NOP 156, UTA 137: NOP Handles UTA, Fears Stars
Maya Chen
UX Designer ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Pelicans Win Ugly But Fantasy Gold Mines Emerged in 156-137 Victory
The Pelicans held on against the Jazz 156-137 in what was basically a fantasy playground for role players and bench guys. If you're playing deep leagues or needed streaming options to save your season, this game was your lottery ticket. If you own the Jazz's All-NBA guys, well... we need to talk about what happened to them.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah Fears | 71.0 | 62.0 | 40/5/6 | 13.4/3.6/3.3 | +26.6 |
| Kennedy Chandler | 61.0 | 54.4 | 31/7/8 | 12.0/2.8/6.2 | +19.0 |
| Derik Queen | 51.0 | 49.9 | 17/12/7 | 11.2/6.8/3.6 | +5.8 |
| Jordan Hawkins | 62.0 | 49.2 | 25/6/4 | 4.2/1.5/0.7 | +20.8 |
| Jordan Poole | 57.0 | 47.9 | 34/2/5 | 12.9/1.9/3.0 | +21.1 |
| Bez Mbeng | 57.0 | 47.1 | 26/3/3 | 4.6/3.3/3.3 | +21.4 |
| John Konchar | 54.0 | 47.0 | 12/10/10 | 4.2/4.0/1.8 | +7.8 |
| Kevon Looney | 44.0 | 39.4 | 7/12/6 | 2.7/5.3/1.3 | +4.3 |
| Micah Peavy | 37.0 | 30.8 | 20/4/2 | 3.8/1.8/0.9 | +16.2 |
| Cody Williams | 25.0 | 28.3 | 19/4/5 | 8.5/2.9/1.9 | +10.5 |
Pelicans: The Deep Bench Came Through
Look, I don't know what happened with New Orleans' usual rotation, but this was a clinic in role players going absolutely nuclear. Jeremiah Fears dropped 40 points on 17-29 shooting with 6 assists. That's 62 Yahoo FP and he was +26.6 from his season average. This isn't a "wait and see" situation. Fears went off because the Jazz defense let him, but 40 points is 40 points. The problem? He's averaging 13.4 PPG for a reason. Don't overpay for this performance.
Jordan Poole was the real story though. 34 points on 7 threes in 31 minutes with 57 ESPN points. That's +21.1 versus his average. Poole's been streaky all year but when he gets hot like this, he's a back-end rotation piece that can win you a week. I got him on my bench in both leagues and yeah, I'm absolutely considering plugging him in next time New Orleans plays a soft defense.
Kevon Looney (my forever lucky player, btw) pulled down 12 boards in 28 minutes. 39.4 Yahoo FP. Look, I know Looney's been my superstition pick forever, but there's something real here. He's matching his season average in boards while seeing increased run, and the Warriors connection means consistency. If he stays in the mix with this Pelicans unit, he's a league winner in 12-team leagues.
The rest of the Pelicans bench? Derik Queen with 49.9 Yahoo FP on solid efficiency (6-9 FG). Micah Peavy with 20 points on 9-13 shooting. Even Jordan Hawkins (25 points, 62 ESPN FP) exploded in limited minutes. This wasn't a one-man show, this was role player roulette where everyone hit.
Jazz: Where Did Everyone Go?
Here's the actual problem. The Jazz's top tier guys didn't play. Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Walker Kessler, Dejounte Murray. All zero minutes. For fantasy purposes, this is disaster territory. You can't plan around players not showing up.
That said, Kennedy Chandler stepped up with 54.4 Yahoo FP on 31 points, 8 assists, and 7 boards. He played 43 minutes and hit 7-8 from the line. The thing is, this is bench production masquerading as a starter's performance because everyone else was gone. Don't trade your future for Chandler's one-night stand numbers.
Bez Mbeng (26 points, 47.1 Yahoo FP) and John Konchar (12/10/10 for 47 Yahoo FP) both had legitimate nights. Konchar's double-digit assist line is worth noting for deeper leagues, but again, this is what happens when a team is completely gutted.
The Real Message
If you're in a deep league or playing in a stream-heavy situation, file away Jordan Poole, Bez Mbeng, and Micah Peavy for future reference. They proved they can produce when opportunity knocks. Derik Queen is already on your radar probably, but he's looking like a consistent run guy.
Kevon Looney stays on all my teams because he just did Looney things, and I refuse to stop believing.
For Jazz owners? This looks like a situation where their stars got rest or had some kind of issue. Check the injury reports before you panic. But if Keyonte George, Markkanen, and the bigs stay healthy going forward, one weird loss doesn't break your season.
The waiver wire is already moving on this, with Ace Bailey getting dropped (50.5% owned, down 0.3%). Fair. He didn't play, so there's no reason to hold him if he's not getting minutes.