Minnesota

Timberwolves

Gobert hasn’t played since before the All-Star break, which has allowed Naz Reid to thrive as part of the starting lineup. If Gobert returns, Reid will likely return to playing his typical significant role off the bench, though it is unlikely that he matches his production from the past few weeks.

McDaniels breakout season continued Wednesday as the 24-year-old power forward had another big game. McDaniels’ 29 points were tied with Anthony Edwards for a team-high. He also had 10 rebounds to earn himself a double-double and contributed two steals on the defensive end. McDaniels ranks inside the top-25 in fantasy value over the last two months.

Randle suited up for the second game of the back-to-back Wednesday despite initially being questionable with a groin injury. The 30-year-old power forward had a great game. Randle poured in 25 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out nine assists. He was merely one assist shy of a triple-double. Randle missed almost a month with a groin injury this season, but hopefully for fantasy managers he can stay healthy over the rest of the season.

Edwards got off to a great start in March when he dropped 44 points against the Suns last Sunday. The 23-year-old shooting guard had another excellent performance against the Hornets Wednesday as he dropped 29 points, dished out six assists and had six three-pointers. He also contributed on the defensive end with two steals and a block. Edwards has been top-25 in fantasy value since the All-Star break.

With Wednesday’s game being the Timberwolves’ second in as many nights, Mike Conley (rest) will not play. DiVincenzo will move into the starting five, making his first start since returning from the mid-January toe injury that sidelined him for six weeks. That’s the only change to the starting lineup.

Initially questionable for Wednesday’s game, Randle will play both ends of the Timberwolves’ back-to-back despite recently returning from a strained groin. That’s good news for fantasy managers, as he is Minnesota’s second offensive option behind Anthony Edwards.

Randle has handled a solid workload since returning from a lengthy layoff and might get a night off against a struggling Charlotte team. Terrence Shannon Jr. could be poised for a return to the starting lineup if Randle is ruled out.

Gobert will miss his ninth consecutive game while Conley will get a breather after appearing in eight straight contests. Naz Reid will likely continue starting for Gobert and Nickeil Alexander-Walker could step in for Conley.

Most of NAW’s big nights as a scorer have come when he is starting, but he was able to provide buckets as a reserve on Tuesday. This was Alexander-Walker’s third 20-point game off the bench this season, with two of those coming since the All-Star break. NAW is more than capable of contributing value in nine-cat leagues, but he is a risky option to stream in when he isn’t in the starting lineup. Still, it was nice to see him play this well as a reserve.

McDaniels has finally enjoyed a breakout statistical season in Minnesota, and he has turned into a fantasy star over the past two months. He ranks inside the top 25 in nine-cat value during that stretch, and the main recent for his improvement has been that he is finally contributing defense stats. He has long been considered one of the best defensive players in the NBA, but it doesn’t mean as much to fantasy managers if the steals and blocks don’t come along with it. Minnesota had three more games this week, with a matchup in Charlotte on Wednesday up next.