CLE 130, WAS 117: Proctor Posts 43.2 Yahoo FP
Kwame Asante
Junior Accountant · Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Cavs Bench Unit Saves the Day, But That's Actually Terrifying for Their Stars
Alright, so the Cavaliers just beat the Wizards 130-117, which sounds comfortable enough until you realize half their regular rotation didn't play. Let me be direct: this was chaos masquerading as a win, and if you're holding Cavs assets, we need to talk.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyrese Proctor | 45.0 | 43.2 | 22/11/8 | 5.4/1.3/1.5 | +16.6 |
| Nae'Qwan Tomlin | 48.0 | 42.1 | 26/8/5 | 5.8/2.9/0.8 | +20.2 |
| Bub Carrington | 45.0 | 41.9 | 20/2/9 | 10.7/3.4/4.6 | +9.3 |
| Jamir Watkins | 41.0 | 35.3 | 24/4/3 | 7.4/3.9/1.3 | +16.6 |
| Justin Champagnie | 32.0 | 31.7 | 13/6/3 | 8.7/5.6/1.2 | +4.3 |
| Tristan Enaruna | 37.0 | 31.1 | 15/3/3 | 4.1/1.6/0.8 | +10.9 |
| Jaylon Tyson | 24.0 | 28.7 | 18/6/3 | 13.2/5.1/2.2 | +4.8 |
| Sharife Cooper | 35.0 | 28.4 | 20/2/6 | 8.1/2.1/3.0 | +11.9 |
| Olivier Sarr | 29.0 | 27.2 | 10/6/2 | 3.5/2.8/1.3 | +6.5 |
| Julian Reese | 32.0 | 26.6 | 14/3/0 | 11.8/10.5/1.8 | +2.2 |
The Cavs' Problem
Look at that box score. Donovan Mitchell (0 min), Evan Mobley (0 min), James Harden (0 min), Jarrett Allen (0 min). These aren't bench guys. These are your core four, and they were nowhere to be found. Even Dennis Schröder didn't suit up.
The Cavs managed 130 points on their bench. That's genuinely impressive. But it's also a massive red flag. Either there's an injury situation nobody's talking about, load management heading into the playoffs, or something's genuinely wrong. This isn't normal rotation management three-quarters through the season.
For your fantasy teams, this means next game could look completely different. Jarrett Allen is already getting dropped league-wide (down 0.6% ownership to 82.7%), and honestly, I get it. If he's healthy, why's he sitting? If he's not healthy, he's a liability.
The Wizards' Bright Spots Actually Matter
This is where it gets interesting. The Wizards got absolutely cooked, but their secondary players went off.
Bub Carrington put up 41.9 Yahoo FP on decent efficiency (7-18 FG, but 4 threes made). That's 9.3 points above his 10.7 season average. He was running the offense and actually made plays (9 assists). In a loss, that's decent volume work, but don't get seduced into thinking this is sustainable. He's a role player in a bad team, and one good game doesn't change his floor.
Jamir Watkins though? That's different. 35.3 Yahoo FP off 7-13 shooting with five threes made and 5-6 from the line. That's +16.6 points vs his season average of 7.4 PPG. Kid can shoot, clearly. But this feels like a ceiling game against a short-handed defense. Track his shot volume next game before you overreact.
Sharife Cooper did 20 points on 8-11 shooting. That's +11.9 vs his 8.1 season average. Again, elite efficiency, but against a depleted Cavs squad. Real test is when he faces actual defense.
The Cavs' Bench Went Absolutely Nuclear
Tyrese Proctor is the story here. 22/11/8 on 9-16 shooting is exactly what you want to see from a backup guard. That's 43.2 Yahoo FP, which is +16.6 vs his 5.4 PPG season average. He played 34 minutes. The assists (11) and rebounds (8) from a guard are genuinely valuable production.
But here's the thing: if Donovan Mitchell plays next game, Proctor's minutes tank. This was mop-up ball against a weak Wizards team. Don't add him thinking you've found league gold.
Nae'Qwan Tomlin had 26/8/5 on 9-16 shooting with four threes. That's 42.1 Yahoo FP, +20.2 vs his season average. Solid line, efficient night. He played 36 minutes, so there's real usage there. But same problem: nobody knows if this is a rotation game or if the Cavs are actually leaning on him long term.
Olivier Sarr grabbed 27.2 Yahoo FP off limited minutes (24 min), going 4-6 from the field with a three and a block. That's +6.5 vs his season average. Low-volume sample size, but the efficiency is clean.
The Waiver Wire Takeaway
Jarrett Allen is getting dropped. Don't panic sell him yet, but if you've got bench depth issues, I understand cutting him until we know what's happening with the Cavs. The ownership drop (-0.6%) makes sense because the situation is murky.
Everyone else who went off tonight? Monitor them, don't add them. You're seeing ceiling games against a bench unit. Ceiling games are fun for one night. They're not fantasy gold.
The real move is waiting. The Cavs' full roster coming back next game will tell you everything you need to know about minutes and usage. Until then, treat last night as what it was: a weird night with half a team missing.