Fantasy Wrap: Monday, March 16
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant · Golden State Warriors fan
The Headlines
NAW Just Announced Himself to the League. Yo, if you've been sleeping on Nickeil Alexander-Walker, wake up. Dude just dropped 71 ESPN FP against Orlando and suddenly he's the guy in Atlanta's offense. This wasn't a one-off either. The Magic got absolutely cooked and NAW was the main course. If he's still available in your league, this is a code red situation.
Porzingis Showed Up in DC Like He Owned the Place. Kristaps Porziņģis with 60 FP against Washington? That's the kind of explosion that wins you a week. Golden State stole this one and the Latvian Unicorn was the primary reason why. Two massive performances in one night means the waiver wire just got way thinner.
Top Performers
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (ATL) - 71 ESPN FP. Career night energy. He's the lead playmaker now and you need to act.
Kristaps Porziņģis (GSW) - 60 ESPN FP. Unstoppable in the post and from range. Washington had no answers.
Clint Johnson (ATL) - Triple-double that fueled the Hawks attack. The versatility is real here.
Alexander-Walker's teammates got contributions but NAW was the story. Anyone touching 50+ FP on a Tuesday is a problem for your competition.
Depth production kept both winning teams afloat. The Hawks and Warriors didn't need one superhero. They had multiple guys stepping up.
The Disappointments
Orlando's Defense Looked Cooked. The Magic gave up 124 to Atlanta with no resistance. If you had anyone on Orlando's roster expecting a typical floor game, you got torched. This was a "put it on the bench" kind of night.
Washington Couldn't Keep Up With the Warriors. They lost to Golden State at home. 125-117 isn't a blowout but it felt like one. If you were counting on Wizards depth to carry you, this was a reality check.
Waiver Priority
Nickeil Alexander-Walker - TIER 0. If he's available, he's your top target full stop. 71 FP tells you everything. He's clearly got a role and he's executing it. Don't overthink this.
Kristaps Porziņģis - If somehow dropped after one game, grab him immediately. 60 FP games don't happen on accident. He's the Warriors' scoring anchor.
Clint Johnson (ATL) - The triple-double is a sign he's touching everything. Atlanta's offense runs through multiple guys and Johnson is one of them now.
Any Warriors role player getting rotation minutes. When Porzingis goes nuclear like that, it opens opportunities for secondary scorers to chip in.
Any Hawks bench contributor with gaudy box scores. Atlanta's offense looks fluid right now.
Sell High, Buy Low
Who to Sell:
- Anyone who played against Orlando. The Magic looked defenseless. Don't overvalue one night performances against a bottom-five defense.
Who to Target:
- Porzingis if someone overreacted to his 60 FP and thinks it's unsustainable. One game doesn't define a season but it DOES define his role. He's a centerpiece now, not depth.
- NAW is the inverse. Everyone's gonna want him after 71 FP. But his target share and shot volume just spiked. This isn't a mirage. Hold him tight.
- Warriors guards if they got elbowed out of the scoring by Porzingis. He might eat more volume going forward.
Tomorrow's Slate
We don't have full details yet but expect teams to game plan around Porzingis after last night's clinic. Atlanta might get swarmed on defense if other teams catch the film on NAW's usage rate.
Bottom Line: Two absolute nuclear performances changed the waiver wire landscape. NAW is the headline add. Porzingis remains a hold/target depending on your league. Don't panic sell anyone who played defense against these two. They just ran into peak performance mode. Get after the wire tomorrow morning before everyone else wakes up.