CHI 129, WAS 98: Williams Coasts to 57 ESPN FP in Blowout
Destiny Williams
Math Teacher & Basketball Coach ยท Atlanta Hawks fan
Bulls Expose the Wizards' Patchwork Lineup, and Your Fantasy Roster Needs to Pay Attention
The Chicago Bulls didn't just beat Washington on Tuesday night. They demolished them 129-98, and the fantasy implications are way bigger than the final score suggests. This wasn't a game where role players got lucky. This was a complete mismatch that exposed exactly who's reliable when the Wizards are missing half their rotation.
Let me be direct: the Wizards were absolutely gutted. No Trae Young, no D'Angelo Russell, no Alex Sarr, no Anthony Davis. That's your primary ball-handler, your wing depth, and two-thirds of your frontcourt. In fantasy terms, that's like showing up to draft day without your first three picks. Of course they got cooked.
Here's what actually matters for your teams:
Tonight's Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Reese | 47.0 | 47.2 | 17/11/4 | 11.4/11.3/2.0 | +5.6 |
| Patrick Williams | 57.0 | 46.4 | 20/7/6 | 6.8/2.9/1.4 | +13.2 |
| Collin Sexton | 43.0 | 45.3 | 15/9/7 | 15.3/2.3/3.3 | -0.3 |
| Rob Dillingham | 44.0 | 39.4 | 26/7/2 | 5.9/1.9/2.2 | +20.1 |
| Tre Jones | 41.0 | 36.9 | 20/2/9 | 13.8/3.1/5.5 | +6.2 |
| Lachlan Olbrich | 31.0 | 30.4 | 7/7/2 | 2.1/2.4/0.8 | +4.9 |
| Leonard Miller | 30.0 | 30.1 | 13/8/1 | 7.0/3.6/0.7 | +6.0 |
| Bilal Coulibaly | 33.0 | 29.1 | 19/3/1 | 11.5/4.3/2.5 | +7.5 |
| Justin Champagnie | 23.0 | 25.6 | 5/8/2 | 8.6/5.5/1.2 | -3.6 |
| Bub Carrington | 22.0 | 24.3 | 14/4/7 | 10.3/3.4/4.6 | +3.7 |
The Bulls Went Nuclear, But Here's the Catch
Patrick Williams went absolutely bonkers for 46.4 Yahoo points. 20 points, 7 boards, 6 assists, 3 steals on 6-8 shooting with 4 threes? That's not sustainable when you're usually averaging 6.8 points a night. He was +13.2 from his season average. That's elite volume and efficiency in a game that was over by halftime. Against a normal Wizards team, he doesn't get 31 minutes. Don't panic-add him, but don't trade him away either. This is what happens when a reserve gets run against a shorthanded squad.
Rob Dillingham going for 26 points on 9-15 shooting is the real story. That's +20.1 from his season average. He's hitting 5 threes in a blowout. The Wizards' perimeter defense is non-existent without Russell, and that's not a repeatable situation. This was a schedule-spot game, not a breakout performance. He's a deep bench guy who had his moment.
Collin Sexton stays steady. 45.3 Yahoo points with the stat line you want: 15 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals. He was -0.3 from his average on scoring but absolutely went off on the boards and playmaking. 30 minutes of solid, consistent work. That's your glue guy. This is exactly what you're paying for with Sexton.
Tre Jones put up 36.9 Yahoo points with 20 points and 9 assists on efficient shooting (8-15 FG). That's +6.2 from his average but way more sustainable than the other names here. He ran the offense and didn't turn it over once. Real point guard play.
The Wizards' Bright Spots Don't Matter (Yet)
Julian Reese dropped 47.2 Yahoo points with a clean 17/11/4 line. Yeah, he had 3 steals too. That's your double-double, and for a center averaging 11.4/11.3, the rebound total was solid. But here's the thing: the Wizards got blown out so bad that fourth-quarter garbage time made everyone look better than they were. Reese is still your guy if you own him, but don't get tricked into thinking this changes anything about his trajectory.
Bilal Coulibaly went for 29.1 Yahoo points with 19 points and 2 threes. That's +7.5 from his average. In a normal game where the Wizards stay competitive, he doesn't see 23 minutes. He doesn't launch this many shots. This was opportunity created by a blowout, not evidence of a role expansion. Know the difference.
Bub Carrington had a solid night with 24.3 Yahoo points and 7 dimes, but he was still just 5-12 from the field. He's a floor raiser who doesn't have ceiling games. That matters.
Who Actually Got Exposed
The Wizards rotation players who didn't play? That's your real story. Missing your lead playmaker, your scoring wing, and your defensive anchor, and the team gets destroyed by 31. That's not surprising, it's expected. The problem is this kind of lineup construction (win or lose big) makes it impossible to trust role players for consistency.
Meanwhile, Justin Champagnie (25.6 Yahoo) and Leonard Miller (30.1 Yahoo) got their minutes and did decent things defensively, but against real competition, they'll see different roles. Don't add them. Don't trade for them. They had jobs because the game was already decided.
What This Means for Your Roster
If you own any Wizards players, don't panic-sell based on this game. It's an anomaly created by wholesale absences. But if you've been thinking about upgrading or downgrading the role players around the Wizards core, this is your validation that depth matters.
If you own any Bulls bench guys who went off tonight? Take the performance as a win, but don't bet your season on it repeating. Patrick Williams isn't suddenly a 20-point scorer. Rob Dillingham isn't a league-winner. But Collin Sexton? He's exactly the kind of steady performer who makes weeks win or lose. Don't get distracted by the noise.
Schedule your add/drops based on what's actually sustainable, not what happened in a 31-point beatdown. That's how you build consistent production.