SAS 132, SAC 104: Maxime Raynaud Stars With 50 ESPN FP
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate ยท Houston Rockets fan
Spurs Destroy Kings 132-104: Raynaud Goes Nuclear, Castle Struggles, Wembanyama Coasts
Maxime Raynaud just put on a masterclass. The Kings center went absolutely off for 48.3 Yahoo FP on a 32/9/3 line, shooting 13-25 from the field and going a perfect 4-4 from the line in 41 minutes. This wasn't some fluke either, he was +20.9 points above his season average of 11.1 PPG. If you've been sleeping on Raynaud, tonight proves he's a legitimate fantasy asset when he gets minutes.
The Kings just got demolished at home, and it showed in the box score. This was a complete team effort from San Antonio, but the fantasy implications are messy. Let's break it down.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxime Raynaud | 50.0 | 48.3 | 32/9/3 | 11.1/7.3/1.2 | +20.9 |
| Victor Wembanyama | 38.0 | 35.1 | 18/8/3 | 24.3/11.2/2.9 | -6.3 |
| De'Aaron Fox | 39.0 | 33.0 | 15/5/6 | 19.1/3.7/6.3 | -4.1 |
| Nique Clifford | 35.0 | 32.6 | 15/8/6 | 7.6/3.5/2.1 | +7.4 |
| Luke Kornet | 28.0 | 27.0 | 4/10/2 | 6.7/6.2/1.8 | -2.7 |
| Dylan Harper | 33.0 | 26.3 | 15/4/5 | 11.2/3.3/3.8 | +3.8 |
| Stephon Castle | 28.0 | 25.2 | 3/1/12 | 16.7/5.1/7.0 | -13.7 |
| Precious Achiuwa | 22.0 | 24.4 | 10/7/2 | 9.2/6.3/1.3 | +0.8 |
| Harrison Barnes | 33.0 | 24.3 | 16/4/3 | 10.1/2.9/2.0 | +5.9 |
| Kelly Olynyk | 22.0 | 21.7 | 4/6/3 | 3.3/1.8/1.1 | +0.7 |
The Story: Spurs' Depth Was Just Too Much
The Kings got run off their home court against a Spurs squad that had like five guys put in solid fantasy nights. This wasn't Wembanyama carrying them either. Victor Wembanyama had a quiet night by his standards, dropping 18/8/3 in just 21 minutes. Dude's averaging 24.3 PPG and 11.2 RPG, so -6.3 points is underperforming, but in a 28-point blowout, you get garbage time management. Can't get mad at that.
The real concern is how spread out the scoring got. Harrison Barnes went 6-7 from the field with 4 threes (16 points, +5.9 vs avg), Dylan Harper was efficient at 15/4/5 (+3.8), Keldon Johnson had a 18-point night on 8-12 shooting. This is classic Spurs basketball when it clicks, but it makes it harder to find a single guy to target in fantasy.
The Flop: Castle and DeMar Lost This Game
Stephon Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, had a rough night. He finished with just 3/1/12 on 1-7 shooting, posting -13.7 points below his season average. That's a 16.7 PPG player shooting 14% from the field. Part of that is the blowout (garbage time impact), but Castle usually plays through that. Not ideal. Still, one bad night doesn't tank a young guy who's been solid all season.
DeMar DeRozan got torched by this Spurs defense. Held to just 2 points on 1-4 shooting in 16 minutes, missing -16.8 from his usual 18.8 PPG. When a team gets beaten this badly, starters don't play. That's just March basketball.
Fox Had a Weird Night Too
De'Aaron Fox technically put up solid numbers (15/5/6, +1.3 assists vs avg) but he was only on the court for 21 minutes and shot just 5-10. He scored -4.1 points below his season average despite the assist bump. In a game that gets out of hand early, even your star player doesn't get a chance to cook. Nothing to read into here fantasy-wise, just a blowout reality.
Waiver Adds to Consider
Precious Achiuwa got added by 3.2% of fantasy managers after tonight. He went 10/7/2 with a steal in 29 minutes, which is solid bench production. At 45.2% ownership, he's not some hidden gem, but if your league is shallow, he's a decent grab for depth. He met his season average expectations, so he's not trending up, just consistent.
Nique Clifford is worth watching. The Kings guard had 15/8/6 with three threes, going +7.4 above his season average of 7.6 PPG. That's not a small bump. In a blowout loss, bench guys can't compile fantasy stats the same way, so when he still put up those numbers, it tells you he was getting run. In a 12-team league, he's worth a pickup if available, but don't panic trade for him after one game.
The Real Take
This game was a beatdown. The Spurs were crisp, the Kings looked tired, and fantasy-wise it means minutes got weird for everyone. Raynaud's explosion is the only thing worth talking about going forward, but he's a beneficiary of a blowout where Sacramento got garbage time reps. Can he sustain 30+ PPG? Probably not. But if he gets consistent 25+ minute runs, he's a league-winner type value in deeper formats.
For your lineups, don't panic on Castle or DeRozan based on tonight. Both were just victims of a lopsided game script. Keep rolling with your studs. The Kings need to get right before the next matchup, and these kinds of games don't tell you much except that depth matters on good teams.