MIL 108, PHX 105: Ryan Rollins Fantasy Goldmine: 57 ESPN FP
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
Bucks Steal One in Phoenix, Ryan Rollins Goes Nuclear
Final: Bucks 108, Suns 105
This one hurt to watch as a Bucks fan, not because we lost, but because we won with basically our entire starting five sitting on the bench. Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't play. Kevin Porter Jr. didn't play. Bobby Portis didn't play. We're talking about a full rotation shutdown in Phoenix, and we still took down a Suns team that should've punked us without those guys.
Only one person got the memo that this was supposed to be easy work for Phoenix.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Rollins | 57.0 | 54.5 | 26/10/7 | 16.8/4.6/5.6 | +9.2 |
| Devin Booker | 30.0 | 35.3 | 14/4/7 | 25.8/3.9/5.9 | -11.8 |
| Ryan Dunn | 35.0 | 31.1 | 12/8/3 | 5.7/4.1/1.4 | +6.3 |
| Collin Gillespie | 35.0 | 30.8 | 18/4/6 | 13.2/4.2/4.8 | +4.8 |
| Jalen Green | 27.0 | 28.6 | 24/3/2 | 17.2/3.6/2.6 | +6.8 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 28.0 | 27.4 | 11/7/4 | 8.6/4.8/2.2 | +2.4 |
| Kyle Kuzma | 28.0 | 24.9 | 20/2/1 | 13.0/4.6/2.6 | +7.0 |
| Oso Ighodaro | 25.0 | 23.5 | 12/5/3 | 6.2/4.9/2.2 | +5.8 |
| Jericho Sims | 20.0 | 21.7 | 5/11/3 | 4.1/4.9/1.1 | +0.9 |
| Pete Nance | 22.0 | 18.5 | 5/5/3 | 4.5/2.1/0.6 | +0.5 |
Ryan Rollins Went Absolutely Insane
Ryan Rollins put up 54.5 Yahoo points on a short bench night. 26 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists on 10-19 shooting with 3-6 from three. That's a +9.2 scoring night versus his season average. This wasn't just him showing up, this was him understanding that half the rotation was DNPs and taking full advantage of the run.
Here's the thing though, and I say this as someone who watches every Bucks game: this is exactly the kind of game Rollins is built for. When the pressure isn't on the All-NBA guys and the court opens up, he can run. But don't go crazy adding him everywhere thinking he's suddenly a 50-point-per-game guy. This was opportunity meeting talent. Once everyone comes back, his role compresses.
Still, he's got enough juice on the waiver wire to grab in 12-team leagues if you need backcourt help.
Devin Booker Got Absolutely Cooked
Devin Booker taking 17 shots and putting up only 14 points is not the vibe. He was -11.8 from his season average and looked completely discombobulated defending nothing. The Bucks' third-string lineup out-executed Phoenix's A squad on both ends of the floor, and Booker felt it most. 4-17 from the field is the kind of stat line that gets you benched in the fourth, except there was nowhere to go since half his team was already out.
This is a one-game blip though. Don't sell low on Booker. But if someone's panicking in your league, this is the moment to text them about a trade.
The Suns Actually Had Bright Spots
Jalen Green went 9-17 for 24 points, hitting his threes when it mattered. That's +6.8 from his average. Collin Gillespie added 18 points on solid shooting (6-13, 4 threes). Ryan Dunn showed up on the boards with 8 rebounds in just 23 minutes, a +3.9 night for the rook. These guys played well. They just didn't have the star power behind them when it counted.
Oso Ighodaro had a nice little night too, 12 points and 5 boards in limited run. Nothing earth-shattering but reliable production off the bench.
The Bucks Bench Went Off
Kyle Kuzma dropped 20 points in 23 minutes with solid efficiency. Jericho Sims grabbed 11 boards against basically nothing, pulling +6.1 from his season average for rebounding alone. Pete Nance did Pete Nance things, showing up on both ends for 5/5/3 in 27 minutes.
Here's what matters for fantasy: this was a rest game for Milwaukee. The minute distribution was completely wonky. Don't get cute thinking role changes are happening. This is a one-off because the medical staff wanted to see who could carry the load when the stars sat. Once Giannis is back, the court tightens up again.
The Bottom Line
The Bucks won a game they probably shouldn't have with half their roster on the bench. Fantasy-wise, that means don't overreact to who popped off tonight. Rollins had a great game but won't sustain this volume. The Suns role players played fine but Phoenix's real issue was Booker and company couldn't finish when it mattered.
For your roster: hold what you've got, don't panic on Booker, and don't start adding every Bucks bench guy thinking they've unlocked some new role. This was noise, even if it was fun noise to watch.