ATL 123, SAC 113: Nickeil Alexander-Walker Absolutely Cooks for 64 ESPN FP
Destiny Williams
Math Teacher & Basketball Coach ยท Atlanta Hawks fan
Hawks 123, Kings 113: The Alexander-Walker Takeover and Why Landale is Your New Favorite Waiver Wire Darling
Man, it felt good to watch the Hawks put together a complete game at home. Nickeil Alexander-Walker took over like he had something to prove, and honestly, he did. Let's talk about what actually happened here and what it means for your roster.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | 64.0 | 55.0 | 27/5/8 | 20.5/3.5/3.8 | +6.5 |
| Jalen Johnson | 53.0 | 47.0 | 26/5/10 | 22.9/10.2/8.1 | +3.1 |
| Jock Landale | 49.0 | 45.6 | 19/13/4 | 10.6/5.8/1.7 | +8.4 |
| CJ McCollum | 39.0 | 36.3 | 22/4/5 | 18.8/3.4/3.8 | +3.2 |
| Maxime Raynaud | 32.0 | 32.0 | 18/10/0 | 12.0/7.3/1.3 | +6.0 |
| Precious Achiuwa | 37.0 | 31.2 | 16/6/2 | 9.5/6.5/1.3 | +6.5 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 27.0 | 28.3 | 22/4/3 | 18.5/3.0/4.1 | +3.5 |
| Malik Monk | 27.0 | 24.9 | 10/2/7 | 12.6/1.9/3.1 | -2.6 |
| Mouhamed Gueye | 23.0 | 21.4 | 10/7/2 | 4.6/3.6/0.9 | +5.4 |
| DaQuan Jeffries | 25.0 | 20.1 | 15/3/1 | 8.5/1.5/0.5 | +6.5 |
The Alexander-Walker Moment You Weren't Expecting
Nickeil Alexander-Walker went full takeover mode with 27 points on 7-14 shooting, and here's what matters: he went 9-9 from the free throw line. That's not luck, that's aggression. He's up 6.5 points from his season average while also bumping his assists from 3.8 to 8. This wasn't just a scoring night, it was a complete performance.
Look, I know NAW has been solid but a little underrated in some formats. Tonight he reminded people why he's on rosters in 88% of Yahoo leagues. The 55 Yahoo points puts him at the top of this game's leaderboard, and honestly, if he's getting this kind of usage going forward, he's more valuable than his season numbers suggest. He just needed the right matchup and the right moment. This is what we call a ceiling game, and if you don't have him, you noticed tonight.
Jalen Johnson Did What He Always Does
Jalen Johnson put up 26/5/10 which looks amazing until you look at the rebounds. He came in at 10.2 RPG on the season and grabbed 5 tonight, so he actually underperformed in that department by 5.2. Still got his 47 Yahoo points because the assists and scoring were there, but this is the thing about Johnson I keep telling my fantasy club kids: he's a 22-25 point, 8-10 assist guy who occasionally pops for 13 boards. When he doesn't get those boards, he's more pedestrian than his scoring line suggests. Tonight was decent but not his best work.
Jock Landale is a Straight-Up Treasure
Here's where it gets spicy. Jock Landale put up 19/13/4 in 34 minutes, and that +8.4 vs his season average is real. The man grabbed 13 rebounds when he averages 5.8. That's 7.2 boards above expectation. He's the center your team can trust when you need someone to battle in the paint, and at 45.6 Yahoo points, he's the kind of role player that wins you weeks without making headlines.
I'm adding Landale in 12-team leagues if he's available. He's not going to drop 50 on you, but he won't lose you weeks either. He's a glue guy, and glue guys are underrated in fantasy. If your center room is thin, this dude is available in most leagues.
The Kings Got Good Looks but Couldn't Finish
Precious Achiuwa had a solid night at 16/6/2 in 20 minutes, and yeah, he's getting added at +4.2% ownership. The 31.2 Yahoo points in 20 minutes is nice work. But here's the reality check: he played 20 minutes. If he's not getting starter minutes or extended run, this is a one-off game story, not a trade target. Maxime Raynaud put up 18/10 and went 6-8 from the free throw line, which is competent big man basketball, but nothing that screams "priority add."
DeMar DeRozan did his thing at 22/4/3 but stayed under 30 minutes. Consistent 28 Yahoo points in that range is what we expect from him. Not a panic sell or a buy-low opportunity.
The Real Story: Depth is Winning Games
CJ McCollum stayed efficient with 22 points on 9-17 shooting, just about par for his course. Malik Monk was the only dud in Sacramento's starting lineup at 10/2/7, a full 2.6 points below his average. When your best players are meeting expectations and one role guy underperforms, you lose by 10 at home. That's what happened here.
For fantasy purposes, this game tells you that the Hawks' depth is solid right now. Mouhamed Gueye came off the bench and hit 10/7/2, which beat his season average by 5.4 points. That's a guy getting real minutes in a winning system. If Gueye keeps getting 30+ minutes, he's a streamer in deeper leagues.
Bottom Line
The Hawks won because they got contributions across the board, and from a fantasy angle, that means multiple guys hit their ceiling or exceeded expectations. If you grabbed Alexander-Walker or Landale from this game, you did yourself a favor. If Sacramento is on your waiver wire and you grabbed Achiuwa, hold him for one more week to see if the minutes stay elevated. But honestly, this was a game where the team that shot better and moved the ball won, and that usually means the favorites on that team delivered.