Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Kyle Anderson hopes to return to Minnesota
    During his season-ending media availability, pending free agent forward Kyle Anderson said he hopes to remain with the Timberwolves.

    Advice: A reliable option off the bench for the Timberwolves, Anderson will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. In 79 games, SloMo averaged 6.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 22.6 minutes, shooting 46.0% from the field and 70.8% from the foul line. Anderson hopes that he and the Timberwolves come to terms on a new deal, with the fit being good on and off the court. “My family’s here,” Anderson said on Friday. “My son is on the spectrum. He’s doing really well here in the Minnesota school system, and his development is really key. And he’s doing so well, so, you know, that plays a part into it.” While he will have value among playoff-caliber teams, Anderson’s decision is unlikely to impact fantasy basketball significantly. Rotoworld Yesterday, 7:05 pm
     
  • Minimal impact in loss
    Alexander-Walker recorded zero points (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt), one assist and two steals in 14 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: Alexander-Walker averaged just 3.4 points, 1.6 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 15.4 minutes across the Western Conference. He also struggled mightily with his efficiency, shooting 28.6 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from three across the five contests. However, the 25-year-old guard converted 39.1 percent of his 4.1 three-point attempts per game during the regular season and will head into the 2024-25 campaign under the last year of his two-year, $9 million contract. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:38 pm
     
  • Struggles with efficiency
    Anderson provided seven points (3-9 FG, 1-4 3Pt), three rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal over 33 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: Anderson's 33 minutes played in Game 5 were his highest of the series, largely due to his role in guarding Luka Doncic. Anderson will end the Western Conference Finals averaging 7.4 points, 3.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 22.4 minutes across the five contests. The 30-year-old forward will head into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. Anderson's future in Minnesota is uncertain as he went from averaging 28.4 minutes across 69 appearances, including 46 starts in 2022-23, to 22.6 minutes across 79 appearances, just 10 of which were starts, in 2023-24. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:32 pm
     
  • Goes down swinging
    Towns ended Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals with 28 points (9-20 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists and one steal across 38 minutes.

    Advice: Despite putting up his best game of the series Thursday, Towns' efforts weren't enough to avoid defeat. The 28-year-old big man tied Anthony Edwards for a team-high 28 points and led Minnesota in rebounding. Towns will finish the Western Conference Finals averaging 19.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33.2 minutes. He also struggled mightily with his efficiency, shooting just 37.9 percent from the field and 24.2 percent from three across the five games. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:24 pm
     
  • Productive in return
    Lively posted nine points (3-3 FG, 3-6 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks over 25 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 win over Minnesota in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: Lively returned to action Thursday after missing Game 4 due to a neck injury. The rookie big man returned to his role of coming off the bench but splitting minutes at the center position with Daniel Gafford as a platoon. Lively averaged 9.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in 22.0 minutes across his four appearances in the Western Conference Finals. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:06 pm
     
  • Karl-Anthony Towns posts 28/12/2/1 line in Game 5
    Karl-Anthony Towns shot 9-of-20 from the field and 9-of-10 from the foul line in Thursday’s 124-103 loss to Dallas, tallying 28 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer in 38 minutes.

    Advice: Towns may have tied for the team lead in scoring, but he had another rough night from three in Minnesota’s final game. After shooting 4-of-5 from three in Game 4, KAT was 1-of-6 on Thursday night. He shot 24.2% from three for the series and 37.9% from the field overall. A player many expected to approach top 25 fantasy value before the season began, Towns was a 4th-round player in 9-cat formats. While the chemistry between KAT and Rudy Gobert improved, the continued emergence of Anthony Edwards factored into the former’s fantasy production. As long as Minnesota keeps Towns and Gobert together, the former will have a lower fantasy ceiling than he did pre-trade. Rotoworld Thursday, 8:16 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II plays 25 MIN in return to action
    Dereck Lively II (neck sprain) finished Thursday’s win over the Timberwolves with nine points (3-of-3 FGs, 3-of-6 FTs), eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocked shots in 25 minutes.

    Advice: Lively was back in the rotation after sitting out Tuesday’s Game 4 defeat, and the rookie was impactful on both ends of the floor. He didn’t miss a shot from the field and was also effective as a playmaker in the short roll. Add in eight rebounds and three blocked shots, and Lively was one of the other difference-makers in Game 5. Starting center Daniel Gafford was also 3-of-3 from the field, tallying 11 points, nine rebounds, and one blocked shot in 20 minutes. Next up for Dallas are the Celtics in the NBA Finals, which begin on June 6. Rotoworld Thursday, 8:11 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II (neck) available for Game 5 Thur.
    Dereck Lively II (neck sprain) is available for Thursday’s game against the Timberwolves.

    Advice: Lively is back after sitting out Tuesday’s Game 4 defeat, meaning Dallas will have both of its preferred centers available. Daniel Gafford remains the starter, while Lively’s return means fewer minutes for Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell. One of those two veterans is likely to fall out of the rotation entirely. Rotoworld Thursday, 4:39 pm
     
  • Available to play Thursday
    Lively (neck) is available for Thursday's Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Timberwolves.

    Advice: Lively participated in the Mavericks' morning shootaround and underwent his routine in pre-game warmups, so it's unsurprising to see him available, as he looked active and had no apparent limitations in his movements. He'll likely see regular minutes off the bench, as he's logged 21.0 minutes per game in the current series while averaging 9.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. Rotowire.com Thursday, 4:30 pm