DAL 149, CHI 128: Nembhard Posts Double-Double, 72 ESPN FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student ยท Dallas Mavericks fan
Mavs Cruise Past Bulls 149-128: The Deep Bench Actually Carried Tonight
Real talk, this was wild. The Mavericks just obliterated the Bulls with basically a G-League roster, and I'm not even exaggerating. Half their normal rotation didn't play, yet they still won by 21. That tells you everything you need to know about tonight's performance.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Nembhard | 72.0 | 62.3 | 15/9/23 | 6.6/2.2/5.3 | +8.4 |
| Moussa Cisse | 45.0 | 51.5 | 17/20/1 | 4.5/5.7/0.2 | +12.5 |
| Lachlan Olbrich | 52.0 | 48.0 | 10/15/10 | 2.4/3.0/1.1 | +7.6 |
| John Poulakidas | 51.0 | 41.4 | 28/2/4 | 8.8/2.3/0.8 | +19.2 |
| Rob Dillingham | 41.0 | 39.5 | 25/5/5 | 6.3/2.0/2.2 | +18.7 |
| Patrick Williams | 36.0 | 35.3 | 13/4/5 | 7.0/3.0/1.5 | +6.0 |
| Tyler Smith | 35.0 | 31.4 | 20/7/0 | 4.7/2.8/0.4 | +15.3 |
| Leonard Miller | 30.0 | 28.4 | 17/7/2 | 7.8/3.9/0.9 | +9.2 |
| Mouhamadou Gueye | 29.0 | 27.6 | 11/3/4 | 8.0/3.0/3.0 | +3.0 |
| Dwight Powell | 30.0 | 27.4 | 7/12/2 | 3.3/4.1/1.1 | +3.7 |
The Unicorn Came Through
Ryan Nembhard with 62.3 Yahoo points is legitimately the most impressive line here. 23 assists on 38 minutes? That's not a typo. He was basically running the entire offense and just went nuclear. Season average is 5.3 assists per game. He just dropped 17.7 more than his norm. This looks like one of those "right place, right time" games where the bench got minutes and clicked, but Nembhard's playmaking was absurd even accounting for that.
The thing is, if he's healthy and gets this role consistently, he's a sneaky add in deeper leagues. 5.2% ownership right now is criminally low if he's about to get minutes like this. But here's the reality check: this was probably a blowout where the starters took a night off. Don't blow your waiver priority on him yet.
When Role Changes Actually Pop
John Poulakidas going 28 points, 8 threes is the kind of "wait, who?" game that makes you check the box score twice. He's usually a 8.8 PPG guy. Tonight he went +19.2. The 41.4 Yahoo points he scored is elite territory for a bench player, and it happened because he got 36 minutes in a blowout and just started raining it.
Same energy with Tyler Smith at 31.4 Yahoo points. +15.3 on his PPG average, 4 threes, clean game. These guys got opportunity and delivered, which is the dream scenario for fantasy when your starters are sitting out.
But let's be real: I'm not trading for Poulakidas after one night. This is lottery ticket behavior. You add him in deep leagues and see if the role sticks when everyone's healthy.
The Bulls' Counter Attack Actually Worked
Chicago didn't get blown out quietly. Rob Dillingham went 25 points on 11-18 shooting, 39.5 Yahoo points. Lachlan Olbrich was a monster on the glass with 15 boards and 48 Yahoo points total. These guys were battling.
Patrick Williams with 35.3 Yahoo points keeps him relevant in that Bulls rotation. He's hitting threes now (2-5 from deep) and got his steals in. Leonard Miller staying consistent with 28.4 Yahoo points. The Bulls didn't lose because they were trash, they lost because Dallas's depth was just ridiculous tonight.
The Injury Elephant in the Room
Real quick: Where were Marvin Bagley III, Daniel Gafford, Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, and basically everyone else on Dallas? That's a massive chunk of the rotation. The fact that the Mavs still won by 21 without them is either great for fantasy (when they come back, this offense goes nuclear) or concerning (are guys injured?).
If you own anyone who sat tonight, you need to check the injury report ASAP before your next games. A 149-point win where this many people don't see the floor is sus. Could be load management, could be something else.
The Fantasy Move
Marvin Bagley III got added by 0.3% of owners after tonight, which is hilarious because he didn't even play. Don't chase that. Wait for actual confirmation he's getting minutes going forward.
If you're in a deep league and Nembhard's available, throw in a low waiver claim. Same with Poulakidas if you're desperate. But this is one game where a blowout produced fantasy points that might not repeat.
The real move is selling high if you own any of tonight's Bulls role players. Dillingham and Olbrich put up numbers, but this was Chicago fighting back in a losing effort. Don't overreact to one good game from a bench player in a 21-point loss.