PHX 134, UTA 109: Kyle Filipowski Headlines With 55 ESPN FP
Maya Chen
UX Designer ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Jalen Green Goes Nuclear, Kyle Filipowski Is Your New Waiver Wire Target
Final: Suns 134, Jazz 109
Look, this game wasn't close, but it was fantasy gold for the right reasons. Phoenix blew out Utah by 25, which normally means role players and bench guys feast while stars put up hollow numbers. Except that's not what happened here. The Suns' best players showed up when it mattered, and Utah had some unexpected breakout performances that are gonna shake up waiver wire priorities this week.
Let me break down what actually matters for your roster.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Booker | 53.0 | 46.6 | 26/3/8 | 25.5/3.9/5.9 | +0.5 |
| Kyle Filipowski | 55.0 | 46.3 | 26/9/3 | 10.7/7.0/2.5 | +15.3 |
| Jalen Green | 52.0 | 42.7 | 31/6/3 | 17.7/3.6/2.9 | +13.3 |
| Khaman Maluach | 34.0 | 31.8 | 12/9/0 | 2.5/2.2/0.2 | +9.5 |
| Grayson Allen | 34.0 | 31.1 | 19/3/3 | 17.3/3.0/4.1 | +1.7 |
| Brice Sensabaugh | 32.0 | 30.4 | 26/2/2 | 14.1/3.0/1.7 | +11.9 |
| Ace Bailey | 22.0 | 28.2 | 13/6/2 | 13.5/4.2/1.8 | -0.5 |
| Ryan Dunn | 25.0 | 25.6 | 9/8/2 | 5.9/4.2/1.4 | +3.1 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 26.0 | 25.3 | 8/9/1 | 8.7/4.9/2.2 | -0.7 |
| Oso Ighodaro | 24.0 | 24.6 | 13/8/2 | 6.4/4.9/2.2 | +6.6 |
Jalen Green's 31-Point Explosion Is Real, Not Garbage Time
I'm sitting here looking at Jalen Green dropping 31 points on 13-22 shooting, and I need you to understand this wasn't some empty calorie performance in the fourth quarter. He went 5-for-5 from three and was legitimately cooking. This is a dude averaging 17.7 PPG, and he added 13.3 points on top of that. He's been inconsistent all season, but when he gets hot like this, he's unguardable.
The worry here is sustainability. 31 points on 22 shots is great efficiency, but it's also the kind of ceiling performance that doesn't repeat weekly. What matters for you: If Green's sitting on your waiver wire in a 10-team league, cool. If you own him already, you got lucky tonight, but don't suddenly believe you've got a 30-PPG player. Use this game as a reminder of what he's capable of and ride the wave while it lasts.
Kyle Filipowski Is Someone You Should Actually Know About
Now here's the headline: Kyle Filipowski dropped 26/9/3 in 29 minutes with a perfect 10-14 from the field. He went +15.3 from his season average. That's not a fluke, that's a dude finding real rhythm.
I'm not gonna hype him up as a league-winner or anything, because his season average is still just 10.7 PPG. But the minutes are there (29), the efficiency is there (71% FG), and he's clearly become a focal point in Utah's offense. Look at him on the waiver wire. If he's available in your 12-team or deeper league, this is the type of add that wins weeks during the stretch run. Centers who get 28+ minutes and shoot efficiently are not easy to find in late-season pickups.
The Jazz were missing depth tonight, and he filled that void. But even when their guys come back, I think Filipowski keeps getting 25+ minutes. He's earned it.
Brice Sensabaugh Outdueled Everyone Else
Brice Sensabaugh put up 26/2/2, which looks unremarkable until you remember he's supposed to be a role player and he was absolutely the second-best player on the floor tonight. 11-21 from the field, 2-for-3 from three. He wasn't taking tough shots, he was being given rhythm and he capitalized. This is the kind of performance that gets him rotation minutes going forward.
Here's the thing though, his season average is 14.1 PPG. He beat that by 11.9 points. That's a ceiling game, and ceiling games happen. He's not suddenly a locked-in 25 PPG guy. But what this game showed is that when Jazz games get competitive, he gets real usage. That's valuable information.
The Bench Went Nuts, and It Actually Matters
Khaman Maluach with 12/9/3 blocks in 19 minutes. Oso Ighodaro with 13/8/2 in 28 minutes. These are the kind of bench contributions that make blowout games interesting for fantasy because role players get loose minutes.
The thing is, Maluach's a 2.5 PPG guy on the season. Tonight he got 19 minutes and went off. That's not repeatable unless Utah's injuries get worse or the rotations shift permanently. Ighodaro's more interesting because he's getting consistent run (28 minutes), and he's efficient when he plays. If you're punting on bigger names and need a waiver add at center, Ighodaro's someone to target. Not Maluach though. That was a one-off.
Grayson Allen Stays Reliable
Grayson Allen was exactly what he's been all season, 19/3/3 with 4 threes in 20 minutes. He hit +1.7 on his season average, which means he played his game without needing anything special. The ownership bump on him makes sense (he went from 42.2% to 44.8% owned), but he's not a shock breakout. He's just a solid, consistent rotation player for Phoenix. If you're thinking about adding him, he's a fine stash in 14-team leagues, but don't get crazy. He's what you thought he was.
The Devin Booker Non-Story
Devin Booker with 26/3/8 is fine, it's professional, it's exactly meeting expectations (+0.5 PPG from his season average). In a blowout win at home, Book doesn't need to dominate. He got his and moved on. That's the kind of floor game that's actually reassuring because it means he doesn't need a monster performance for Phoenix to win. He's still the MVP-caliber player, just in controlled form.
Ace Bailey's Off Night Is Noise
Look, Ace Bailey finished with 13/6/2, but he shot 5-15 and had 3 blocks in a losing effort. He's down 0.3% in ownership, which feels like people are panicking for no reason. One bad shooting night in a blowout loss doesn't tell you much about a player. He'll bounce back.
The Move: Add Filipowski, Pump The Brakes On Everyone Else
Your actual fantasy move out of this game is Kyle Filipowski. He's the one guy whose performance actually changed the narrative for his role going forward. Everyone else is either confirming what you already knew or had one hot night in a blowout. Filipowski's the only one where you're looking at a potential role change that's sustainable.
Grayson Allen going up 2.6% makes sense for league-wide adds, but he's not a priority. If your wire is thin and you need shooting depth, sure. Otherwise, wait.
Utah's missing too many guys for their bench performances to mean much right now. When their full roster comes back, performances like Maluach's and Sensabaugh's get reduced. That's just reality.
The Suns don't have roster construction issues, so nothing there is a must-add. They just played a clean game against a depleted opponent. Nothing to overreact to.
One more thing: I'm keeping Kevon Looney and other Warriors-adjacent guys away from this analysis because they're not in the box score, but if Golden State plays either of these teams soon, I'm absolutely watching the minutes distribution. We've got playoff seeding implications coming fast.