DEN 124, PHI 96: DEN Demolishes PHI, Braun Shines
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse · Milwaukee Bucks fan
Nuggets Roll Past Shorthanded 76ers, But Jokic's Off Night is a Fantasy Red Flag
Denver 124, Philadelphia 96. This wasn't close, and that's the problem for anyone who loaded up on Nuggets guys expecting another vintage performance from the reigning All-NBA center.
Let me break down what actually happened here, because the box score tells two completely different stories depending on who you owned.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Braun | 44.0 | 35.5 | 22/5/3 | 10.9/4.9/2.9 | +11.1 |
| Trendon Watford | 38.0 | 34.6 | 12/3/6 | 6.3/3.4/2.5 | +5.7 |
| Nikola Jokić | 34.0 | 32.4 | 8/7/14 | 28.6/12.7/10.5 | -20.6 |
| Justin Edwards | 26.0 | 26.5 | 11/5/3 | 5.5/1.6/1.3 | +5.5 |
| Andre Drummond | 24.0 | 25.5 | 9/10/3 | 6.5/8.6/1.0 | +2.5 |
| Dominick Barlow | 22.0 | 23.8 | 8/9/4 | 8.2/4.7/1.1 | -0.2 |
| Jamal Murray | 20.0 | 23.2 | 12/6/4 | 25.4/4.3/7.1 | -13.4 |
| MarJon Beauchamp | 29.0 | 22.9 | 16/2/1 | 8.0/3.0/1.3 | +8.0 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 21.0 | 22.8 | 9/4/4 | 13.9/2.6/1.3 | -4.9 |
| Adem Bona | 26.0 | 22.1 | 6/3/1 | 4.6/4.4/0.4 | +1.4 |
The Good: Christian Braun Just Made a Statement
Christian Braun absolutely cooked tonight. 22 points on 7-9 shooting with a couple threes and a perfect 6-6 from the line? That's +11.1 vs his season average in just 27 minutes. This is the kind of game that gets him added in leagues where he was sitting on the wire.
Here's the thing though, I need to pump the brakes slightly. He's still averaging 10.9 PPG on the season, and the 76ers were a disaster defensively without their main guys. Don't expect this every night. But in deeper leagues, Braun's suddenly someone you're monitoring. 3.2% owned league-wide, and honestly that number should climb after this performance.
Cameron Johnson also had a solid night with 18 points on efficient shooting (6-8 FG, 3 threes), though he came in under his season average. Still, when the leading scorer only puts up 20, the ball moves around. Johnson benefits from that depth.
The Bad: Where Were Jokic and Murray?
This is the story nobody wanted. Nikola Jokic put up 8 points on 4-7 shooting with 14 assists in 24 minutes. On paper, that assist number is nice. In reality, he was -20.6 points vs his season average of 28.6 PPG. That's a 20-point swing.
Look, I get it. Denver was up 40 at one point. Jokic didn't need to go nuclear. But when you're paying for All-NBA caliber production, a 32.4 Yahoo FP night stings. He's usually your bell cow, and tonight he was coasting in garbage time.
Jamal Murray fell into the same trap. 12 points on 3-7 shooting, down -13.4 vs his season average. Both Denver guards looked disengaged, which is fair when you're blowing out a team. Still, your fantasy squad doesn't care about blowouts. You needed production, and you didn't get it.
The Waiver Wire Angle
Trendon Watford went absolutely off the board for Philadelphia. 12 points, 6 assists on 21 minutes of work, and he was sitting at 3.4% owned before tonight. Now the question is whether this was a one-night thing or if he's actually earned more minutes going forward. He put up +5.7 vs his season average, which is meaningful, but that's against a Denver defense that was clearly mailing it in by the fourth quarter.
I'd hold off on going crazy here. One good game doesn't make a waiver add, especially when the team was getting blown out and he was probably getting extended run just to stay active.
Dominick Barlow is the other name getting buzz (up +0.3% ownership). 8 points, 9 rebounds in 26 minutes. That's actually interesting if Philly gives him consistent minutes. 4.7 RPG is already his season average, so he hit that mark while chipping in on scoring and even grabbing a steal. In 12+ team leagues, worth stashing if your wire is thin.
What This Means Going Forward
Denver's dominance is real, but tonight's defensive effort from Philly without their stars should be discounted. The Nuggets looked sloppy at times and coasted hard in the second half. If Jokic and Murray come out next game ready to actually try, expect a major correction back to their season averages.
For 76ers owners, this was brutal. Without your top two guys, you're dead in the water. But the bench guys like Justin Edwards (+5.5 vs avg) and Andre Drummond (+2.5 vs avg) at least showed they can contribute when minutes open up. Small wins in a blowout.
Bottom line: Don't panic on Jokic or Murray after one ugly night against a skeleton crew. Don't get too excited about Braun either, though he's worth monitoring. Waiver adds like Watford and Barlow are lottery tickets, not league-winners. And whatever you do, don't bet big on Denver role players just because they all put up points in garbage time.
This is a "noted and moved on" game for most of your roster.