DAL 120, MEM 112: Khris Middleton Dominates With 59 ESPN FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Khris Middleton Just Reminded Everyone Why He's Still Dangerous
Mavericks 120, Grizzlies 112 / March 13, 2026
Look, I'm gonna be straight up. I wasn't expecting Khris Middleton to walk into Memphis and put on a masterclass like that. 35 points on 10-17 shooting in just 24 minutes? That's not a stat line, that's a warning shot. Middleton went absolutely nuclear, finishing with 46.1 Yahoo FP, and the scary part is he didn't even need to play heavy minutes to do it.
Dallas won this one convincingly, and while I'd love to say my Mavs looked flawless, real talk is this game told two very different stories depending on which jersey you were watching.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khris Middleton | 59.0 | 46.1 | 35/3/1 | 11.3/3.9/3.1 | +23.7 |
| Daniel Gafford | 41.0 | 41.3 | 22/14/1 | 9.0/6.8/1.0 | +13.0 |
| Taylor Hendricks | 46.0 | 40.0 | 17/10/2 | 6.8/3.6/1.0 | +10.2 |
| Brandon Williams | 42.0 | 39.1 | 12/8/5 | 13.1/3.0/3.8 | -1.1 |
| Jaylen Wells | 43.0 | 37.4 | 23/2/2 | 12.8/3.3/1.7 | +10.2 |
| Javon Small | 40.0 | 34.9 | 19/2/9 | 8.5/3.0/3.8 | +10.5 |
| Cooper Flagg | 29.0 | 31.5 | 13/5/7 | 19.9/6.6/4.3 | -6.9 |
| GG Jackson | 30.0 | 30.3 | 20/4/3 | 11.2/4.2/1.4 | +8.8 |
| Olivier-Maxence Prosper | 24.0 | 29.6 | 9/8/2 | 8.2/3.4/1.0 | +0.8 |
| P.J. Washington | 24.0 | 27.5 | 12/10/1 | 13.8/6.9/1.9 | -1.8 |
The Middleton Show
This wasn't just about volume. Middleton was efficient in a way we haven't seen consistently from him all year. 10-17 FG, 8 threes, 7-7 from the line. He's averaging 11.3 PPG on the season, and tonight he just put up 35 in less than half a game. That's the kind of performance that makes you check if you can trade for him at the deadline if your team's struggling.
The question though, and I gotta be real here, is whether this is sustainable or a one-off scorcher. Middleton's been a solid contributor all year but nothing spectacular. One game doesn't make a trend, but if you've got him on a bench role or free agent list, he just proved he can go off on any given night against decent competition.
Daniel Gafford (41.3 Yahoo) backed up Middleton's performance with a more predictable but equally valuable night. 22 points and 14 boards in 27 minutes. That's +13.0 from his season average on the scoring end, and he was basically a rebound machine. This is closer to what you expect from Gafford on good nights. He's a guy whose fantasy ceiling gets higher when he's given the green light.
Memphis Got Scrappy But Couldn't Close
Here's where it gets interesting for Grizzlies fans. The bench guys went absolutely OFF. Jaylen Wells (37.4 Yahoo), Javon Small (34.9 Yahoo), and GG Jackson (30.3 Yahoo) all exceeded their season averages by double digits. Wells dropped 23, Small ran the offense with 9 assists, and Jackson was a model of efficiency at 20 points on 8-15 shooting.
But here's the thing, and this is fantasy important: when role players are carrying the load, it usually means your stars aren't showing up. Memphis had some notable absences apparently affecting the rotation, and while these guys stepped up, it still wasn't quite enough to pull off the W.
Taylor Hendricks (40.0 Yahoo) deserves a specific callout here. He's not someone who typically pops up in ownership discussions, but tonight he was +10.2 from his season average with solid all-around production. If Hendricks starts getting consistent minutes, he's someone worth monitoring on deeper league waiver wires. He can score, rebound, and he did it efficiently tonight.
The Dallas Role Guys Did What They Needed To
Brandon Williams (39.1 Yahoo) gave Dallas solid contributions from the wing with 12 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists in 28 minutes. Nothing flashy, but he was +5.0 on rebounding alone, which is exactly what you want from a role player.
The one Mavs guy who underperformed was Cooper Flagg. Look, he's been really good this year (All-NBA Third Team caliber), but tonight he was -6.9 on scoring with 13 points on 6-16 shooting. He still contributed with 7 assists in 33 minutes, so it's not a disaster, but when your young star is in a shooting funk, the narrative changes. One bad night doesn't sink a season, but it's worth noting if Flagg's been on an uptick in your leagues recently.
Waiver Wire Reality Check
Marvin Bagley III got bumped up in ownership, and I get it. Nine boards in 19 minutes is efficient per-36 math, but let's pump the brakes. One good game doesn't fix being buried on a deep roster. He's 5.8% owned now, which feels about right for a guy grabbing spot minutes. Upside is there, but he's not a league-winner yet.
The move that actually matters is Santi Aldama getting dropped. He went from 54.1% owned down to 53.1%. That's a 1% swing, which might not sound huge, but in real leagues that probably means 20-30 teams dumping him. If he was on your bench and underperforming, the market just agreed with you.
The Takeaway
Dallas looked like the better team today, Middleton reminded everyone he's got ridiculous upside when he's clicking, and Memphis's depth is real but couldn't overcome an off night from their projected starters. For fantasy purposes, this is a game where the top performers actually win you weeks, and the role guys who went off tonight might just be lottery tickets for the rest of March.
If you own any of these Grizz bench guys in deep leagues, hold tight for now. If you've got Middleton sitting around, you just got reminded to respect his scoring potential. And if Flagg's been carrying your team, one bad shooting night isn't a crisis.
That's the game. See you tomorrow.