PHX 120, TOR 98: PHX Runs Away as Booker Posts 42 ESPN FP
Maya Chen
UX Designer ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Suns Bench Mob Goes Absolutely Nuclear, But This Isn't Sustainable
Final: Suns 120, Raptors 98
Look, the Suns just put on a clinic, but we need to talk about what actually happened here because it's going to matter for your waiver wire moves tomorrow.
Phoenix's bench scored 102 points. One hundred and two. That's almost more than Toronto's entire offense. This wasn't Booker and Green carrying the load like usual, this was the Suns' role players deciding they all woke up feeling dangerous at the same time. And that's both great for tonight and genuinely concerning for your long-term holds.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Booker | 42.0 | 35.6 | 25/3/6 | 25.5/3.9/5.9 | -0.5 |
| Jalen Green | 40.0 | 35.1 | 20/3/7 | 17.6/3.5/2.8 | +2.4 |
| Scottie Barnes | 42.0 | 35.0 | 17/5/6 | 18.6/7.8/5.4 | -1.6 |
| Ryan Dunn | 37.0 | 29.6 | 12/3/2 | 5.9/4.2/1.4 | +6.1 |
| Rasheer Fleming | 32.0 | 28.9 | 11/7/1 | 3.9/2.2/0.2 | +7.1 |
| Oso Ighodaro | 30.0 | 26.9 | 6/7/1 | 6.3/4.9/2.2 | -0.3 |
| Collin Gillespie | 31.0 | 25.3 | 16/4/3 | 13.3/4.2/4.8 | +2.7 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 23.0 | 24.4 | 14/7/0 | 8.7/4.8/2.2 | +5.3 |
| Jonathan Mogbo | 29.0 | 24.2 | 8/1/2 | 1.4/1.6/0.5 | +6.6 |
| Immanuel Quickley | 22.0 | 21.1 | 11/3/1 | 16.9/4.1/6.0 | -5.9 |
The Good: Booker and Green Were Efficient, Not Explosive
Devin Booker (35.6 Yahoo) hit 9-15 from the field and went a perfect 4-4 from the line. That's a clean 25/3/6 night, but here's the thing: he actually underperformed his season average by 0.5 points. The Suns were so dominant that Booker didn't need to go nuclear. He was a closer, not a scorer, and that's actually fine for fantasy purposes if it keeps happening.
Jalen Green (35.1 Yahoo) is the real story here. He added 4.2 assists over his season average while staying efficient on 8-15 shooting. That's the kind of game that gets people excited about trading for him, but I'm not losing sleep yet. One good game doesn't fix the fact that he's been a 17.6 PPG guy all season.
The Wild Part: Role Players Went Absolutely Unhinged
Rasheer Fleming (+7.1 vs avg) and Ryan Dunn (+6.1 vs avg) combined for 58 Yahoo points. Combined. Dunn dropped 12/3/2/3/1, and Fleming went 11/7/1/2/1. These aren't your normal backup contributions.
Here's my honest take: Don't add these guys hoping for more. This is a classic blowout game where garbage time minutes inflated stat lines. Fleming averaged 3.9 PPG before tonight. He's not magically a 15-point player because he had one good night. Same with Dunn, who's at 5.9 PPG for the year. The Suns were up 22 with five minutes left, so these guys got real minutes for the first time all season.
The Raptors Got Cooked, But Scottie Looked Solid
Scottie Barnes (35.0 Yahoo) actually had a really clean night: 17/5/6 on 8-9 shooting. That's the kind of efficiency you dream about, even if the volume was down because Toronto got demolished. He was only 1.6 below his season scoring average despite playing on a bad team. Hold him.
The nightmare was everyone else. Immanuel Quickley (-5.9 vs avg) shot 4-9 and only had 1 assist in 25 minutes. When your team is losing by 22, your playmaking opportunities disappear. This isn't a knock on Quickley, it's just what happens when you're getting punched in the mouth all game.
Brandon Ingram (16.3 Yahoo) went 3-10 and scored only 6 points. That's rough. But again, this is what happens when your team is playing from down 25.
The Waiver Reality
Grayson Allen is dropping in ownership and might actually be worth abandoning. He didn't play, which means he's either hurt or the Suns just don't need him right now. Monitor this before you decide to hold him.
Jonathan Mogbo had a weird night (8/1/2/3/1), but the underlying issue is he only got 17 minutes. The Suns' bench dominated so thoroughly that nobody got real rotation minutes.
Bottom Line
Phoenix's defense was elite tonight (98 points allowed is no joke), but the fantasy story isn't about their stars. It's about role players getting inflated minutes in a blowout. Don't panic about the Raptors' guys yet, but don't get fooled into thinking Booker or Green are suddenly going to drop 40 every night either. This was a matchup where Phoenix was just better, and that's it.