ATL 112, BOS 102: Onyeka Okongwu Paces Fantasy With 52 ESPN FP
Destiny Williams
Math Teacher & Basketball Coach · Atlanta Hawks fan
Hawks Escape with Win as Okongwu Goes Absolutely Off
Atlanta 112, Boston 102 | March 30, 2026
Listen, I'm not gonna act like I'm not hyped we got the W, but let's be real about what happened here. This wasn't some masterclass performance from the Hawks. Boston came in without their stars and we still needed a late surge to put them away. That said, there were some genuinely fun fantasy moments to break down, and one guy in particular just completely changed the conversation around his value.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Brown | 35.0 | 51.5 | 29/10/9 | 28.6/7.1/5.2 | +0.4 |
| Onyeka Okongwu | 52.0 | 46.5 | 20/10/3 | 15.4/7.7/3.2 | +4.6 |
| Jalen Johnson | 37.0 | 38.9 | 20/12/5 | 22.9/10.2/8.1 | -2.9 |
| Dyson Daniels | 45.0 | 36.5 | 18/5/5 | 11.8/6.7/5.9 | +6.2 |
| Luka Garza | 44.0 | 35.3 | 20/9/1 | 7.7/4.0/1.0 | +12.3 |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | 29.0 | 29.8 | 17/4/6 | 20.4/3.5/3.8 | -3.4 |
| CJ McCollum | 28.0 | 28.2 | 14/1/6 | 18.8/3.4/3.8 | -4.8 |
| Derrick White | 25.0 | 27.0 | 7/5/4 | 17.0/4.5/5.5 | -10.0 |
| Jonathan Kuminga | 20.0 | 23.7 | 10/6/1 | 11.9/5.9/2.4 | -1.9 |
| Jordan Walsh | 23.0 | 22.3 | 8/4/1 | 5.3/4.1/0.8 | +2.7 |
The Okongwu Moment You've Been Waiting For
Onyeka Okongwu didn't just have a good night. He had a "why isn't this guy getting more minutes?" night. 46.5 Yahoo points on 36 minutes, shooting 7-14 from the field and going 4-for-4 from three. Let me repeat that because it deserves emphasis: Okongwu hit FOUR threes.
Now look at his season average, 15.4 PPG on a 7.7 RPG diet. Tonight he put up 20 and 10. That's +4.6 points over his average, but the real story isn't the volume, it's what he's doing in limited minutes. This dude is playing like a guy who should be getting 32-34 minutes, not 25-28. He's efficient, he's handling the ball enough to contribute on assists, and he's stretching the floor in a way that changes how defenses have to guard our interior.
For fantasy purposes, this is the game we point to when someone asks "but can Okongwu stay relevant?" Yes. Yes he can. The talent's always been there. Tonight we just saw the floor.
Dyson Daniels Is Playing Like an All-Defensive Guard (Because He Is One)
Dyson Daniels with 36.5 Yahoo on a quiet 18/5/5/2 line. That sounds weird at first, but it makes sense when you remember he's the reigning All-Defensive First Team and he went 8-11 from the field. That efficiency matters in fantasy scoring. He's up +6.2 from his season average, and that came from playing lockdown defense on Brown for stretches while still staying efficient offensively.
The thing about Dyson is he's never gonna give you 30+ Yahoo points on a nightly basis. What he WILL do is give you 25-35 most nights with elite defensive stats mixed in. He's a hold in everything, and he's a target if someone's panicking and selling low.
Jalen Johnson Wasn't Bad, He Was Just Quiet
Jalen Johnson finished 38.9 Yahoo on 20/12/5, which is solid on its face. But he came in at -2.9 from his season average. The offense wasn't flowing through him the way it usually does. 7-13 from the field is efficient, but Boston's defense has a way of slowing down ball handlers, and Johnson felt that tonight.
This is the kind of night where you don't panic. JJ's been a fantasy gem all season. One quiet game against a good defensive Celtics team (even without Tatum and Vučević) doesn't change the narrative. Keep him on your squad and move on.
The Bench Guys Who Showed Up
Luka Garza is the wild card here. The Celtics backup center put up 20/9/1 on 8-9 shooting with 2 threes, which is +12.3 over his season average. That's not a typo. He was on a tear tonight. The issue is whether this is real or one of those games where a bench guy goes nuclear against the right matchup and you never see it again.
Garza's season average is 7.7 PPG. Tonight he tripled that. For fantasy, this is a "add if he's available in your league" moment, but don't get too attached. Bench guys who play 28 minutes are feast or famine. Tonight was a feast.
The Boston Side Took the Loss Hard
Jaylen Brown put up 51.5 Yahoo on a near triple-double (29/10/9) with decent efficiency despite the loss. That's basically what you want from him on any given night. He's only +0.4 from his season average, meaning this is his baseline. He's a locked-in fantasy player no matter what.
Derrick White was rough out there. 27 Yahoo on 3-12 shooting is not the All-Defensive energy we're used to. He came in at -10 from his season average, and you could see it. Boston needed more from their role players and just didn't get it. That's what happens when your two best scorers don't play.
The Waiver Takeaway
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is trending up in ownership (he's at 88.2% already, so he's basically rostered everywhere), but his 29.8 Yahoo tonight on -3.4 from average is solid floor value. He's not gonna blow you away, but he's the kind of role player who won't lose you a week.
CJ McCollum was whatever. 28.2 Yahoo on 14/1/6 is just a dude hitting his shots on a night when the team needed scoring. Nothing to read into there except "CJ's still a starter."
Bottom Line
The Hawks won a game we probably should've won bigger against a Celtics team running on fumes. Okongwu is the player to watch going forward, Dyson Daniels remains underrated, and Jalen Johnson is fine even when he's quiet. That's your story. Lock in Okongwu's minutes situation and ride this wave.