MEM 125, DEN 118: Jokić Absolutely Cooks for 61.3 Yahoo FP
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant · Golden State Warriors fan
Grizzlies Steal One in Denver: The Christian Braun Explosion and Why Jokic Staying "Normal" Still Isn't Enough
Listen, I've been watching basketball long enough to know when a team wins a game it probably shouldn't, and that's exactly what Memphis just pulled off in Denver. Grizzlies 125, Nuggets 118. That's the kind of result that makes you check the box score twice because it doesn't compute at first, you know?
Nikola Jokic put up 29/14/9 on 11-19 shooting. That's basically a Tuesday for the reigning All-NBA first-teamer. The man was exactly what you expect: dominant, efficient, frustrating for everyone not on his payroll. But here's the thing, and this is fantasy basketball 101, sometimes one star's 61.3 Yahoo points just ain't enough when the other team hits like eight guys with double-digit scoring. That's what happened tonight.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokić | 59.0 | 61.3 | 29/14/9 | 28.2/12.6/10.5 | +0.8 |
| Christian Braun | 62.0 | 52.9 | 26/7/5 | 11.6/4.9/3.0 | +14.4 |
| Ty Jerome | 54.0 | 46.3 | 21/9/9 | 20.2/3.1/5.7 | +0.8 |
| Jamal Murray | 50.0 | 45.6 | 19/8/12 | 25.1/4.4/7.1 | -6.1 |
| Taylor Hendricks | 44.0 | 41.9 | 13/2/1 | 7.1/3.6/0.9 | +5.9 |
| Cameron Johnson | 37.0 | 32.7 | 20/6/3 | 11.8/3.8/2.3 | +8.2 |
| GG Jackson | 23.0 | 28.2 | 16/6/0 | 11.3/4.3/1.4 | +4.7 |
| Cedric Coward | 22.0 | 26.9 | 15/7/1 | 13.4/6.2/2.8 | +1.6 |
| Olivier-Maxence Prosper | 30.0 | 25.2 | 19/1/0 | 8.7/3.3/0.9 | +10.3 |
| DeJon Jarreau | 26.0 | 20.8 | 4/4/4 | 5.0/5.3/4.3 | -1.0 |
The Christian Braun Moment You Can't Ignore
Real talk, Christian Braun just put on a show. 26 points on 11-19 shooting, and he had 4 steals. That's +14.4 points over his season average. Look, the guy's averaging 11.6 ppg normally. You don't just accidentally drop 26 on an All-NBA team's defense. Something clicked tonight.
Here's what matters for your roster: is this a mirage or a sign that the minutes and role are finally clicking? Braun's been a frustrating hold for a lot of people because you know the talent is there, but Denver's depth has kept him eating scraps. Tonight he played 40 minutes. That's real run. If the Nuggets are unlocking him in a bigger role down the stretch, that's a league winner in deeper formats. In 10-teamers, keep an eye on him, but don't panic-add yet. One game doesn't make a trend, but I'm watching this one.
The Grizzlies' Depth Showed Out
Ty Jerome running the offense with 21/9/9 on 8-15 shooting? That's not just good, that's All-Star-level efficiency for a bench point guard. The dude lit it up from three (5-for-8 from deep). Over his 24 minutes, he was basically perfect.
But here's the real story of Memphis winning: they got contributions everywhere. Olivier-Maxence Prosper (19 points on 6-9, 3 threes in 23 minutes), Taylor Hendricks (6 steals and 3 blocks, +5.9 vs average), and even guys like Cedric Coward coming off the bench and hitting 7-7 from the line while contributing 15 points. That's a roster playing team basketball.
GG Jackson had a solid outing too, 16/6 in 25 minutes. Nothing earth-shattering but he was efficient and helped close out possessions.
This is the thing that gets overlooked in fantasy: sometimes a team just plays better basketball and spreads the load. Jokic had a monster game and still lost because Memphis decided to play five-out, move the ball, and make shots. That's the kind of game where you don't have one fantasy winner, you have five guys with 20+ Yahoo points on the same team.
The Nuggets' Depth Issue (For Fantasy Purposes)
On the flip side, Denver's got a real problem and it showed tonight. Jamal Murray went for 19/8/12, which sounds fine until you see it's 6-13 from the field and -6.1 from his season average. He tried to carry water with Jokic but it didn't land the same way.
Cameron Johnson had a decent night (20/6/3, +8.2 vs avg), but when you need your role players to step up and you're getting inconsistent volume and shooting nights, that's a problem. The Nuggets are leaning too hard on Jokic to will them to wins, and honestly, that's not sustainable in the playoffs.
For fantasy managers: Jokic is always a first-round pick. No question. But Denver's depth guys are boom-or-bust right now. Cameron Johnson had some 35+ point nights earlier in the season, but he's also had games where he disappears. If you own him, you know the drill. With Aaron Gordon out (didn't see him on the court tonight), the workload is weird.
The Trend Nobody's Talking About
Santi Aldama getting dropped from rosters. Yeah, he's owned in almost 48% of leagues and down 0.8% tonight, but the real question is why wasn't he playing? Dude's averaging 14/6.7, and he didn't see a minute. That's a red flag. Could be an injury thing I'm not catching, but if he's losing run to guys like Hendricks and Prosper, that's a depth concern that affects his fantasy value going forward.
Bottom Line
The Grizzlies just proved they can win a game they probably shouldn't have. That's championship-caliber stuff. Meanwhile, Denver's elite as always, but Jokic putting up 61 Yahoo points and still losing is your reminder that even the best players need help, and tonight, the help didn't show up.
For your rosters, the adds are clear: Christian Braun if he keeps getting 35+ minute runs. The drops are easy too: Santi Aldama needs answers on why he's inactive.
Everything else is noise. Two good teams went down to the wire and Memphis got it. That's all she wrote.