CLE 118, GSW 111: Green's 42.3 Yahoo FP Not Enough for GSW
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant · Golden State Warriors fan
Cavaliers Steal One in Oakland, But Warriors Role Players Keep Fantasy Afloat
Look, I'm gonna be straight with you. That loss stings. Not because we got beat by a good Cavs team, but because we had it. My Warriors had every chance to take this one at home, and we let it slip. Seven points is the difference between looking like contenders and looking like we're still figuring it out in April.
But here's the thing about fantasy, and this is what separates the guys who cash from the guys who just talk: sometimes the loss is the best story. And this game had one.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draymond Green | 44.0 | 42.3 | 8/9/9 | 8.6/5.5/5.4 | -0.6 |
| Brandin Podziemski | 47.0 | 40.8 | 25/4/4 | 13.5/5.3/3.8 | +11.5 |
| Donovan Mitchell | 43.0 | 40.7 | 25/6/3 | 27.7/4.5/5.7 | -2.7 |
| Gui Santos | 44.0 | 38.8 | 25/4/4 | 9.2/3.9/2.3 | +15.8 |
| Jarrett Allen | 27.0 | 34.6 | 16/13/0 | 15.4/8.5/1.8 | +0.6 |
| Evan Mobley | 35.0 | 34.5 | 12/10/5 | 18.1/9.0/3.6 | -6.1 |
| Gary Payton II | 33.0 | 33.4 | 8/12/2 | 7.3/3.7/1.7 | +0.7 |
| Max Strus | 39.0 | 31.0 | 24/5/2 | 13.8/5.9/1.9 | +10.2 |
| Kristaps Porziņģis | 24.0 | 26.9 | 16/7/1 | 17.3/5.0/2.6 | -1.3 |
| James Harden | 29.0 | 24.9 | 19/2/5 | 23.6/4.9/8.1 | -4.6 |
The Bench Guys Saved Your Lineup
Here's what nobody expected coming into tonight: Brandin Podziemski going absolutely nuclear for 25 points. That's 11.5 points above his season average. The man was 9-15 from the field, hit his threes, and went 5-6 from the line. This is what happens when you're the primary scoring option and the shot-makers are falling. He finished with 40.8 Yahoo FP in 35 minutes.
But the real story is Gui Santos. Twenty-five points off the bench. I'm talking 15.8 points above his season average. Before this game, Santos was averaging 9.2 points a night. Now he's 25 points, 9-14 shooting, 2-3 from deep, and 31 minutes of run. That's not a fluke line, that's a guy getting real minutes in real situations.
Gary Payton II did exactly what Gary Payton II does: he rebounded (12 boards), pushed pace, and stayed active on defense. 33.4 Yahoo FP. For a guy averaging 7.3 points, that's hitting the rim on an off night and making your standard role player contribution matter.
The Warriors bench outperformed the starters in fantasy terms, and that's wild.
The Engine Room Still Runs
Draymond Green with 42.3 Yahoo FP didn't blow you away offensively (3-11 shooting), but 9 assists and 9 rebounds in 35 minutes tells the full story. This is All-NBA Second Team defense doing what it does. A guy who gets 8.6 points per night but orchestrates everything. He was exactly league-average production but his gravity on the court makes everyone else better. That's Draymond.
On the Cleveland side, Donovan Mitchell was the reigning All-NBA First Team member we expected: 25 points, perfect free throw shooting (7-7), two steals. 40.7 Yahoo FP even though he was down 2.7 points from his season average. That's the consistency of a 27.7 PPG scorer. Not a miracle night, just a professional showing up.
Jarrett Allen going 13 rebounds in 23 minutes is the move nobody's talking about yet. His ownership just jumped 1.1 percent because people are waking up to the fact that this guy is putting up legitimate frontcourt numbers. 34.6 Yahoo FP. Six offensive rebounds, getting to the line (6-12 FT), and the Cavs are riding him down the stretch.
Evan Mobley, the reigning DPOY, had a down night by his standards. 12 points, 10 boards, but that's 6.1 below his season average. When your defense-first guy isn't putting up 18+ points, you notice it in fantasy. Still 34.5 Yahoo FP because the rebounding is automatic, but this isn't what you're paying for.
What This Means Tomorrow
Max Strus lit us up for 24 points with six threes. 31 Yahoo FP. That's 10.2 above his season average. He's a proven knockdown shooter on a real team, and nights like this remind you why he's rostered in 90+ percent of leagues. Not a buy low, but not a sell high either. He's doing his job.
James Harden, though, went 19/2/5 on 36 minutes. That's 4.6 below his season average in a game his team won. You need more playmaking from a 23.6 PPG guy in late April. The Cavs probably would have won by more if Harden found his rhythm, but he didn't.
For my Warriors, the absence of certain players definitely shaped the stat lines. Depth showing up is fine, but you need your closers to close in April. That's the real story.
The Bottom Line
If you had Podziemski, Santos, or Allen on your bench, you caught lightning in a bottle tonight. Don't chase it expecting it every game. If you had Mitchell or Green in your lineup, you got what you paid for, which in fantasy is sometimes all you need.
Allen is the one watch for waiver adds this week. 86 percent owned but that rebound total in 23 minutes? That's a guy playing real minutes in a real situation. Grab him if he's sitting in your league.
And if you're sitting on Mobley in that DPOY role, relax. One down game doesn't erase the DPOY. He'll bounce back.
Cavaliers took the W, but fantasy didn't care who won the game. It cared who shot the ball and who was on the glass. That's the game within the game, and that's why we're all here.