CHA 117, SAC 109: DeMar DeRozan Carries Fantasy Teams With 57.8 Yahoo FP
Maya Chen
UX Designer · Golden State Warriors fan
DeMar DeRozan Just Reminded Everyone He's Still a Problem
Charlotte 117, Sacramento 109
Look, the Kings came into this one missing half their roster and DeMar DeRozan decided that was his personal invitation to go absolutely nuclear. 39 points on 17-22 shooting (77.3% FG) with 6 assists in 40 minutes? That's not just a good night. That's a "remind the league I'm still elite" performance.
Here's the thing though. DeRozan was the only King who showed up to work. Sacramento was running a skeleton crew tonight and it showed. The Hornets walked out with the W despite getting outscored by one guy, which tells you everything about how ugly this matchup got on the Kings' side.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeMar DeRozan | 71.0 | 57.8 | 39/4/6 | 18.4/3.0/3.9 | +20.6 |
| LaMelo Ball | 48.0 | 44.7 | 30/6/5 | 19.4/4.8/7.2 | +10.6 |
| Nique Clifford | 47.0 | 42.8 | 18/4/8 | 7.6/3.5/2.0 | +10.4 |
| Miles Bridges | 48.0 | 36.9 | 26/2/5 | 17.5/5.9/3.4 | +8.5 |
| Kon Knueppel | 41.0 | 35.9 | 24/7/3 | 19.2/5.3/3.4 | +4.8 |
| Brandon Miller | 36.0 | 34.1 | 20/3/5 | 20.7/5.1/3.4 | -0.7 |
| Precious Achiuwa | 33.0 | 31.6 | 14/8/2 | 8.7/6.1/1.3 | +5.3 |
| Maxime Raynaud | 19.0 | 20.2 | 4/6/2 | 10.9/7.2/1.2 | -6.9 |
| Moussa Diabaté | 19.0 | 20.0 | 2/10/2 | 8.1/8.7/1.8 | -6.1 |
| Daeqwon Plowden | 21.0 | 19.8 | 13/4/0 | 7.9/3.2/1.1 | +5.1 |
The Charlotte Narrative
LaMelo Ball (30/6/5, 44.7 Yahoo FP) was solid but not explosive, which is weird because his team won. He was +10.6 from his season average but needed only 30 minutes to get there. That's efficient. The real story is that the Hornets had four guys score 20+ and still barely squeaked this out. This wasn't about one star going off. This was about balanced scoring suffocating a short-handed Sacramento squad.
Nique Clifford was the actual game MVP for my money. 18 points, 8 assists, 2 steals in 40 minutes (42.8 Yahoo FP) is the kind of quiet excellence that wins games. That +10.4 from his season average is massive for a depth guy. He played distributing instead of hunting shots and it worked. If you're looking at streaming options, Clifford just proved he can handle expanded minutes.
Miles Bridges stayed consistent (26/2/5, 36.9 Yahoo FP) despite dropping 3s at will (11-15 FG). The -3.9 rebounds versus his average is the only weird part, but honestly who cares when you're 73% from the field.
Sacramento's Casualties
This is where it gets depressing for Kings owners. Precious Achiuwa went off (14/8/2, 31.6 Yahoo FP) and got dropped by 1.4% of leagues anyway because people panic. Look at his numbers. +5.3 from average is real production. Yeah he played 29 minutes instead of his usual role, but when he gets on court he moves the needle. Don't get spooked here.
The real problem is everyone else. Maxime Raynaud (4/6/2, 20.2 Yahoo FP) was -6.9 from average. Moussa Diabaté got 33 minutes but posted (2/10/2, 20.0 Yahoo FP). These guys got volume but couldn't convert. That's a matchup thing, not a talent thing, but it still hurts your lineup when it happens.
What Actually Matters
DeRozan's 57.8 Yahoo FP doesn't move the needle if you don't own him, and honestly? This game tells me Sacramento's entire roster is compromised by whatever injuries they're managing. Until the Kings get healthy, you're taking massive downside on role players. Achiuwa is the only guy I'd trust because he came in off the bench with a clear role.
Charlotte proved they can win without their full squad going off. That's actually concerning if you own multiple Hornets because efficiency matters more than volume in fantasy. Good night, but not a "add everyone" kind of game.
The only move? Don't burn a waiver pick on anyone. This was Sacramento running on fumes. When they get right, everyone gets better. Until then, hold what you have and wait for the injury report.