DEN 116, MIN 105: Jokić's 55.1 Yahoo FP Leads the Way
Maya Chen
UX Designer · Golden State Warriors fan
Nuggets Survive Wolves in Nail-Biter, Murray Carries Load While Jokic Stays Steady
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikola Jokić | 59.0 | 55.1 | 25/13/11 | 27.7/12.9/10.7 | -2.7 |
| Anthony Edwards | 47.0 | 49.3 | 22/9/7 | 28.8/5.0/3.7 | -6.8 |
| Jamal Murray | 37.0 | 44.5 | 30/5/7 | 25.4/4.4/7.1 | +4.6 |
| Bruce Brown | 39.0 | 34.9 | 8/7/3 | 7.9/3.9/2.1 | +0.1 |
| Rudy Gobert | 32.0 | 32.0 | 17/10/2 | 10.9/11.5/1.7 | +6.1 |
| Aaron Gordon | 28.0 | 30.1 | 17/8/3 | 16.2/5.8/2.7 | +0.8 |
| Jaden McDaniels | 26.0 | 29.1 | 16/8/3 | 14.8/4.2/2.7 | +1.2 |
| Julius Randle | 23.0 | 26.4 | 16/7/2 | 21.1/6.7/5.0 | -5.1 |
| Donte DiVincenzo | 29.0 | 24.8 | 12/4/2 | 12.2/4.1/3.8 | -0.2 |
| Christian Braun | 22.0 | 23.1 | 12/8/1 | 12.0/4.8/2.7 | +0.0 |
Denver pulled off the 116-105 W last night against Minnesota, and if you had Jamal Murray in your lineup, you cashed a check. If you had Anthony Edwards, you probably still cashed, but maybe not as big as you'd hoped.
Let's break down what actually mattered.
Murray Goes Into Beast Mode at the FT Line
Jamal Murray had himself a night and honestly, it's the kind of performance that looks weird until you actually watch the tape. 30 points on 7-22 shooting should look like a disaster, but then you see 16-16 from the free throw line and suddenly it makes perfect sense.
Murray finished with 44.5 Yahoo FP, +4.6 above his season average. He was getting to the rack constantly, attacking downhill when Minnesota's defense got a little loose. This is the All-NBA level execution we signed up for when drafting him, and it's exactly why he went where he did. The shooting percentage will normalize, but the aggression and the willingness to get to the line? That's repeatable.
Jokic Does Jokic Things (Slightly Quieter Edition)
Nikola Jokić put up 55.1 Yahoo FP with 25/13/11, which is genuinely elite, but here's the thing, he was actually -2.7 points below his season average. For the reigning All-NBA MVP and the engine that drives this whole operation, a slightly off night still means a triple-double and near triple-digit fantasy output. That's not a concern, that's just what happens when your ceiling is that high.
40 minutes played, 11-19 shooting, complete control of the game when it mattered. The Nuggets won because Jokic was Jokic, and Murray decided to turn into a free throw machine.
Edwards Left Points on the Table
Anthony Edwards finished with 49.3 Yahoo FP, but that -6.8 point dip from his season average stings a little. He's been absolutely cooking all year at 28.8 PPG on decent efficiency, and while 22 points and 7 assists isn't trash by any measure, you know he can do more.
The issue? He was 7-19 from the field. He got his looks, especially down the stretch, but the shots weren't falling the way they usually do. It happens, and honestly, for anyone who owns Edwards, this is a buy signal if you can get someone to sell low. One off night doesn't change the fact that he's a top-tier scorer when it matters most.
The Gobert Enigma Continues
Rudy Gobert put up 32 Yahoo FP with 17/10 on 8-9 shooting. That's +6.1 above his season average, which is solid, but here's what kills the fantasy upside: only 1 steal and 0 blocks. For a guy whose value hinges partly on elite defense, that defensive game didn't show up in the box score, even though anyone watching knew he was doing work on that end.
If you need rebounds and efficient scoring, Gobert is your guy. If you need rim protection stats, well, you're still paying for potential that doesn't always materialize.
The Deep Bench Made Noise
Bruce Brown with 34.9 Yahoo FP on 21 minutes of work? That's the kind of usage bump that matters. 5 steals in that timeframe is borderline absurd. He's not a guy you're chasing, but if he's sitting on your waiver wire in a 12-team league, there's depth value here depending on injuries.
Aaron Gordon stayed steady at 30.1 Yahoo FP, and Christian Braun hit 23.1 with some balanced scoring and rebounding. These aren't exciting names, but they're floor guys who won't tank your week.
The Real Story: Denver's Depth Flex
What jumped out watching this one is how many Nuggets got meaningful minutes and didn't embarrass themselves. Tim Hardaway Jr., Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon all did their thing. This team has so many guys who can hit a shot that closing games becomes nightmare fuel for opponents.
For fantasy purposes, the takeaway is simple: if you own Jokic or Murray, you already know what you have. If Edwards keeps shooting like this, he's still a hold because one game never defines a season. And if you're streaming at the guard spot, Denver's bench production makes them a team to target going forward.