Last Updated on November 15, 2025 2:03 pm by Mike Passador | Published: November 15, 2025

Friday was busy and while it lacked the same volume of highs that we saw on Thursday, there was still a lot to sift through.

Steph Curry topped the Spurs for the second straight game, dropping 49 points in a back-and-forth thriller. Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox were both excellent in their own right but Curry was just too much. That’s a pretty good way to quiet the noise around the Warriors.

The Knicks were down Jalen Brunson and lost OG Anunoby in the first quarter, but some heroics from Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson saved the day.

The Pistons were missing all five of their projected starters but it didn’t matter; they keep getting guys to step up night after night and managed to take down the Sixers. Daniss Jenkins, Paul Reed and Javonte Green did the damage in the starting five while Caris LeVert and a returning Isaiah Stewart powered the bench. Something special is brewing here.

Kevin Durant scored 16 in the first and ended up with 30 in a big win vs. Portland. That’s the second game in a row where KD has gone huge in the first quarter and pumped the brakes right after. A major line could be coming. Instead, it was Alperen Sengun who delivered the line of the night with 25-10-9, three steals, three blocks and three 3-pointers.

The Kings changed their starting lineup again and Russell Westbrook triple-doubled, but both DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk were basically invisible and the Kings got throttled again. Eventually they’ll change the rotation to benefit someone other than Westbrook, but not just yet.

LaMelo Ball (right ankle) returned from a five-game absence and double-doubled in 27 minutes as the Hornets fell in OT, but that extra session meant big numbers for a handful of players, including Miles Bridges and Sion James. Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee) was back after missing one game and dropped 18 assists as Kyle Kuzma was on a major roll. He was promoted to the starting five and might get some time to prove himself as the Bucks are once again searching for a fifth starter.

The Clippers beat the Mavs in double-OT in a matchup of two reeling teams whose seasons are already teetering on disaster. John Collins battled foul trouble but James Harden, Ivica Zubac and Bogdan Bogdanovic all delivered monster lines to put LA over the top. Dereck Lively returned for Dallas but was clearly behind Daniel Gafford in the pecking order, while D’Angelo Russell clocked in with his random good game of the month and Naji Marshall impressed with 28 points. A real rebuild is on the table in Dallas, so fantasy GMs will want to watch whatever happens night-to-night.

Last but not least, the Lakers topped the Pelicans as Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton all cooked up big lines. It ended up being Willie Green’s last game behind the bench as the Pelicans dismissed him on Saturday morning with the team off to a 2-10 start. Green made the playoffs two times in his four-plus seasons but the Pelicans look like they’re in the middle of a deep backslide right now.

James Borrego will be the interim coach and one imagines that there will be some rotation changes. Jeremiah Fears may have locked down the starting SG spot but Borrego could promote Jordan Poole when he’s cleared to play again. The big question will be what happens at center, as Green has been giving Kevon Looney some low-impact courtesy starts. Derik Queen, Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic have all been fighting for the leftovers and perhaps new leadership will allow the more compelling fantasy options to shine.

Top Pickups

This is the “general must-add” section regardless of the slate. If these players are being overlooked and remain chilling on the waiver wire, consider adding them to your squad.

Jeremiah Fears (19%)

Fears has the starting PG spot and a high-usage all to his own on a rebuilding team that will let him play through mistakes, and that all on its own is worth rostering. The question has always been whether Fears can score enough to overcome the weaknesses in his stat set. Naturally, last night he scored 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting to go with four rebounds, seven steals and two 3-pointers. Sounds good to us. It won’t be like this very often but any sign that Fears is capable of more than low-efficiency scoring is potentially meaningful.

Keon Ellis (4%)

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