PHI 126, UTA 116: Bailey's 5-Block Party
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate · Houston Rockets fan
Sixers Roll Without Their Stars, But Don't Sleep on the Bench Guys Who Went Off
126-116 doesn't look like a blowout on the surface, but Philadelphia just beat Utah without Joel Embiid, Paul George, or Tyrese Maxey. That's a whole different team, and the fantasy landscape shifted because of it.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ace Bailey | 53.0 | 52.4 | 25/7/4 | 13.0/4.1/1.8 | +12.0 |
| VJ Edgecombe | 42.0 | 44.6 | 22/13/4 | 15.7/5.7/4.0 | +6.3 |
| Elijah Harkless | 49.0 | 43.3 | 15/4/5 | 6.5/1.8/2.6 | +8.5 |
| Kennedy Chandler | 35.0 | 34.0 | 19/5/4 | 19.0/5.0/4.0 | +0.0 |
| Trendon Watford | 34.0 | 33.8 | 20/9/4 | 6.6/3.4/2.6 | +13.4 |
| Quentin Grimes | 34.0 | 33.0 | 25/5/4 | 13.9/3.7/3.4 | +11.1 |
| Cameron Payne | 36.0 | 32.1 | 16/3/7 | 7.8/1.9/2.8 | +8.2 |
| Adem Bona | 33.0 | 31.0 | 16/5/0 | 4.9/4.5/0.4 | +11.1 |
| Bez Mbeng | 37.0 | 30.7 | 13/6/7 | 4.8/4.0/4.2 | +8.2 |
| Kyle Filipowski | 25.0 | 30.2 | 12/6/4 | 10.6/6.9/2.4 | +1.4 |
The Real Winners
Ace Bailey is the story here and honestly, not in a good way for Philly long-term. He dropped 52.4 Yahoo FP (25/7/4/5 blocks) with 33 minutes, which is 12 whole points above his season average. That's elite-level production out of nowhere. But it only happened because Utah's rotation looked like a preseason game without half their squad.
Quentin Grimes followed up with 33 Yahoo FP on 25 points. The man shot 9-15 and didn't miss free throws (6-6). This is the kind of night where you remember why he's in the league. Grimes has been inconsistent all season, but when he gets hot, he's legitimately scary. Only question is how often we see this version.
Trendon Watford is the one I'm actually interested in long-term. He came off the bench and put up 33.8 Yahoo FP in just 23 minutes (20/9/4, perfect from the line at 6-6). That's elite per-minute production, and against a shorthanded team or not, that efficiency is real. If he continues getting 20+ minutes, he's a sneaky add in deep leagues.
Cameron Payne (32.1 Yahoo FP) continues being solid off the bench. 16 points on 4-10 shooting with 3 threes and 7 assists is basically what you want from a backup guard. Not flashy, but consistent enough to trust in the right leagues.
Jazz Side Is a Ghost Town
This is where things get wild. Utah was missing basically everyone. Isaiah Collier, Keyonte George, Jaren Jackson Jr., Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkić, Brice Sensabaugh... the whole core didn't play. I'm not sure if this was rest, injury, or they just said "yeah we're not beating Philly's bench tonight."
Kennedy Chandler put up 34 Yahoo FP (19/5/4), but stayed right at his season average. The volume was there because he had to do more, but this isn't a sign he's breaking out. This is a desperation game.
Elijah Harkless went 43.3 Yahoo FP (15/4/5/5 steals) and that's interesting. 5 steals is noise in one game, but he was +8.5 points versus his average. If Utah runs him more when they get healthy, maybe there's something there.
Bez Mbeng played a ton of minutes (44) and added 30.7 Yahoo FP. That's what happens when a backup point guard is running the whole operation. Don't bank on this happening again.
The Real Question
Look, this game is mostly useless for fantasy purposes because it's not representative of either team at full strength. The Sixers without their Big 3 is a play-in team. The Jazz at full health is a contender.
That said, Bailey's emergence is worth paying attention to. Ownership jumped +4.7% for a reason. He's not making my must-add list in shallow leagues, but if you're in a 14+ team league and need wings, he was available for nothing before tonight. Now he's 38.2% owned and climbing.
Grimes is worth monitoring if your league does transactions. A 25-point night doesn't guarantee future success, but it reminds you he can go off. In points leagues especially, that matters.
Everything else here is noise created by a shorthanded matchup. When Utah gets right, this game disappears from the fantasy analysis. When Embiid and Maxey get back, the Sixers' entire rotation tightens. Don't overreact to 10-day-old bench players or role guys getting extended run.
Wait for the real rosters to show up before making any big moves.