DET 116, PHI 93: Daniss Jenkins Leads DET Rout
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Pistons Cruise Past 76ers Behind Jenkins' Career Night, But Don't Sleep on the Real Story
Alright, so Daniss Jenkins just had the kind of game that makes you check the box score twice. The Pistons walked into Philly and laid a 116-93 beat down, and Jenkins was the primary reason why. Let me break down what happened and what it means for your roster.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniss Jenkins | 52.0 | 46.8 | 16/4/14 | 9.4/2.3/3.8 | +6.6 |
| Tobias Harris | 43.0 | 37.8 | 19/4/2 | 13.2/5.1/2.6 | +5.8 |
| Paul George | 37.0 | 35.0 | 20/5/4 | 17.8/5.4/3.8 | +2.2 |
| VJ Edgecombe | 30.0 | 33.7 | 19/6/1 | 16.1/5.5/4.1 | +2.9 |
| Ausar Thompson | 34.0 | 31.0 | 14/5/2 | 9.9/5.8/3.0 | +4.1 |
| Jalen Duren | 28.0 | 27.9 | 16/7/3 | 19.5/10.6/1.9 | -3.5 |
| Tyrese Maxey | 25.0 | 26.7 | 23/1/1 | 28.6/4.2/6.7 | -5.6 |
| Paul Reed | 28.0 | 26.4 | 10/7/0 | 7.5/4.5/1.2 | +2.5 |
| Ronald Holland II | 24.0 | 24.2 | 11/6/0 | 8.1/4.1/1.2 | +2.9 |
| Kevin Huerter | 14.0 | 18.0 | 5/5/6 | 9.9/3.5/2.5 | -4.9 |
Jenkins Is the Real Deal Now, Not Just a Waiver Wire Flyer
Daniss Jenkins dropped 46.8 Yahoo points on 31 minutes. That's 14 assists on 11 shots taken. We're not talking about a random spike here. This dude was running the offense like he's been the Pistons' point guard all season, because honestly, he kinda has been.
Here's the thing though: Jenkins averages 9.4 points and 3.8 assists on the year. Tonight he was +6.6 on scoring and +10.2 on assists. That's a massive outlier, and I need to be real with you. The Sixers' defense was completely gassed by the third quarter, and Detroit was attacking freely. When the game is a blowout, role guys tend to accumulate stats that look fancier than they actually are.
That said, Jenkins is owned in only 2.8% of leagues, which is insane. He's getting 31 minutes a night, and he's the PG running the show. Even if tonight was inflated, he's a legitimate 10-12 team league pickup in points leagues, especially PPR where his assist volume matters.
Tyrese Maxey Got Exposed, But Don't Panic Yet
Tyrese Maxey scored 23 points on 8-17 shooting. That sounds fine until you look at the assist column: 1. For a guy averaging 6.7 dimes a night, that's rough. He was -5.6 on his scoring average and -5.7 on assists, getting completely shut down in transition.
The Pistons' defense was suffocating. Maxey couldn't get into rhythm, and when the Sixers fell behind early, Philly stopped running their normal sets and started chucking. It's one game. Don't sell low on reigning MVP-caliber talent. But if you're looking at waiver moves, this tells you something about how certain defenses can limit Maxey's upside.
The Massive Joel Embiid Question Nobody's Talking About
Here's what jumped out at me: Joel Embiid didn't play. Zero minutes. The Sixers didn't come out and say why, but that's a guy who averages 26.7 points and 7.6 boards on the year just sitting on the bench for a 23-point loss.
If there's an injury brewing, this is the single biggest fantasy domino that could fall. Embiid went down, and the entire Sixers offense looked confused. Paul George stepped up with 20 points and 35 Yahoo FP, which is solid but still below his 17.8 average on scoring. Without Embiid creating gravity, the Sixers are a completely different team.
Keep your eyes on the injury report. This could be a rest game, could be something worse. Either way, monitor it closely.
Tobias Harris and Ausar Thompson Made Noise, but It's Smoke
Tobias Harris had 37.8 Yahoo FP with 19 points and some solid two-way stuff. Ausar Thompson added 31 Yahoo FP off the bench. Both guys played well in a blowout, which means their stats came in garbage time when the game was already decided.
Harris is back to being a mid-tier fantasy asset, somewhere around 30-35 Yahoo FP per night. Thompson is getting 24 minutes and showing he can score, but in a game where Detroit was up 30 with five minutes left. I'm not trading for either of these guys based on tonight.
The Deeper Moves to Make
The ownership charts tell you everything: Dominick Barlow went from 2.5% to 2.8% owned. He played 29 minutes for the Sixers and put up 14.4 Yahoo FP. He's not a league winner, but in deep leagues he's available and getting run. Worth stashing if you're desperate.
On the flip side, Nickeil Alexander-Walker got absolutely crushed, dropping from 89% owned to 83.8%. That's a player people are finally cutting loose after he hasn't delivered. If you had him, you probably already know it's time to move on.
Bottom Line
Detroit looked like the better team for 48 minutes, and Jenkins had a career night running the offense. Maxey got neutralized, and the Embiid absence is the only story that really matters long-term. If he's healthy and just getting a rest day, this game means nothing. If there's something else going on, everything changes for the Sixers' fantasy value.
Don't overreact to a blowout. Don't sell Maxey. Watch Embiid's status like a hawk. And maybe grab Jenkins off waivers if he's still there in your league.