CHI 132, HOU 124: Sengun Wreaks Havoc With 89 ESPN FP
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate ยท Houston Rockets fan
Rockets Get Cooked at Home, But Sengun and KD Put On a Show
This one stung. Especially watching it from Houston. The Rockets came out swinging against the Bulls but couldn't close it out, dropping 124-132 at home. Not the loss itself that matters for your fantasy lineups though, it's what happened inside those boxes that'll shape your waiver moves this week.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alperen Sengun | 89.0 | 73.6 | 33/13/10 | 20.4/9.0/6.2 | +12.6 |
| Kevin Durant | 58.0 | 51.9 | 40/7/5 | 25.9/5.5/4.4 | +14.1 |
| Josh Giddey | 53.0 | 49.9 | 15/7/13 | 17.5/8.3/9.1 | -2.5 |
| Collin Sexton | 42.0 | 39.8 | 25/4/2 | 14.7/2.0/3.4 | +10.3 |
| Amen Thompson | 42.0 | 38.1 | 23/3/1 | 18.0/7.8/5.2 | +5.0 |
| Reed Sheppard | 34.0 | 36.0 | 13/5/6 | 13.5/2.8/3.4 | -0.5 |
| Tre Jones | 38.0 | 35.0 | 15/5/6 | 12.9/2.9/5.4 | +2.1 |
| Leonard Miller | 34.0 | 31.3 | 17/9/3 | 5.5/2.9/0.6 | +11.5 |
| Jalen Smith | 34.0 | 28.2 | 15/6/2 | 10.4/6.8/1.3 | +4.6 |
| Matas Buzelis | 28.0 | 26.3 | 23/4/1 | 16.2/5.6/2.0 | +6.8 |
Sengun Is Playing His Best Basketball
Look at that line. 33/13/10 with 2 steals and 2 blocks on 16-19 shooting. Alperen Sengun went absolutely nuclear, dropping 73.6 Yahoo points and absolutely destroying his season average by 12.6 points. This wasn't some empty stats situation either, he was efficient, he was dominant in the paint, and he was running the offense through the high post all night.
Here's what matters: Sengun is not a streaky player, he's been consistent all season at 20.4/9.0/6.2. Nights like this aren't accidents, they're who he is when he gets the volume. He's your safest big man target in trades right now. If someone in your league is panicking about the loss and thinking about moving him, you need to get aggressive. This guy is playing All-NBA caliber basketball.
Kevin Durant Is Still Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant going for 40/7/5 on 15-23 shooting with five threes is just peak KD doing peak KD things. Fifty-one Yahoo points, +14.1 above his season average. The man is 37 years old and still the most efficient scorer when it matters. One thing though, he played 39 minutes and didn't grab a single rebound. That's the only thing keeping this from being a total monster game, but let's be real, nobody's complaining about what KD did tonight. He did his job. The team just couldn't get it done.
The Role Players Carried the Load
Collin Sexton came off the bench for the Bulls and absolutely changed the game. Twenty-five points on 6-14 shooting with four threes and 9-10 from the line. That's 39.8 Yahoo points, +10.3 above his season average. He was hitting everything late in the game when it mattered. For a bench guy averaging 14.7 points a night, this is a "add him now if he's available" situation in deeper leagues. The usage is there, the efficiency showed up tonight.
Josh Giddey ran the offense for Chicago and despite going 4-14, his 13 assists made up for it. His shooting will regress back to normal (he's not actually a 3-for-14 guy), but the playmaking is real. Forty-nine Yahoo points is solid floor value with the rebounds and the dimes.
Leonard Miller is the wild card nobody was talking about. The Bulls' bench big came in with 17/9/3 in just 23 minutes, totaling 31.3 Yahoo points, +11.5 above his season average of 5.5/2.9/0.6. That's borderline league breaking efficiency for a bench player. Watch his minutes going forward. If he's got a pulse in your league and he's still available, grab him now before someone else figures this out.
What Went Wrong in Houston (Fantasy Wise)
Jabari Smith Jr. had a rough one with just 6/5/1 on 2-10 shooting in 34 minutes. That's only 11.5 Yahoo points when you need way more from your small forward getting that many minutes. He was hunting shots and nothing fell. This happens, but if you own him, you're hoping for bounce back immediately.
Amen Thompson did his thing with 23 points and great defensive numbers (2 steals, 2 blocks), but his assist total stayed down at just 1 dime. He's been playing more like a bucket-getter than a facilitator lately, which is fine for fantasy but just different than early season Amen.
Reed Sheppard put up decent line with 13/5/6, hitting three threes, but the 5-17 shooting and the turnovers kept him from breaking through for a truly great night. Still playable in most leagues given the upside.
The Waiver Move You Need to Make
Steven Adams didn't play and is already seeing ownership drop. If you've got him rostered out of desperation, cut him now. The Rockets aren't using him anymore and the minutes just aren't there.
Leonard Miller though? That's who you're adding. 31.3 points in 23 minutes off the bench is real opportunity. Chicago's got the minutes to give and he's proving he can produce when he gets them.
Bottom Line
The Rockets lost, but their fantasy contributors still ate. Sengun and KD carried hard and both are reinforcing why they're core pieces you should never move. Chicago's depth showed up strong in the win, with role players like Sexton and Miller making noise off the bench. If you're in a league where any of these second-tier Bull pieces are available, this was your wake-up call to grab them before everyone else catches on.