Timberwolves 104, Spurs 103: Donte DiVincenzo posts 50.3 fantasy points
Destiny Williams
Math Teacher & Basketball Coach ยท Atlanta Hawks fan
Donte DiVincenzo Just Became Your New Closer and Nobody's Talking About It
Look, I'm gonna be straight with you. Minnesota just survived a one-point scare against San Antonio, and while everyone's probably fixated on Anthony Edwards not showing up like usual, the real fantasy story is Donte DiVincenzo just putting on a masterclass in why role players matter. Dude dropped 50.3 Yahoo FP on a night when the Wolves needed someone to actually make shots. That's your closer moving forward.
Tonight's Top Performers
| Player | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | vs Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donte DiVincenzo | 50.3 | 19/9/7 | 13.4/4.5/4.2 | +5.6 pts, +4.5 reb, +2.8 ast |
| Victor Wembanyama | 46.9 | 29/7/1 | 23.9/10.9/3.0 | +5.1 pts, -3.9 reb, -2.0 ast |
| Naz Reid | 40.2 | 17/11/2 | 14.6/6.2/2.4 | +2.4 pts, +4.8 reb, -0.4 ast |
| Jaden McDaniels | 33.5 | 12/5/1 | 14.8/4.4/2.7 | -2.8 pts, +0.6 reb, -1.7 ast |
| Julius Randle | 31.6 | 15/8/4 | 22.2/7.1/5.7 | -7.2 pts, +0.9 reb, -1.7 ast |
| Anthony Edwards | 29.9 | 23/2/3 | 28.9/5.0/3.8 | -5.9 pts, -3.0 reb, -0.8 ast |
Tonight's Top Performers
Here's what jumped out to me as a coach watching this one. DiVincenzo hit seven shots and went 5-for-7 from three in 38 minutes. That's not volume shooting, that's efficiency. He exceeded his season average by almost six points and added nearly five boards over his norm. This is the guy who's gonna eat on nights when the primary scorers are struggling. He finished with 7 assists too, running the point when needed. That's not a one-off performance, that's a professional doing his job at a high level.
Wembanyama looked like a future franchise player even in just 26 minutes, going 10-for-10 from the line. Dropped 29 points, exactly five above his season norm. San Antonio's getting him rest in this one but he's still dominating when he touches the floor. The rebounding dipped (7 vs his 10.9 average), which tells me they had depth scoring working and didn't need him in the trenches all night. That's actually good news for his fantasy value long term, means load management isn't the killer some people feared.
Naz Reid just quietly put together a glue guy night. 17 points, 11 boards, exceeded his season scoring and crushed his rebounding average by nearly five. He's averaging only 6.2 boards normally, so 11 is special. This is exactly the kind of performance that wins weeks in fantasy without you even thinking about it. Role players who do the boring stuff right are underrated as hell.
The Winners
Donte DiVincenzo walks away with 50.3 FP, up 5.6 from his 13.4 season average. This is the kind of night that changes how you think about him. He's not a starter by reputation but he's been playing starter minutes (38 tonight), and when he gets the opportunity he's efficient as hell. If the Wolves keep him in this role, he's a legit streaming target going forward.
Victor Wembanyama stayed elite even on a night where they were clearly managing his minutes. 29 points, 7 boards, 3 steals, perfect from the line. He's the third-team All-NBA guy for a reason. When he's on the floor he impacts winning, and fantasy follows winning.
The Letdowns
Anthony Edwards went ice cold and that's the story nobody wants to hear. 23 points sounds fine until you realize he's averaging 28.9. That's almost a six-point drop on a 10-for-21 shooting night. Two assists, zero steals, zero blocks. For a guard with his upside, that's rough. Thing is, one bad game doesn't panic me when a player's been consistent all year. But owners should clock this and not overreact if next game's similar. Could just be a defensive gameplan.
Julius Randle got exposed hard. 15 points on 4-for-11 shooting, down seven from his 22.2 average. Eight boards is solid, four assists is fine, but 7-for-12 from the line tells me he was forcing it all night and couldn't get in rhythm. This feels like a matchup thing more than a trend, but definitely watch next game to see if San Antonio's interior defense was just that disruptive.
The Trends
MinnesotaNeed needs Donte to stay aggressive. When Edwards isn't clicking, they need secondary scoring to keep defenses honest, and DiVincenzo proved he can do that. Give him 35-plus minutes and you're looking at consistent 35-40 FP nights.
Wembanyama is getting managed beautifully by San Antonio's coaching staff. 26 minutes and still elite production means they're protecting him for the long haul. That's good. Don't expect 40-minute games from him, but expect consistency in lower volume.
The Moves
Add Donte DiVincenzo immediately if he's available in your league (only 7.2% owned according to the trending data). Runs point sometimes, plays heavy minutes, shoots threes. That's a fantasy profile. Pair him with a backup center and you've got stability.
Drop Harrison Barnes without hesitation. He's already down 0.2% in ownership after dropping only 19.2 FP. Dude went 5-for-11 from the field. The Spurs have too many bodies and his role is murky. Don't waste a roster spot.
Trade for Naz Reid if you can. He's exactly what wins fantasy weeks, the glue guy nobody talks about. If someone's selling low after a Julius Randle spike earlier this season, use it.
Next Up
Minnesota needs to figure out the Edwards situation before their next game. One off night doesn't concern me, but two in a row and we're having a different conversation.
San Antonio's got pieces. Wembanyama's a generational talent, Castle had a rough night (18.7 FP, way down), but Champagnie stepped up with 26.5 FP. Watch if that becomes the pattern or if Castle bounces back next time.
One more thing: as a Hawks fan, I'm just happy to see Trae Alexander's old squad making noise. But from a fantasy perspective? DiVincenzo's your guy to grab right now. That's my teacher's pet pick of the week.