Nickeil

Alexander-Walker

Alexander-Walker is good to go after being listed as questionable on the initial injury report. He’ll occupy his usual place in the Timberwolves’ second unit, providing deep-league value at best.

Alexander-Walker hasn’t missed a game yet this season and is in danger of sitting ahead of the weekend. Donte DiVincenzo will pick up additional minutes if Nickeil can’t go on Friday, as Rob Dillingham (ankle) is out.

NAW had a solid night in fantasy hoops, though he did almost all of his work before the break. He entered halftime with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal, which means that he only contributed two assists in the second half. NAW has been a solid rotation piece for them, but he isn’t a great option in fantasy basketball, aside from when he gets the chance to start. He was one of the few bright spots for them in this game, but he should be left on the waiver wire.

Alexander-Walker came off the bench and only played 24 minutes, but still managed to have the second-most shot attempts for Minnesota. The Timberwolves have plenty of other mouths to feed with Mike Conley, Julius Randle and Naz Reid. It takes a perfect storm for Alexander-Walker to outproduce all of them, making him difficult to count on in fantasy when the Timberwolves have an otherwise healthy roster.

Alexander-Walker was at his best during the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points to give Minnesota a chance at sweeping their two-game set in San Francisco. Ranked just inside the top 150 in 8- and 9-cat formats over the past two weeks, Alexander-Walker is only an option in most fantasy leagues when the Timberwolves are without Mike Conley.

NAW has been a solid rotation piece for Minnesota this season, but that hasn’t always translated into fantasy production. However, he is in the midst of a strong stretch. He has scored in double figures in three straight games and recorded his first double-double of the season in this one. With both Donte DiVincenzo and Jaden McDaniels struggling this season, NAW has been vital to keeping this Timberwolves team competitive. Unfortunately, he still hasn’t been good enough statistically for him to be considered a must-roster player, though he is having the best season of his career.

Rostered in 4% of Yahoo leagues, Alexander-Walker has not been consistent enough to merit a higher percentage. But he played well on Wednesday, and the minutes comparison between him and Donte DiVincenzo is worth tracking. DiVincenzo’s struggles continued on Wednesday, as he shot 2-of-7 from the field and scored five points in 25 minutes. The rostered percentage should increase if the minutes flip and Alexander-Walker plays more than DiVincenzo.

This will be a third straight absence for Conley, with Donte DiVincenzo and Nickeil Alexander-Walker each seeing starts over the last two games. DiVincenzo got the start in their last game, but both players should play extra minutes with Conley sidelined.

With Mike Conley sidelined with a toe injury, DiVincenzo will get his first start with Minnesota. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had started their last game in place of Conley, and he should still see a significant role off the bench.

Conley will miss a second consecutive game, meaning Nickeil Alexander-Walker remains in the starting lineup. NAW didn’t play well in Thursday’s loss to Toronto, but Minnesota’s lack of options at point guard makes him a must-stream. Donte DiVincenzo’s fantasy value will also be boosted with Conley sidelined.