DEN 116, GSW 93: Nikola Jokić Demolishes Fantasy Leagues With 60 ESPN FP
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant · Golden State Warriors fan
Denver Grinds Out Home Win, But Warriors Fantasy Squad Did Damage Despite Loss
Look, I'm not gonna sit here and tell you it doesn't sting watching my Warriors take an L at home to Denver. 116-93 final, and yeah, that's the kind of blowout that makes you want to throw your remote. But here's the thing about fantasy basketball, and I learned this the hard way back when I was young and dumb in my league: the scoreboard and the fantasy box score don't always tell the same story.
Tonight proved that point hard.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokić | 60.0 | 56.0 | 25/15/8 | 27.9/12.8/10.8 | -2.9 |
| Jamal Murray | 47.0 | 42.7 | 20/6/7 | 25.5/4.4/7.2 | -5.5 |
| Brandin Podziemski | 51.0 | 41.0 | 23/5/2 | 13.2/5.3/3.8 | +9.8 |
| Pat Spencer | 31.0 | 31.0 | 7/5/8 | 6.9/2.3/3.4 | +0.1 |
| Draymond Green | 34.0 | 30.8 | 13/4/8 | 8.5/5.6/5.4 | +4.5 |
| Kristaps Porziņģis | 37.0 | 30.6 | 23/3/2 | 17.1/5.0/2.7 | +5.9 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 35.0 | 28.6 | 16/3/2 | 13.8/2.6/1.4 | +2.2 |
| Peyton Watson | 23.0 | 25.7 | 10/6/5 | 14.9/4.9/2.0 | -4.9 |
| Gui Santos | 19.0 | 24.5 | 9/10/3 | 8.9/3.8/2.3 | +0.1 |
| Gary Payton II | 30.0 | 23.5 | 16/5/1 | 7.2/3.6/1.7 | +8.8 |
Podziemski Goes Full Devin Harris Mode
Brandin Podziemski is the story of this game, full stop. 41 Yahoo points on 23 points, 5 boards, 2 steals in 31 minutes. That +9.8 versus his season average isn't a typo. This is the kind of performance that makes you sit up and pay attention.
Here's what I'm thinking: Podziemski reminded me of Devin Harris back in the day with the Mavs, when he'd just take over games you weren't expecting him to carry. Shooters go off sometimes, and when they do against a team playing at home with championship pedigree, it matters. 8-14 from the field, 5 threes. That's efficiency. That's real.
The question is whether this is the new baseline or a one-game spike. Right now, he's at 13.2 PPG for the season. Tonight he nearly doubled that. In a loss. In Denver. That's the kind of game that feels like you're getting something special from a role guy. If you've been waiting for Podziemski to step up, tonight's the evidence you can point to.
The Jokic Non-Flop (Yeah, You Read That Right)
Here's where the game script lies to you. Nikola Jokic didn't have his best night. 25 points on 10-20 shooting, down nearly 3 from his season average. But he grabbed 15 boards, dished 8 assists, 56 Yahoo points. The reigning All-NBA first-teamer did exactly what he needed to do to win the game.
That's the nuance nobody talks about in fantasy when you're chasing volume. Jokic wasn't cooking by his standards, but his game was perfectly calibrated for Denver's win. Sometimes that's the job. He controlled the glass, ran the offense, and let his teammates beat Golden State. Jamal Murray (-5.5 on the night) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (+2.2) did enough to punish us, and that was Denver's game plan.
Don't panic on Jokic just because the numbers don't look flashy. This is playoff basketball thinking in March, and that matters.
Warriors Role Players Delivered, But It Doesn't Matter
Gary Payton II (23.5 Yahoo FP, +8.8 vs average) and Gui Santos (24.5 Yahoo FP) both went off on efficiency. Payton was 7-8 from the floor. Santos grabbed 10 boards in 32 minutes. These are the kinds of contributions that win games.
Except they didn't win this one.
That's the frustration with fantasy sometimes. Draymond Green posted a solid 30.8 Yahoo points with great facilitating (8 assists), and Kristaps Porzingis went for 30.6 (23 points, 5 threes, all on good looks). This Warriors team had all the pieces for a close game.
But De'Anthony Melton was a ghost (0-5 FG, 9.7 Yahoo FP), and that's the rub. You can't win when your perimeter defense isn't clicking and Jokic is controlling the glass. The Warriors had the fantasy production, just not the execution.
The Takeaway
If you own Podziemski, you're happy. If you own Jokic, don't overreact to one off night. If you're holding Melton, tonight's another reason the Warriors backcourt depth is getting harder to count on.
The Warriors lost the game. They won the fantasy box score. That's a microcosm of where they're sitting right now, and it matters for how you value these guys going forward.