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Do Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves have another level to offer in fantasy and reality next NBA season?

Do Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves have another level to offer in fantasy and reality next NBA season?

Yahoo29-05-2025
The playoffs are where stars rise and weaknesses get exposed. For every team sent packing, we'll analyze the standout players primed for growth and a major question mark that could impact the team's fantasy value ahead of the 2025-26 season. Up next, the Minnesota Timberwolves ...
Making consecutive trips to the Western Conference finals is an accomplishment, not a disappointment. The Wolves were one of the best teams during the final quarter of the NBA regular season and won a couple of rounds in decisive fashion. The unexpected run ended on Wednesday night, as the Oklahoma City Thunder completed the gentlemen's sweep over Minnesota, closing them out in a 124-94 blowout in OKC. That's no knock on the Wolves, as they inevitably had to face off against the NBA's best who were an unstoppable force on both ends all season long. Still, there's a lot to like about the Timberwolves moving forward.
I'm not engaging in the exhaustive debate on whether he should or shouldn't be the face of the league. What I do know is that Ant-Man has taken major strides year-over-year and is quickly establishing himself as a star in real life and fantasy.
He led the league in 3s made and put up career-highs in points and shooting efficiency (59.5 TS%). He sported a 30-plus percent usage rate again, only adding to his versatility as a secondary playmaker. The high turnover rate is baked into his floor price, and its worth noting that he received a few votes for the NBA's All-Defensive Team.
I have Edwards as a top-15 option in most points and 9-category formats when factoring his durability —playing 79 games in three consecutive seasons and never less than 72 games per year in his career. Edwards' offensive growth, highlighted by improvements in assist rate and shot selection, signals continued upside in both scoring and secondary stat contributions.
McDaniels was a hidden gem in fantasy this season, returning a seventh-round value after going undrafted in 68% of Yahoo leagues. Since he's not a volume scorer who carries a sub-20% usage rate, his skillset caters more to category over points leagues. That aside, his postseason play showed he can turn up offensively when given the chance.
Jaden McDaniels this season➡️playoffs:12.2 ➡️ 15.4 PPG5.7 ➡️ 6.1 RPG1.3 ➡️ 1.4 SPG47.7 ➡️ 55.4 FG%Stepping up. pic.twitter.com/rHSxe04iL1
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 20, 2025
McDaniels doesn't hurt you anywhere — he's efficient, gets stocks and has a low turnover rate. He's a core member of the Wolves' future and any bump in production would have him replicating a top-80 type of season. I'm in on him being an option in the seventh round.
Then there's Julius Randle — the wildcard. With a $30.9 million player option looming, his decision to stay or test the waters will be another situation to monitor this offseason.
The Thunder managed to revert Randle back to Playoff Julius of the Knicks in this series, holding him to two of his worst scoring performances of his postseason career. Those down moments shouldn't minimize his overall impact in the postseason, though. He was arguably the Wolves' most consistent player prior to the OKC series.
Julius Randle appreciation post pic.twitter.com/lvXkEm0gky
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) May 9, 2025
When it comes to fantasy, however, he vastly underperformed, finishing six rounds lower than his average draft position (ADP) of 62. The production dropoff is understandable given the change in role and environment, but fantasy managers missed on a guy who typically has 20-10-5 upside. The usage rate remains strong, so a bounce back is more likely than not if he stays in the Twin Cities.
I'm more inclined to draft Randle around the sixth round in points leagues. Category formats? I'd avoid paying that cost.
It's a pivotal offseason for Minnesota, especially following another Western Conference finals exit, where it's clear that tweaks are necessary to become a champion. The rotation could undergo some significant changes with Naz Reid's imminent extension, Nickeil Alexander-Walker's impending free agency and, of course, Randle's player option. Still, the Timberwolves had four players inside the top 100, proving they're a solid place to glean fantasy value.
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Unlocking Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s power could push Blue Jays from great to terrifying
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New York Times

time11 minutes ago

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Unlocking Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s power could push Blue Jays from great to terrifying

