POR 114, BKN 95: Toumani Camara Tops All Fantasy Scorers With 39 ESPN FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Trail Blazers Break Through in Brooklyn, But the Real Story is the Bench Explosion
Portland just throttled Brooklyn 114-95, and honestly, this game felt less like competitive basketball and more like the Blazers using the Nets as a practice squad. But here's what matters for your lineups: half the Blazers' production came from guys who normally warm the bench, and the Nets' depth got absolutely exposed.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deni Avdija | 27.0 | 34.7 | 18/6/5 | 24.1/6.9/6.7 | -6.1 |
| Nic Claxton | 30.0 | 32.7 | 12/11/1 | 12.0/7.1/3.9 | +0.0 |
| Toumani Camara | 39.0 | 32.0 | 18/5/2 | 12.6/5.3/2.6 | +5.4 |
| Jrue Holiday | 30.0 | 30.3 | 11/9/5 | 16.4/4.5/6.2 | -5.4 |
| Chaney Johnson | 31.0 | 29.3 | 17/9/1 | 4.5/3.8/1.3 | +12.5 |
| Ben Saraf | 30.0 | 29.0 | 15/0/4 | 5.5/1.5/3.0 | +9.5 |
| Jerami Grant | 29.0 | 28.3 | 12/4/5 | 18.8/3.5/2.2 | -6.8 |
| Donovan Clingan | 24.0 | 28.2 | 14/11/2 | 11.9/11.6/2.2 | +2.1 |
| E.J. Liddell | 21.0 | 22.2 | 4/6/2 | 2.7/1.6/0.4 | +1.3 |
| Danny Wolf | 20.0 | 22.0 | 8/5/4 | 9.0/4.9/2.2 | -1.0 |
The Bench Went NUCLEAR
Let's start with the weirdest part of this box score. Chaney Johnson (31 ESPN, 29.3 Yahoo) and Ben Saraf (30 ESPN, 29 Yahoo) combined for 60 points worth of fantasy value. These guys are averaging 4.5 and 5.5 PPG respectively. Tonight they combined for 32 points and 13 boards in 48 minutes. That's not a performance you build a team around, but it's worth acknowledging that the Nets got absolutely dominated in bench minutes.
Tyson Etienne also went off for 15 points on 3-7 shooting with three threes. He's averaging 3.3 PPG. These are waiver wire specials who had one night, and I'm not chasing any of them next week. But if you're desperate at guard depth in a 14+ team league and Etienne is available, grab him for your next tournament run. Probably not though.
The Real Winners: Blazers' Main Guys
Deni Avdija led Portland with 34.7 Yahoo (18 points, 6 boards, 5 assists) but here's the thing, he shot 4-13 from the field. He won the fantasy game because he went 9-12 from the line, and Portland was in total control the whole game. That's not sustainable shooting, and his -6.1 points from average tells you he's due for a bounceback. Don't panic if you own him, but don't expect this version every night.
Toumani Camara is the one I'm actually interested in. 39 ESPN points (32 Yahoo) on just 7-9 shooting with two threes and solid efficiency. He's a +5.4 from his season average, which means he actually played well, not just benefited from garbage time. 31 minutes too, so he's getting real rotation usage. If Camara keeps playing like this, he's a solid four-cat guy in deeper leagues.
Jrue Holiday had one of those weird nights where he put up solid fantasy value (30 ESPN, 30.3 Yahoo) with 11/9/5 but only shot 5-11. All-Defensive Second Team got gassed out there. The Blazers were up so much that his defensive impact didn't matter. Watch his line against better opponents.
Donovan Clingan with 14/11/2 in 24 minutes is exactly what you want to see from your young center. He met his season average in scoring and stayed consistent on the boards. The dude is baking and he's in a real ecosystem now with the Blazers playing real competition.
Jerami Grant shot 5-13 but contributed 5 assists with steals and blocks. That's just fantasy basketball noise on a blowout. Don't read too much into his night either direction.
The Nets are Cooked, But Not Because of Their Stars
Here's what jumped out. Nic Claxton was basically the only Nets player who showed up on paper (30 ESPN, 32.7 Yahoo). 12/11/1 in 20 minutes is solid, but he's averaging 12/7/4, so he hit his baseline and dipped. The Nets got absolutely destroyed in depth. Ochai Agbaji is still a ghost out there (19.3 Yahoo), Ziaire Williams had nothing (13.2 Yahoo), and honestly, the bigger issue is that no one filled the gap when their starters got gassed.
The massive absence list for Brooklyn is brutal though. Multiple guys not suiting up completely changed this game's complexion. When you're that thin and your bench can't fill in, you get nights like this where it's 114-95 at home.
Who to Actually Target
Add Kris Murray (POR) if he's still available in your league. 14 points on 6-7 shooting in 24 minutes. That's +8.3 from his season average. He's getting playing time, and if he's a consistent scoring threat, he's a league-winner in 16-team formats.
Drop no one from that Nets crew based on this game. It was an outlier. But do note that Ben Saraf is probably going back to being a complete afterthought next time.
Real Talk
Portland looks locked in. The Blazers have the depth, the execution, and the championship experience now with their roster additions. Brooklyn got exposed. This doesn't mean panic on any Nets player you own, but it does mean their playoff seeding is getting tighter. For your fantasy teams, stick with Portland's established guys if you have them. For Brooklyn, hope they get healthier and this was just a bad matchup on a short week.
Alright, I'm out. Check your waiver wires, and if anyone in your league tries to sell you on Chaney Johnson for next season, laugh at them.