ATL 135, DAL 120: Johnson Comes Alive With 45.7 Yahoo FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Hawks 135, Mavericks 120: The Night Atlanta's Role Players Actually Showed Up
Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this one. My Mavs got cooked at home, and it wasn't even close in the second half. But here's what actually matters for your roster: Atlanta's depth made a statement, Dallas' usual guys didn't have it, and there are some moves brewing that you need to know about before waiver wires pop off tomorrow.
Let's rip into it.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Johnson | 42.0 | 45.7 | 17/11/9 | 22.9/10.5/8.1 | -5.9 |
| CJ McCollum | 51.0 | 42.5 | 24/0/7 | 18.6/3.4/3.7 | +5.4 |
| P.J. Washington | 37.0 | 38.3 | 23/9/1 | 14.2/7.0/1.9 | +8.8 |
| Cooper Flagg | 33.0 | 37.7 | 17/6/5 | 20.1/6.6/4.5 | -3.1 |
| Dyson Daniels | 42.0 | 36.2 | 19/6/4 | 11.6/6.7/6.0 | +7.4 |
| Daniel Gafford | 41.0 | 35.6 | 24/8/0 | 9.3/6.9/1.0 | +14.7 |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | 45.0 | 35.2 | 22/1/2 | 20.3/3.5/3.7 | +1.7 |
| Jonathan Kuminga | 34.0 | 28.5 | 16/5/3 | 12.7/6.2/2.5 | +3.3 |
| Ryan Nembhard | 35.0 | 28.4 | 8/2/12 | 6.3/1.9/4.9 | +1.7 |
| Onyeka Okongwu | 28.0 | 27.8 | 12/9/4 | 15.8/7.8/3.2 | -3.8 |
The Hawks Figured Something Out
CJ McCollum dropped 51 ESPN points (42.5 Yahoo), and this wasn't some empty calorie night either. 9-14 shooting, 6-7 from the line, 7 dimes, and he barely took a three. When a reigning All-NBA guy is that efficient and running the offense that clean, your offense is working. McCollum was +5.4 on scoring alone, which never happens for a volume guy.
But the real story? Dyson Daniels went absolutely nuclear for the Hawks' defense. 9-13 from the field, 19 points, and the defense was suffocating. Last year's Most Improved Player is locked in right now. He's seeing 31 minutes, and that's going up.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the waiver add everyone's gonna be scrambling for tomorrow. 22 points on 8-14 shooting, four threes, and he's now in the conversation for that second unit depth. He hit ownership +0.7% tonight and he's gonna spike more. In 12-team leagues, if he's sitting there, grab him. In deeper formats, he's already gone.
The Hawks won this game with balance. Five different guys scored 12+ points. That's not a fluke when your offense is clicking like this.
Dallas' Depth Got Exposed
Here's what stings as a Mavs fan: P.J. Washington was the only star who actually showed up consistently. 23 points on 7-14 shooting, 9 boards, and he was +8.8 on his nightly scoring. That's the kind of night you need when you're getting knocked around.
Cooper Flagg couldn't get it going. 17 points on 6-15 is respectable surface level, but he was -3.1 on his average. When your SF is underperforming against this Hawks squad, you're not winning.
Daniel Gafford was the bright spot off the bench with 24 points on 9-10 shooting (yeah, 90% from the field), and that's exactly what he should be doing. But 22 minutes in a home loss? Something's off with the rotation.
The real problem: Ryan Nembhard took 26 minutes and only dropped 8 points. His assist line was nice at 12, but on 3-7 shooting? That's not cutting it as your primary backup ball handler. He won't see this many minutes again.
The Minutes Situation is Messy
Look, Klay Thompson playing 21 minutes and scoring 17 is fine on the surface (5.1 above average), but when the Mavs are getting blown out at home, it means the experiment isn't working the way they drew it up. Don't start thinking Klay's suddenly back to fantasy relevance. That was garbage time hitting.
Naji Marshall getting 28 minutes and putting up a 4/3/4 line on 2-10 shooting is a red flag. That's underperformance waiting to happen. If he's in your lineups, watch the next game before you commit again.
The Mavs' depth is brittle right now, and the Hawks just exposed it. This is a "next game matters" type of loss for Dallas' fantasy ecosystem.
What You Actually Do Tomorrow
Add NAW immediately. Even if he dips a bit, he's got expanded usage and the Hawks showed tonight they can lean on him. +0.7% ownership but climbing fast.
Don't panic on your Mavs guys yet, but watch minutes. If Nembhard keeps getting 26+ minutes with garbage production, he's a drop. Same with Naji Marshall if he keeps shooting 2-10 on high volume.
P.J. Washington is your Mavs hero. He showed he'll eat on bad nights. Keep riding him.
Honestly, this is one game. The Hawks put together a complete performance and Dallas had an off night at home. But fantasy is about efficiency plus volume, and the Hawks got both tonight. That matters more than the final score.