SAS 125, BOS 116: Wembanyama Hyper-Efficient With 63 ESPN FP
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician ยท Boston Celtics fan
Wembanyama Goes Supernova, Celtics Get Exposed on the Road
Look, I hate losing to San Antonio. But I'm not gonna sit here and pretend Victor Wembanyama didn't absolutely cook us last night. The Spurs won 125-116, and if you had Vic on your bench, you're still mad about it today.
Here's the top 10 to set the table:
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | 63.0 | 59.7 | 39/11/3 | 24.2/11.1/2.9 | +14.8 |
| Derrick White | 56.0 | 52.5 | 34/5/7 | 17.5/4.4/5.7 | +16.5 |
| De'Aaron Fox | 56.0 | 44.1 | 25/3/9 | 19.0/3.7/6.3 | +6.0 |
| Jayson Tatum | 39.0 | 38.0 | 24/5/2 | 19.7/6.7/3.7 | +4.3 |
| Stephon Castle | 37.0 | 35.8 | 18/9/6 | 16.4/4.9/6.9 | +1.6 |
| Sam Hauser | 33.0 | 29.9 | 11/7/3 | 9.3/3.9/1.5 | +1.7 |
| Ron Harper Jr. | 40.0 | 28.6 | 22/3/2 | 4.1/1.8/0.7 | +17.9 |
| Devin Vassell | 25.0 | 22.4 | 14/2/2 | 14.2/3.9/2.4 | -0.2 |
| Jaylen Brown | 24.0 | 21.9 | 8/2/7 | 28.3/7.1/5.1 | -20.3 |
| Dylan Harper | 23.0 | 20.3 | 9/4/5 | 11.1/3.3/3.8 | -2.1 |
Wembanyama's 59.7 Yahoo FP Was the Stuff of Nightmares
11-20 from the field. 8 threes. 39 points, 11 boards, 3 assists. The All-Defensive third-teamer absolutely punished us for 36 minutes, and here's the kicker: he was +14.8 on his season average. This wasn't just a career night. This was Vic playing at an elite level.
What killed me was the efficiency. The dude didn't force anything. 9-12 from the free throw line, which means we fouled him when he was getting good looks. And when your seven-footer is splashing eight threes, you're basically playing a different game than what you prep for all week.
If you own Wembanyama, you already know this. If you don't, understand that this performance shows why he's a third-team All-NBA guy. Nights like this happen when a guy of his caliber gets rolling.
Derrick White Went Nuclear (and That's the Real Problem)
Derrick White dropped 34 points on 11-22 shooting with 7 assists and 9 free throws made. That's 52.5 Yahoo FP, +16.5 above his season average. The dude turned into a primary scorer and, as a Celtics fan, I'm sitting here asking where this was all year.
Here's the thing: White isn't a 34-point guy in the regular season. He's a 17.5 PPG guy who does all the little things. But on the road against a quality Spurs team, Joe Mazzulla leaned on him way too much. He got 39 minutes, which is playoff-level usage, and while he delivered, it's not sustainable.
For fantasy purposes, White's a hold if you have him, but don't expect this every night. He's a reliable mid-tier asset, not a free-agent pickup who's suddenly an all-star. Tonight was an outlier masked as a breakout.
Ron Harper Jr.'s Game Is Confusing As Hell
Ron Harper Jr. came out of nowhere with 40 ESPN FP and 28.6 Yahoo FP off the bench. 22 points on 8-11 shooting with 6 threes in 33 minutes. That's +17.9 above his season average of 4.1 PPG.
Look, I don't know what his deal is. His season average suggests he barely plays, and then suddenly he's putting up 22 on efficient shooting. If you watched the game, maybe it makes sense. If you didn't, here's all I got: this doesn't feel repeatable. Bench scorers who average 4 PPG don't just turn into rotation guys overnight. I'd pump the brakes on adding him in 12-team leagues unless there's a major injury I'm not seeing.
Jaylen Brown's Injury Situation Is Worse Than the Box Score Looks
Alright, this is the one that's gonna haunt me. Jaylen Brown played 14 minutes and put up 8/2/7 for 21.9 Yahoo FP. That's -20.3 below his season average. He's a 28.3 PPG guy, and he was basically a ghost out there.
Something's clearly wrong. Fourteen minutes doesn't scream "resting a guy." That screams "managing an injury." Without an official report, I can't say for sure, but this is the kind of stat line that tanks your season if Brown is compromised. If you own him, you're holding your breath right now. If you're thinking about trading for him, wait until there's clarity on what's actually going on with his health.
The Waiver Take
Harrison Barnes is being dropped across leagues (down 0.1% ownership to 5.4%), and honestly, that makes sense after watching him totally disappear. Dude's inconsistent enough without playing in a blowout loss where nothing goes right.
The real story is guys like Ron Harper Jr. getting added, but I'm skeptical. Bench guys who pop for one night usually regress hard. Don't get cute on waivers chasing last night's performance.
Bottom Line
Spurs won the game because Wembanyama is a monster and White went supernova. Celtics lost because Jaylen Brown was limited and the bench depth got exposed. For fantasy, ride Wembanyama if you have him, but be realistic about White's ceiling going forward. And for the love of everything, find out what's up with Brown before you make any moves.