WAS 133, UTA 110: Reese Tops Fantasy Charts With 49.4 Yahoo FP
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician ยท Boston Celtics fan
Wizards Blow Out Jazz 133-110: The Bench Mob Goes to Work
This was a straight-up beatdown. Wizards came to Salt Lake City and got everything they wanted, with the Jazz looking completely checked out by halftime. For fantasy purposes, this was a bloodbath in the best way possible if you had Wizards guys, and brutal if you were banking on Utah's usual suspects to show up.
Let's talk about what actually happened here.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Reese | 51.0 | 49.4 | 26/17/0 | 12.0/10.7/1.5 | +14.0 |
| John Konchar | 47.0 | 44.3 | 8/14/5 | 3.7/3.7/1.6 | +4.3 |
| Leaky Black | 51.0 | 40.9 | 11/7/3 | 9.1/5.3/1.6 | +1.9 |
| Will Riley | 34.0 | 37.5 | 19/10/5 | 9.1/2.7/1.8 | +9.9 |
| Bez Mbeng | 40.0 | 37.0 | 11/5/6 | 5.4/4.0/4.0 | +5.6 |
| Ace Bailey | 36.0 | 36.5 | 15/5/3 | 13.4/4.1/1.8 | +1.6 |
| Cody Williams | 34.0 | 35.3 | 24/4/1 | 7.7/2.8/1.6 | +16.3 |
| Sharife Cooper | 38.0 | 33.8 | 17/4/6 | 7.2/2.3/2.6 | +9.8 |
| Kennedy Chandler | 25.0 | 28.2 | 14/1/8 | 15.3/3.7/7.0 | -1.3 |
| Elijah Harkless | 25.0 | 26.6 | 10/3/6 | 6.8/1.8/2.8 | +3.2 |
Julian Reese Put On a Clinic
Julian Reese came out and absolutely cooked in 30 minutes of work. 26 points on 12-16 shooting, 17 rebounds, one block, one steal. That's 49.4 Yahoo FP, and it's not close to being a fluke. He was +14 above his season average in scoring and +6.3 in boards. This is what happens when you get a guy who actually wants to be in the paint against a team that's mentally checked out.
Here's the thing though, and I gotta be straight with you: Reese is not a must-own at this point, but he's worth watching. His season average is solid (12.0/10.7), but he's not getting consistent playing time. Tonight was 30 minutes. Last week it might've been 18. That volatility makes him untrustable for most lineups unless your league is 14+ teams deep. But if you're in a deeper league and he's on waivers, grab him. He has actual skills.
The Wizards Bench Went Nuclear
This game was won by committee, and that's the key fantasy takeaway. Will Riley (37.5 Yahoo FP) went completely off. 19 points on 6-14 shooting, 10 rebounds in 22 minutes. He's averaging 9.1/2.7 and he put up +9.9 above average in scoring. Sharife Cooper chipped in 33.8 Yahoo FP with 17/4/6 in 25 minutes, and Leaky Black locked in with 40.9 Yahoo FP off 11 points, 7 boards, 3 dimes, 3 steals in 40 minutes.
The thing is, when a team wins by 23 points, you get inflated numbers across the board. This doesn't mean these guys are suddenly superstars. It means they got extended run against a team that quit. Don't panic-trade anyone or assume these are new baselines.
Sharife Cooper is the only one worth a second look. 17 points on 58% from the field, 6 assists. That's pretty efficient and he's only averaging 7.2 points on the season. If he's available in your league and you need a third string point guard, he's worth a flier in 12+ team leagues.
Jazz Rolled Over, and It Cost Your Fantasy Score
Here's the painful part. The Jazz brought in basically nobody. Like, seriously nobody. Keyonte George, Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Jusuf Nurkic all sitting. If those guys were healthy and playing, this probably goes different, but as constructed, the Jazz sent out a JV squad.
That left us with Bez Mbeng (37 Yahoo FP) handling point guard duties with 11/5/6 in 43 minutes. He went +5.6 above his average in scoring, which is nice but not sustainable if George is back next game. John Konchar put up 44.3 Yahoo FP on 8 points with 14 rebounds, which sounds wild until you realize he's pulling down every rebound in sight because the team is getting destroyed.
Ace Bailey put up 36.5 Yahoo FP on 15 points, 5 boards, 3 dimes. That's solid but only +1.6 above his season average. He's been dealing with some consistency issues all year (averaging 13.4 PPG), so this is basically in line with what he should give you.
Cody Williams was the one bright spot off the bench. 24 points on 11-20 shooting in 37 minutes is +16.3 above his season average of 7.7 PPG. If Cody is available and you're in a 12+ team league, he's worth stashing. He showed some actual offensive potential here.
The Waiver Wire Story
Ace Bailey is the only guy worth immediate action, and he already got added (up 4.3% ownership). He's now owned in 58.4% of Yahoo leagues, which is still reasonable if your league hasn't moved yet. But he's on the Jazz bench in a blowout, so don't get crazy.
Cody Williams is the real value play. 24 points shows he can score when given the green light. If he's under 50% owned in your league, he's worth a look as a bench stash for depth.
Don't add any of the Wizards guys off this game. They got volume because it was a blowout, not because they're suddenly featured players.
Bottom Line
The Wizards won big. Some bench guys got highlighted. The Jazz sent out backups. None of this tells you anything profound for your league. Wait for the full rosters to come back and see who actually got minutes bumps when things matter.
Just another reminder that blowouts are fantasy noise unless the guy is already in your rotation.