BOS 123, PHI 91: BOS Dominates, Jayson Tatum Stars
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician ยท Boston Celtics fan
Celtics Demolish 76ers, Tatum & Brown Remind You Why They're All-NBA
Look, I'm not gonna pretend to be impartial here. I'm a Celtics guy, born and raised in Dorchester, and watching Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown go to work on the 76ers at home is just objectively beautiful. But here's the thing that matters for your fantasy squad: this wasn't just a blowout. It was a statement about who gets theirs and who doesn't when the stakes are real.
Celtics took down the 76ers 123-91, and if you had Boston's top two guys on your roster, you're feeling pretty damn good about your waiver wire priority right now.
The Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayson Tatum | 58.0 | 53.7 | 25/11/7 | 21.8/10.0/5.3 | +3.2 |
| Jaylen Brown | 43.0 | 39.3 | 26/4/3 | 28.7/6.9/5.1 | -2.7 |
| Tyrese Maxey | 28.0 | 31.2 | 21/1/8 | 28.3/4.1/6.6 | -7.3 |
| Sam Hauser | 33.0 | 26.4 | 12/7/2 | 9.2/3.8/1.5 | +2.8 |
| Payton Pritchard | 24.0 | 25.6 | 12/3/6 | 17.0/3.9/5.2 | -5.0 |
| VJ Edgecombe | 22.0 | 25.1 | 13/3/3 | 16.0/5.6/4.2 | -3.0 |
| Derrick White | 26.0 | 24.6 | 10/3/6 | 16.5/4.4/5.4 | -6.5 |
| Paul George | 19.0 | 21.3 | 17/4/1 | 17.3/5.3/3.6 | -0.3 |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | 14.0 | 20.4 | 10/7/2 | 14.1/5.0/1.6 | -4.1 |
| Neemias Queta | 25.0 | 19.9 | 13/2/1 | 10.2/8.4/1.7 | +2.8 |
Tatum Did Tatum Things
Jayson Tatum dropped 53.7 Yahoo points (58 ESPN) on 9-17 shooting, and honestly, the most interesting part isn't that he went off. It's that he went off on efficient shooting while also handling the assist load. 25 points, 11 boards, 7 dimes. He's an All-NBA first team guy for a reason.
Here's what matters: he came in averaging 21.8 PPG and dropped 25 on elite efficiency. That's the kind of performance you can't really predict night-to-night, but when it happens against a playoff-caliber opponent, it means your best player is locked in. If you own Tatum, you're holding. If you don't, you're not getting him at this point anyway.
Brown Was Fine, Actually
Look, I said it in the group chat last week and I'll say it again: Jaylen Brown shot the ball 21 times and scored 26 points. That's not inefficient exactly, but it's also not the assist machine we've seen when Boston's rolling. He was 1.8 PPG under his season average despite getting his scoring. The rebounds and steals were there (3 and 2), but this wasn't a dominant fantasy night even though the team won by 32.
That's not a red flag. That's just what happens in blowouts sometimes. Sixth man and bench guys get run, the pace slows, and your star doesn't need to carry the load. Brown still got 39.3 Yahoo points. That's a win. Just not a "trade value spike" kind of win.
Sam Hauser Is Quietly Cracking the Code
Sam Hauser hit 4 threes and finished with 26.4 Yahoo points. His season average is 9.2 PPG off the bench, so a 12-point night with that three-point volume is legitimately useful. He was +2.8 PPG vs his average and plays in a system where if the Celtics keep rolling like this, he gets consistent minutes.
Guy's only owned in 2.7% of leagues. I'm not saying go crazy hunting him down, but if you're punting somewhere or dealing with injuries, Hauser in a 12+ team league is a guy who won't tank your percentages and could give you a random 25-point night when the three-ball is falling.
The Philly Side: Maxey Tried
Tyrese Maxey dropped 31.2 Yahoo points (21/1/8) in 36 minutes and basically carried a sinking ship solo. The All-NBA first team guy on the Sixers couldn't get help, and it showed. He was minus-7.3 PPG from his season average even with decent assist volume because Philadelphia got absolutely demolished and nothing could stop the bleeding.
This is one of those games where you can't read too much into individual performance except to notice that when your team is getting smoked, even your best guys can't maintain their season-long scoring pace. Maxey's still elite. One game doesn't change that. But it's a reminder that context matters in fantasy.
Paul George shot 4-8 and hit 8 free throws for 21.3 Yahoo points. Totally fine. He was only minus-0.3 PPG vs his average, which honestly is impressive in a 32-point loss. Not a lot to say there.
The Real Story: Role Clarification
Payton Pritchard played 34 minutes off the bench and delivered 25.6 Yahoo points on decent efficiency (4-12 FG, 2-3 FT, 6 assists). He's the Sixth Man of the Year, so seeing him get real run in a blowout win is worth noting.
Derrick White is the one disappointment here. All-Defensive Second Team guy put up 24.6 Yahoo points but came in minus-6.5 PPG vs his season average. That's the kind of number that stings when you're relying on defensive-minded guards to provide floor hits. He didn't get steals, didn't jack threes, just kind of existed for 32 minutes in a blowout. Not ideal.
Neemias Queta went 5-5 from the field in 15 minutes (19.9 Yahoo points) and actually crushed his season average by +2.8 PPG per minute. That's a ridiculous efficiency spike, but it's also 15 minutes in a 32-point win where nobody cared anymore. Don't overread it.
Waiver Wire Takeaways
Dominick Barlow from the 76ers got added 0.2% this week (owns 2.7%) after tonight. I'm not saying add him. He played 14 minutes, scored 7.6 Yahoo points, and is basically a depth piece in Philadelphia. This smells like league-wide panic from people who owned him and are hoping for something. Let it go.
The league's actually adding guys like Ace Bailey, Precious Achiuwa, and Deandre Ayton league-wide, which tells you the real action is elsewhere. None of those guys are in this game, so I'm not wasting your time chasing yesterday's news.
Bottom Line
If you own Tatum or have Brown on your roster, you're good. This is playoff territory and Boston's showing they can execute on both ends. If you're punting threes, Hauser's a useful dart throw. If you own Maxey, don't panic one bit. And if you drafted Paul George expecting consistency, well, this is what consistency looks like in a blowout.
The 32-point margin makes this less valuable for fantasy purposes than a close game would've been, but it's also a reminder that sometimes the best value comes from watching how teams manage their rotations when it's already decided. Boston proved tonight they've got multiple scoring outlets beyond their stars, which matters down the stretch.