DEN 128, SAS 118: Fox Contributes 41.7 Yahoo FP
Kwame Asante
Junior Accountant · Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Denver Rolls Past San Antonio Behind Strawther's Breakout and Jokic's Efficient Brilliance
The Nuggets came into San Antonio and handled business, 128-118, in a game that featured some genuinely fascinating fantasy developments buried beneath what looked like a fairly straightforward road win. But here's where it gets interesting for your lineups: this wasn't Nikola Jokic carrying the load like usual. Instead, Julian Strawther absolutely went off, and a couple of bench pieces put up numbers that'll have you checking waiver wire pickups come morning.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Aaron Fox | 43.0 | 41.7 | 24/6/5 | 18.6/3.8/6.2 | +5.4 |
| Stephon Castle | 35.0 | 37.7 | 10/11/9 | 16.7/5.3/7.4 | -6.7 |
| Jonas Valančiūnas | 37.0 | 37.2 | 16/11/4 | 8.7/5.1/1.2 | +7.3 |
| Nikola Jokić | 40.0 | 37.1 | 23/8/1 | 27.7/12.9/10.7 | -4.7 |
| Julian Strawther | 37.0 | 36.7 | 25/6/3 | 7.2/2.0/1.1 | +17.8 |
| David Roddy | 35.0 | 36.6 | 15/13/2 | 8.0/4.0/0.8 | +7.0 |
| Carter Bryant | 37.0 | 34.5 | 13/5/5 | 4.2/2.5/0.7 | +8.8 |
| Devin Vassell | 33.0 | 29.8 | 19/4/2 | 13.9/4.0/2.5 | +5.1 |
| Bruce Brown | 36.0 | 28.3 | 14/4/5 | 7.9/3.9/2.1 | +6.1 |
| Keldon Johnson | 24.0 | 25.7 | 18/6/1 | 13.2/5.4/1.4 | +4.8 |
The Strawther Explosion Nobody Expected
Let's start with the obvious storyline: Julian Strawther dropped 25 points on 9-19 shooting with four threes. That's 36.7 Yahoo FP, and more importantly, it's a +17.8 swing from his season average of 7.2 PPG. Lad went absolutely nuclear. In 34 minutes, he was running the show offensively in ways we rarely see from bench wings. The question now is whether this is a one-off fluke or the start of something real.
Here's my read: it's probably somewhere in the middle. Denver's got depth issues at wing when their main guys are rested or in foul trouble, and Strawther clearly has the offensive chops to exploit that. But expecting 25 points every night? Nah. What I'd watch for is consistent 15-20 minute roles. If he's carving out real minutes in the rotation, he becomes a league-winner in deep formats. Right now, in the ESPN trending data, he's getting added at a modest clip. I'd grab him in 14-team leagues or deeper if he's sitting on your wire. Don't reach though.
When Role Changes Hit Different: Valančiūnas and Roddy Show Out
Jonas Valančiūnas had 16 points and 11 rebounds in just 18 minutes. That's 37.2 Yahoo FP for a guy who doesn't normally get heavy usage. His rebounding jumped +5.9 versus his 5.1 season average, and he was efficient as hell at 8-16 from the field. This screams "spot duty" rather than role expansion, but if Denver's using him for matchup-specific minutes against the Spurs' interior, you need to monitor if that continues.
Same energy with David Roddy, who went 15/13/2 in 33 minutes for 36.6 Yahoo FP. That's +7.0 on scoring, +9.0 on rebounds. He's normally averaging 8.0/4.0, so this is a legitimate step up. The rebounds especially tell a story, Denver might be using him more as a small-ball five in certain lineups.
The Jokic Efficiency Play (Not the Volume We're Used To)
Right, so Nikola Jokić, your reigning MVP, only played 18 minutes. He put up 23/8/1 on efficient 7-12 shooting plus 8-8 from the line. That's 37.1 Yahoo FP despite playing fewer than 19 minutes.
Here's what matters for your lineup: this is a classic blowout management game. Denver got comfortable early, and they weren't pushing their star through the whole night. Don't panic if you see reduced minutes going forward in games Denver can control. That's not a red flag, that's just smart coaching. But when the stakes get real in the playoffs, Jokic will be back to 35+ minutes, and those numbers will tick back up. His per-minute efficiency is still elite (1 assist in 18 minutes is weird though, almost felt like Denver's offense was just running through everyone else).
San Antonio's Silver Linings Amid the Loss
De'Aaron Fox was your night's top performer at 41.7 Yahoo FP with 24/6/5. He hit 8-21 from the field and went 4-4 from three, showcasing the kind of efficiency you need from a guard in this league. That's +5.4 above his season average, which isn't massive but solid. He stayed engaged even as the game got away from San Antonio.
Stephon Castle, though? The Rookie of the Year didn't have his night. 10 points on 3-10 shooting, but grabbed 11 boards and dished 9 assists for 37.7 Yahoo FP. The scoring wasn't there (-6.7 vs his 16.7 average), but the playmaking and rebounding kept his fantasy floor intact. For a rookie guard, that's the kind of performance that shows maturity. Don't overreact to the shooting line.
Devin Vassell had a solid one with 19/4/2 for 29.8 Yahoo FP, playing 33 minutes. Nothing spectacular, but reliable work when the rest of the team was struggling.
The Real Takeaway: Depth Games Are Tricky
This wasn't the most fantasy-friendly matchup because Denver was just flat-out better and got comfortable. When you've got a team that deep firing on multiple cylinders, the scoring gets spread around in ways that make it hard to predict. But the winners here are clear: Strawther showed he can play meaningful minutes, Valančiūnas proved he has a role if Denver needs him, and Roddy's rebound night suggests he might be getting more frontcourt opportunities.
On the Spurs side, Fox stays trustworthy and Castle's all-around game keeps him valuable regardless of shooting slumps. If you've got Strawther on your wire in a competitive league, I'd make the add. This game gave us a glimpse of Denver's bench depth actually mattering, and that's fantasy-relevant information for the rest of the season.