GSW 109, BKN 106: Santos Cooks for 45 ESPN FP
Maya Chen
UX Designer · Golden State Warriors fan
Warriors Escape in Tight One: Gui Santos Goes Nuclear, Nets Can't Close
I'm gonna be real with you, that game had no business being that close. Warriors should've put Brooklyn away by halftime, but somehow we got a 3-point nail-biter that came down to the final possession. Welcome to March basketball where nothing makes sense and your fantasy lineup gives you a heart attack.
Let's talk about what actually happened, because the fantasy implications here are wild.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gui Santos | 45.0 | 40.1 | 31/3/1 | 8.3/3.8/2.3 | +22.7 |
| Ziaire Williams | 43.0 | 38.2 | 19/1/2 | 10.0/2.5/1.0 | +9.0 |
| De'Anthony Melton | 35.0 | 37.3 | 14/9/3 | 13.0/3.1/2.4 | +1.0 |
| Brandin Podziemski | 35.0 | 33.7 | 22/6/5 | 12.9/5.2/3.8 | +9.1 |
| Ben Saraf | 33.0 | 31.3 | 14/4/7 | 6.4/1.6/3.1 | +7.6 |
| Gary Payton II | 30.0 | 24.4 | 10/7/2 | 7.0/3.5/1.7 | +3.0 |
| Draymond Green | 23.0 | 23.5 | 7/5/3 | 8.6/5.6/5.3 | -1.6 |
| Jalen Wilson | 18.0 | 20.6 | 15/3/2 | 5.6/1.7/0.6 | +9.4 |
| Kristaps Porziņģis | 12.0 | 20.0 | 17/5/2 | 16.7/4.8/2.7 | +0.3 |
| Josh Minott | 21.0 | 18.9 | 8/2/3 | 6.8/3.3/1.0 | +1.2 |
Gui Santos Just Had a Career Night, But Don't Get Too Hyped Yet
Look, Gui Santos dropped 31 points on 11-16 shooting and absolutely cooked tonight. 40.1 Yahoo FP is elite production, especially from a guy averaging 8.3 ppg on the season. The +22.7 versus his average says it all, he was a different player out there.
But here's the thing, I'm not touching this on the waiver wire as a league-winner or anything. Santos went off because the Nets defense had more holes than my coffee strainer this morning. Yes, he shot 68.8% from the field. Yes, he hit 4 threes. That's not his baseline though. This is a vintage "great game, probably not repeating this" situation. He's a solid bench piece on the Warriors and he proved he can play, but let's pump the brakes on building a playoff team around him.
The Real Warriors Story: Brandin Podziemski and De'Anthony Melton Ran the Show
Brandin Podziemski (22/6/5, 33.7 Yahoo FP) and De'Anthony Melton (14/9/3 with 4 steals, 37.3 Yahoo FP) are the players actually worth talking about long term. Podziemski's +9.1 versus his season average shows he's playing at a higher level than usual, and Melton's 5.9 assist bump tells you he's taking over more of the playmaking load.
Those two plus Santos carrying the scoring load? That's the Warriors' identity right now. I'm being dead serious when I say Podziemski is a league winner in the right system. He's getting 35 minutes, he's efficient, and he's not gonna have a completely invisible game. Add him in literally any league where he's available.
Gary Payton II (10/7/2 with perfect 5-5 FG, 24.4 Yahoo FP) is a solid floor guy, but the 24 minutes tells you he's not gonna be consistent. He's the third big off the bench, which is fine for deeper leagues but not someone I'm counting on weekly.
Brooklyn's Bright Spots Weren't Enough
Ziaire Williams went absolutely crazy for Brooklyn with 19/1/2 in just 23 minutes on 6-11 shooting (38.2 Yahoo FP). The dude is only 23 minutes into his game and putting up 19 points? That's elite efficiency and it's +9.0 versus his season average. He's a drop candidate in shallow leagues but in 12-team and deeper, he's someone to stash if you need scoring punch off the bench.
Ben Saraf (14/4/7, 31.3 Yahoo FP) looks like he's carving out a real role in Brooklyn's offense. Seven assists in 31 minutes is legit playmaking, and the +7.6 scoring boost versus his average means he's taking on more responsibility. He's worth monitoring on waiver wires in 14+ team leagues, especially PPR formats where assists hit harder.
Jalen Wilson showed up too with 15/3/2 in 23 minutes on solid efficiency (20.6 Yahoo FP). That +9.4 scoring surge is real, but again, limited minutes mean he's a "wait and see if this becomes a trend" kind of guy.
The Nets Problem: They Can't Close
Brooklyn's issue isn't that they don't have talent on the court tonight, it's that they couldn't run a clean game. Nic Claxton (8/4/2, 18.8 Yahoo FP) was basically a non-factor, dropping 3.8 points below his season average. When your center is underperforming and you're playing without your stars, you can't win tight games. This was a game the Nets should've won if they had their full roster, but they didn't have it and it showed.
The Bottom Line
Warriors squeaked this out because they had more guys ready to go. Santos had the game of his life but that's not repeatable. Podziemski and Melton are the guys actually worth building around, and if they're available in your league, add them immediately.
Nets players had some nice games but it all feels a little hollow without knowing their full roster status. Williams and Saraf showed some juice though, so if you're desperate for depth, they're league-specific adds.
This is the kind of game that feels closer than it was because the Warriors were sloppy, not because Brooklyn was actually good. Sometimes the W is messier than the fantasy production suggests.