NBA Showdown Playbook March 26: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Golden State Warriors Top Picks
Sunday should mark the return of Anthony Edwards for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night’s NBA DFS slate. We still await word on the availability Karl-Anthony Towns who returned to the court on Wednesday after a four-month injury absence. On the Warriors’ side, Gary Payton returns to potentially provide strong value to our lineups. Both of these teams are fighting for playoff positioning, so there should be plenty of DFS options for our rosters. Here are the NBA DFS top plays we can invest in for our lineups on FanDuel and DraftKings!
Minnesota Timberwolves Injuries
Anthony Edwards – QUESTIONABLE
Karl-Anthony Towns – QUESTIONABLE
Jaylen Nowell – QUESTIONABLE
Golden State Warriors Injuries
Gary Payton – PROBABLE
Andrew Wiggins – OUT
Andre Iguodala – OUT
MVP/CAPTAIN
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (PG)
How good has Steph Curry been against Minnesota in his two games against them this year? He averages 52.4 fantasy points this season despite shooting only 39.5% from the floor against them. The Timberwolves have been a bottom-eight team against point guards all year long and Mike Conley now ranks 29th among point guards in defensive plus-minus this season. Even an average shooting day could get Curry back North of 50 fantasy points with ease in this one.
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (SG/SF)
According to reports, there is strong optimism that Edwards will be back in the lineup tonight after missing a few games with an ankle injury. Minnesota desperately needs his playmaking and his shooting ability to keep up with the Warriors, especially if Towns is out in this one. In his three games against Golden State this year, Edwards averages over 40 fantasy points per game despite shooting just 35% in those contests.
Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves (C)
Power forward Karl-Anthony Towns returned to the floor after four months on Wednesday, but is now apparently feeling sore after so much time away. He is not expected to play on Sunday, which opens up all kinds of opportunities for players like Naz Reid and Rudy Gobert in the middle. Gobert has scored more than 33 fantasy points in six of his last seven games and Golden State allows the second-most fantasy points to centers in the last 15 games.
UTILITY
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors (SG/SF)
Thompson has been at his best when playing Minnesota this season. They have allowed him to shoot almost 45% from deep this season which has resulted in almost 35 fantasy points per game against the Timberwolves. It’s no surprise that Thompson is having success since Minnesota allows the fifth-highest three-point percentage to opponents this season. They are also bottom of the league in rebounds and steals allowed to shooting guards, so this matchup sets up perfectly for Thompson.
Kyle Anderson, Minnesota Timberwolves (SF/PF)
The best thing about Kyle Anderson in DFS is he has a very safe floor but also the potential for an extremely high ceiling. He has scored over 32 fantasy points twice already this season against Golden State and the opportunity for more shots and rebounds without Towns patrolling the paint is evident. The Warriors’ defense has been struggling without guys like Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II lately. They have the seventh-worst defensive rating in the league over the last ten games.
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (PF/C)
Green flirts with a triple-double in his two games against Minnesota this season, averaging 14.5 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists per game against them. They have also allowed Green to shoot 65% from the floor while also contributing 1.5 blocks + steals per game. Over their last 30 games, Minnesota allows centers to put up numbers such as 15 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game.
DART THROWS
Gary Payton II, Golden State Warriors (PG)
The Warriors have stated that Gary Payton is ready to go after missing time with an adductor muscle injury and not playing since February 8th. This is a nice little DFS gift for us because he is priced at the minimum $1,000 on DK which means he doesn’t have to do much at all to give us plenty of value at that bargain-basement salary. He surely will have some kind of minutes restriction, but even 14-16 fantasy points are worth it considering he allows you to do whatever you want in the rest of your lineup.
Taurean Prince, Minnesota Timberwolves (SF/PF)
Prince has been partying like it’s 1999 over the last two games, turning back the clock to the tune of 36 fantasy points and 30 minutes per night for Minnesota. His production increases always coincide with Towns missing time so there is a likelihood we could see him back in the starting lineup if KAT does not suit up. Considering the Warriors are up to first overall in pace and down to 18th in defensive rating, this is a great matchup for someone like Prince with a low $4,000’s tag.
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Player News
Buddy Hield had 15 points (5-of-14 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and four three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Hield moved into the Warriors’ starting lineup in the first round and the team became somewhat reliant on his scoring. With Stephen Curry (hamstring) out in Game 2, Hield started and played 29 minutes. The 32-year-old shooting guard led the Warriors in field goal attempts, though no one in a Golden State uniform was able to reach 20 points. The Warriors weren’t able to overcome a double-digit first half deficit. Despite the four made three-pointers, they’re going to need more from Hield as the series shifts to Golden State, especially if Curry remains out.
Jimmy Butler had 17 points (6-of-13 FGs), seven rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers against the Timberwolves in Game 2 on Thursday.
Butler couldn’t get it done without Stephen Curry (hamstring) on the road in Game 2. The Warriors fell behind by double-digits early and never recovered. Butler had 17 points on 13 shots, which wasn’t far off from the 20 points he had in Game 1. Still, the Warriors have to regroup as they head home for Games 3 and 4 as they try to figure out a way to keep this series close until Curry can return to the court.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points (7-of-13 FGs), two rebounds, three assists, one block and four three-pointers in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Alexander-Walker was a key scorer off the bench in Game 2. He, Naz Reid and Donte DiVencenzo combined for 10 made three-pointers off the bench. In a game where the Warriors were desperate for scoring without Stephen Curry (hamstring), those bench points were too much to overcome as the Timberwolves won by 24 points.
Julius Randle had 24 points (10-of-17 FGs), seven rebounds, 11 assists and one three-pointer in Game 2 against the Warriors on Thursday.
Randle led the Timberwolves in scoring in the Game 2 victory. The 30-year-old power forward was just three rebounds away from a triple-double. He was a steadying presence in his 33 minutes as Anthony Edwards dealt with an ankle injury towards the end of the first half. Edwards recovered from his injury to play 34 minutes, but Randle is still the next most important player in this series for the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards had 20 points (6-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block and two three-pointers in the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory over the Warriors in Game 2 on Thursday.
Edwards appeared to suffer a sprained left ankle towards the end of the second quarter as the Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis landed on his foot. Edwards turned the same ankle in the first round against the Lakers and appeared to re-aggravate the injury. The 23-year-old shooting guard would go on to start the second half and play a team-high 34 minutes in the Game 2 victory. Edwards will only have one full day off before the series resumes in Golden State for Game 3 on Saturday.
Warriors will start Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post in Game 2 against the Timberwolves on Thursday.
No surprise here as Curry was always a long shot to make it back for Game 2 after leaving Game 1 with hamstring injury. While there has been a report that the 37-year-old point guard is expected to miss a week, there is no firm timetable for his return. The Warriors will go big with their starting lineup for Game 2 with center Quinten Post entering the lineup in Curry’s absence.