ATL 141, BKN 107: McCollum Paces Blowout Win
Destiny Williams
Math Teacher & Basketball Coach ยท Atlanta Hawks fan
Hawks Demolish Nets 141-107, but the Real Fantasy Story is in the Minutes Battle
Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. The Hawks came to Brooklyn yesterday and just cooked. 34-point win. That's not a basketball game, that's target practice. And yeah, I'm biased (go Hawks), but the fantasy implications here go way deeper than the final score.
The story isn't just who went off. It's who got minutes, who didn't, and what that tells us about rotations moving forward.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CJ McCollum | 52.0 | 40.9 | 25/2/7 | 18.7/3.3/3.8 | +6.3 |
| Jalen Johnson | 36.0 | 38.7 | 18/11/5 | 22.8/10.3/8.0 | -4.8 |
| Dyson Daniels | 46.0 | 37.8 | 11/4/6 | 11.8/6.7/5.9 | -0.8 |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | 39.0 | 35.3 | 21/4/3 | 20.6/3.5/3.7 | +0.4 |
| Onyeka Okongwu | 36.0 | 34.4 | 15/7/4 | 15.4/7.7/3.2 | -0.4 |
| Nolan Traore | 35.0 | 31.4 | 13/2/4 | 8.6/1.7/3.8 | +4.4 |
| Chaney Johnson | 29.0 | 27.2 | 11/6/4 | 7.8/4.2/2.3 | +3.2 |
| Corey Kispert | 31.0 | 22.9 | 13/2/1 | 9.1/2.3/1.6 | +3.9 |
| Drake Powell | 23.0 | 22.4 | 6/2/4 | 6.3/1.7/1.5 | -0.3 |
| Nic Claxton | 23.0 | 22.0 | 16/5/2 | 11.7/6.9/3.7 | +4.3 |
CJ McCollum is Actually Awake This Season
CJ McCollum dropping 40.9 Yahoo FP on 25/2/7 splits, shooting 8-12 from the floor? That's not a one-off. He's up +6.3 points from his season average, and the shooting efficiency (66.7% FG, 80% from three) is exactly what you want to see. This was a legit performance, not a volume game. He played 25 minutes and made everything count.
For Atlanta, this is the version of CJ they signed up for. If he stays healthy, he's a solid depth play in fantasy. Nothing flashy, but consistent scoring with decent ball movement (7 assists is solid for him).
Dyson Daniels is Still Valuable, Even in Blowouts
All-Defensive Second Team member Dyson Daniels went 11/4/6 with 5 steals, and yeah, he was only up 0.8 points versus his average. The steals are the real story here (5 STL = 15 points on ESPN, 15 on Yahoo). That's how you know the defense is elite. He's the glue guy I talk about constantly. Won't light up the scoreboard, but in a league with most of your studs, that consistent 30+ point range is money in the bank.
Jalen Johnson's Quiet Night is Actually Fine
Jalen Johnson putting up 38.7 Yahoo FP looks good until you realize he was -4.8 from his season average. The rebounds were solid (11), but he only shot 6-12. The thing is, when you're winning by 34 and he still gets 27 minutes and contributes on the boards? He's fine. The blowout actually hurt his scoring volume, not his value.
The Bench Guys Actually Matter Here
Here's where it gets interesting for fantasy waiver action. Nolan Traore off the Nets bench put up 31.4 Yahoo FP going 13/2/4 with 3 steals in 29 minutes. That's +4.4 versus his season average, and it tells you Brooklyn is getting desperate. He got heavy minutes in a blowout loss, which usually doesn't happen unless the rotation is opening up. If you're in a deeper league (14+ teams), Traore might have some value going forward, but I'm not rushing to add him. One good game doesn't fix fundamentals.
Corey Kispert for Atlanta had the best efficiency night of his season, going 4-5 from the floor including 3 threes in just 15 minutes. He's a deep bench guy, but if he keeps getting this kind of shooting touch, he could crack rotation minutes more consistently.
The Real Takeaway: Watch the Nets Depth
The Nets got exposed here, and it matters for fantasy. Nic Claxton only played 24 minutes and still put up 22 Yahoo FP with 16 points on 7-10 shooting. He was +4.3 from his average, which is good, but the limited minutes in a blowout loss concerns me. If Brooklyn keeps getting smacked, they're gonna rest starters and give garbage time to reserves. That's a trap for waiver adds.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker continuing his solid season with 35.3 Yahoo FP (21/4/3 with 3 steals) is a reminder that he's a reliable mid-tier guy. He didn't pop off above his average (+0.4), which just means he's consistent. That's boring, but boring is good in fantasy.
Don't Panic, Don't Overreact
This was a 34-point game. Everyone's minutes got weird. The Nets' rotations got garbage-time extended, the Hawks coasted. If you grabbed someone off the Nets bench thinking you found a league winner, pump the brakes. Watch them play a real game first.
The Hawks? They did exactly what they should. CJ was efficient, Dyson locked down defense, and Jalen stayed productive. That's the template. Nothing flashy, just winning basketball.