TORONTO — As the thumping beat of a post-win playlist filled the Toronto Blue Jays' clubhouse, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s locker sat empty. Most players stood by their stalls, packing up to quickly leave the ballpark. A few others lingered on the outfield turf, greeting family and friends after a win over the San Francisco Giants. Guerrero was not among them. Advertisement Instead, Toronto's $500 million franchise player stood in the batting cage tucked within the bowels of Rogers Centre. One of the franchise's top sluggers, Edwin Encarnación, looked on, perched on a high-top chair as Guerrero gripped a bat with both hands and stepped up to a tee. In many ways, Guerrero's 2025 campaign has been undeniably good. By the metric wRC+, he's hitting 35 percent better than the league average. He's chasing less than ever before and on pace for a 13.6 percent walk rate, which would be a career high. He's the most valuable player, by Baseball Reference WAR, on the top team in the American League East. For most players, it would be the best season of their career. But Guerrero's established ceiling is higher — the kind that earned him the third-largest contract in MLB history. His ceiling is greatness. It's a hunt for that peak that sent Guerrero to the cage even after a Blue Jays win. He was held to a lone single in the preceding contest and grounded into an early double play that snuffed out a scoring chance. It was his 14th straight game without a home run. So there Guerrero stood, 30 minutes after the final pitch, searching for his signature swing. 'Sometimes,' Guerrero said, 'when you don't feel right at the plate, instead of going home and watching videos, I can just go in there and try to enjoy myself, try to put my mind to the next day. For me, that helps me a lot to calm down and believe in myself.' Guerrero says he feels good and his swing feels mostly right. 'When we're winning, everything is good for me,' he said. In seven games since the All-Star break, he's hit .444 and driven in six runs. But the difference between Guerrero's 2025 campaign and the previous heights remains clear. He's on pace for 21 home runs, nine fewer than last year. His .448 slugging percentage is nearly 100 points lower than in 2025. The contrast lies in the power. Advertisement Perhaps it's nitpicking the best player on one of baseball's best teams. The way the 2025 Jays are constructed, with role player heroism and many platoons, they haven't required a carrying force. But if there's a hitter who can put the entire roster in a backpack and run them up a hill, it's Guerrero — that's why the Blue Jays gave him a half-billion dollars to anchor the franchise until 2040. 'It's not a secret,' manager John Schneider said. 'We don't need Vlad to be Superman, but we need him to be him. You know what I mean? And by power standards, right, probably everyone's looking for a little bit more.' Guerrero's intermittent power, hitting coach David Popkins said, is rooted in a season-long search for his 'A-Swing' — the smooth, natural slash that punishes mistake pitches. His batting average on offerings right down the middle (.373) is the lowest since his rookie season. Last year, it was .517. He still makes consistent contact. He unleashes the league's highest exit velocities, and his expected wOBA is the ninth highest in baseball. But the powerful hits find dirt more often than the outfield bleachers. The search for that A-Swing spans across cage work, batting practice and games. Guerrero works closely with practically every coach on the Blue Jays staff, from the trio of hitting coaches to a special assistant in Encarnación and bench coach Don Mattingly. Each has their strengths — Encarnación helps with mindset, and the hitting coaches bring expertise on daily game plans, pre-pitch hand slots and swing timing. It's a lot of help to foster the best from the franchise player, but it's on Guerrero to distill that advice into one swing. 'You listen, but not everything they're gonna tell you is gonna be good for you,' Guerrero said. 'But you have to listen. And to me, you can add something from everyone. Like Edwin told me something, Donnie taught me something, like the hitting coaches. And then I can realize and say, 'OK, I might take this, I might take this, I might take this.' So to me, doesn't matter that a lot of people talk to me. Of course, I know how to hit, and I can pull all that together.' Advertisement There are moments when Guerrero looks tantalizingly close — a single swing that teases a gargantuan hot streak. Against the Giants, he lashed at a misplaced Robbie Ray slider. With a blistering bat crack, the crowd instantly roared. They immediately knew where the ball would land. The swing snapped Guerrero's 14-game homer drought, depositing a pitch in the left-centre bleachers. But even that trip around the bases doesn't tell Guerrero he's locked in — it's not quite the A-Swing indicator. Of Guerrero's 13 homers this season, 11 have been pulled. Last year, 18 of his 30 blasts went straightaway or to the opposite field. It's those line drives to right-centre, Guerrero said, that inform the first baseman his swing is locked in. This year, at least on homers, those drives have largely eluded him. 'Right now, he's close to where he wants to be,' Encarnación said. 'His timing, the rhythm. I don't worry much about the numbers he has right now. He's going to get there in September, the numbers are going to be there.' Amid the search for his ceiling, Guerrero adjusted. He's found ways to drive balls with his 'B-Swing,' Popkins said, like the yanked inside pitch in Wednesday's win over the Yankees, skittering a ball into the left-field corner to cash George Springer from first. There's a patience in Guerrero's approach, as well. Making some noise 🔥 — Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 24, 2025 You can't show opposing pitchers you're going to take, the slugger said, but he's swinging less than ever before and on pace for a career high in walks. In past seasons, the weight of Toronto's run-scoring success fell squarely on Guerrero's shoulders — a power dip like this would've sunk the entire team. But this year, the Jays' lineup gives Guerrero reason for faith — justification to walk. There's a trust that appears when ball four whizzes by the zone and Guerrero spins his bat toward the dugout as Bo Bichette steps up behind him. Bichette is on pace for 93 RBIs, second most in his career. Addison Barger hits .365 with 20 RBIs in 17 games in the five-hole. 'For as pedestrian as his season may be,' Schneider said. 'I think that his walk rate being where it is shows that he is not trying to do too much.' Through it all, the A-Swing search continues. There's unwavering confidence in every word spoken about Guerrero's season. It's never 'if' the home runs will come, but 'when.' Encarnación says he's close. Popkins and Schneider say he's one swing away. The first baseman, himself, said the long balls will soon come in bunches. Advertisement If that undeniable power streak never arrives, Toronto's offence could be fine. They rank ninth in runs scored, entering Thursday, and are jockeying for the best record in baseball. But there's a ceiling to Guerrero's offence that hasn't flashed yet this season. If it does — if he finds that 'A-Swing' — the Jays could shift from serious contenders to something much scarier. So the search continues. 'He cares, man,' Encarnación said. 'He cares about hitting, and he wants to win. He wants to continue to help this team win games and make history. That's why you see him hitting, even after the game.'

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