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
     
  • 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
     
  • Jaden McDaniels scores eight points in Game 5 loss
    Jaden McDaniels logged 21 minutes in Thursday’s 124-103 loss to the Mavericks, amassing eight points (3-of-6 FGs), one rebound, two blocks, and two 3-pointers.

    Advice: McDaniels struggled with fouls in Game 5, playing a series-low 21 minutes as a result. After scoring 24 points in the series opener, the Timberwolves wing struggled in Games 2 and 5 while producing solid all-around efforts in Games 3 and 4. McDaniels is one of the top wing defenders in the NBA, but his fantasy value is capped due to his being no higher than fourth in the offensive pecking order on most nights. While his status as a starter led many fantasy managers to select Jaden with a late-round pick (Yahoo ADP: 114), he finished just inside the top 200 in 9-cat formats. McDaniels should be selected in most drafts, but managers must keep their expectations in check. Rotoworld Thursday, 8:53 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
     
  • Still sidelined for Game 5
    Prosper (ankle) has been ruled out for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against Minnesota on Thursday.

    Advice: Prosper continues to deal with an ankle injury and will be unavailable for a 16th consecutive game. It's unclear when he'll be able to return. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 1:51 pm
     
  • Improves in Game 4
    Towns closed with 25 points (9-13 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes before fouling out of Tuesday's 105-100 victory over the Mavericks in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: Towns had been heavily criticized due to his shooting struggles throughout the series, but he bounced back in a big way Tuesday, missing just one of his five attempts from beyond the arc and just four of his 17 shots overall when including free throws. One game won't erase all his struggles, but this was certainly a step in the right direction. Towns will need to produce at this rate again if Minnesota is going to win Game 5 on Thursday to extend the series. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 7:57 am
     
  • Takes on limited role in return
    Kleber (shoulder) played 13 minutes and finished with two points (1-3 FG, 0-2 3Pt), one rebound and one assist in Tuesday's 105-100 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: The Mavericks were without backup center Dereck Lively (neck) for Game 4, but the return of Kleber from an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder -- which he suffered in Game 6 of the opening-round series against the Clippers -- helped restore some depth in the frontcourt. Kleber and Dwight Powell (three minutes) saw only light run behind Daniel Gafford (31 minutes) and P.J. Washington (42 minutes), and if Lively is back for Game 5 on Thursday, Kleber could see his playing time decline further. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 7:36 am
     
  • Karl-Anthony Towns bounces back, scores 25 points
    Karl-Anthony Towns amassed 25 points (9-of-13 FGs, 3-of-3 FTs), five rebounds, one assist, and four 3-pointers in 30 minutes in Tuesday’s Game 4 win over Dallas.

    Advice: Towns still hasn’t shaken the penchant for committing silly fouls, but he was far more effective in Tuesday’s Game 4. Before fouling out with a little over one minute remaining, KAT was more aggressive offensively, refusing to settle for perimeter shots. Towns took seven shots from the field before attempting his first 3-pointer, and he shot 4-of-5 from deep on the night. With Towns scoring 20 of his 25 after halftime, this is the kind of performance Minnesota will need in Game 5 on Thursday if they’re to push the series to a sixth game. Rotoworld Tuesday, 8:19 pm