 | 9/3/4 | 3.5/1.8/1.3 | +5.5 |
| Thomas Bryant | 18.0 | 18.5 | 8/5/1 | 5.5/3.0/0.6 | +2.5 |
The Cavs Stars Are Gassing Out (Or Philly's D Is Actually Good)
Donovan Mitchell dropped 17 points on 4-11 shooting with 9 free throw attempts. That's 35.6 Yahoo FP, which sounds fine until you remember he's averaging 28.4 PPG on the season. He was down 11.4 points from his typical output. Yeah, he got to the line a ton, but when your All-NBA guard is settling for that kind of efficiency, something's off.
James Harden at 35.5 Yahoo FP isn't the disaster it could've been, but 21 points on 6-11 is solid, not special. He's a reigning All-NBA guy and he couldn't push this over the top against a beat-up Philly squad missing Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey. That's the takeaway here. Harden didn't collapse, but he didn't elevate either.
Evan Mobley hit 34.1 Yahoo FP with 15/8 on 7-12 shooting plus 3 blocks. That's a decent night, but he was still down 2.7 points from his season average. The defensive player of the year is supposed to make his presence felt more than that.
These three combined for 105.2 Yahoo FP. That should bury a team. Instead, they won by 14.
Dean Wade Is Suddenly Interesting (And You Should Notice)
Here's where this game gets weird. Dean Wade checked in for 13/10/2 on 5-9 shooting with 3 threes in 20 minutes. That's 31 Yahoo FP, and he was up 7.0 points from his season average of 6.0 PPG.
Wade isn't someone you're chasing in free agency usually. He's a guy who shows up on the waiver wire and you pray he stays healthy. But with Allen out and the Cavs needing floor spacing and rebounding, he got real minutes and actually looked like he belonged. Keep your eye on whether Allen is dealing with a lingering thing or if this is just a random rest game. If Allen misses another one, Wade becomes a 15+ minutes a night type in deeper leagues.
The 76ers Role Guys Actually Saved the Tank
This is the most fascinating part. The 76ers are clearly pivoting, and their depth started actually playing like NBA players for once.
Quentin Grimes with 26.5 Yahoo FP on 17/5/3 is a solid night, but only 4.2 points above his average. Nothing crazy there. Justin Edwards though, that's the name you need to write down. 14/2/3 on 5-6 shooting with 3 threes in just 28 minutes? He's up 9.1 points from his season average of 4.9 PPG. Edwards is hitting at around 2.1% ownership league-wide right now. Don't sleep.
Cameron Payne went for 25.2 Yahoo FP with 12/6/4, up 7.6 from his normal 4.4 PPG. When your best player isn't in the lineup (Tyrese Maxey, -29.0 points from avg, didn't play), somebody's gotta eat minutes. Payne and Edwards ate them and actually contributed.
Keon Ellis is the real story though. 19 points on 5-9 from three in 25 minutes? That's 24.4 Yahoo FP and he's +13.2 from his season average of 5.8 PPG. Ellis is at 2.1% ownership and available in basically every league. He's got a real shot at consistent run with the injuries piling up.
Dalen Terry chipped in 23.6 Yahoo FP with 9/3/4/1 steal in 19 minutes, up 5.5 from his norm. These guys aren't world-beaters, but they're getting minutes and they're not completely wasting them.
Waiver Targets From This Game
Keon Ellis is the add. Seriously. If he's available in your league, grab him now. He shot 44% from three on the night and got 25 minutes with the 76ers totally depleted. In 10-12 team leagues especially, he's a streamer with upside.
Justin Edwards is worth a add in deeper formats (14+ teams) if you're desperate for backcourt depth.
Dean Wade is a hold-and-see situation. If Jarrett Allen is actually hurt, Wade becomes useful. If it's just rest, he's back to being a desperation waiver wire dart.
Nobody from the Cavs is worth panicking over. Mitchell and Harden just had down nights against better defense than expected. That happens.
The Real Issue: The Cavs Barely Showed Up
This Cavs team still has the talent to be scary in the playoffs, but performances like this (winning despite your three best guys underperforming against a skeleton crew 76ers team) can mask deeper problems. When you can't blow out a team that's clearly punting the season with half their roster missing, that's a red flag.
For fantasy purposes, this game doesn't change anything about your Cavs guys. They're still studs. But if you're thinking about trading for them right now or paying up at the deadline, this is a reminder that they can have off nights. And unlike a lot of teams, the Cavs don't have a deep bench that can compensate when the stars are off simultaneously.
Also shout out to the 76ers tank commander whoever decided to rest Embiid, George, and Maxey in this one. That's championship-level tanking right there.
Bad Beat of the Week: Anyone who had Mitchell over 26.5 points. All-NBA guards don't go 4-11, even with good free throw volume. That's on me for believing tonight would be smooth sailing for the Cavs' scoring.