Timberwolves 139, Bucks 106: Julius Randle posts 48.6 fantasy points
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
Timberwolves Embarrass Bucks in Minnesota, Julius Randle Goes Absolutely Nuclear
Look, I'm a Bucks lifer and it pains me to write this, but Minnesota just cooked Milwaukee 139-106 and it wasn't even close. This wasn't a competitive loss where you tip your hat. This was a full-on collapse, and the fantasy implications are messy. The worst part? The Timberwolves' role guys stepped up in a major way while our star went quiet. That's a recipe for disaster in fantasy, and if you own Giannis, we need to talk about what actually happened tonight.
Tonight's Top Performers
| Player | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | vs Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julius Randle | 48.6 | 29/8/6/1/0 | 22.2/7.1/5.7 | +6.8 pts, +0.9 reb, +0.3 ast |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 38.1 | 25/8/5/1/0 | 28.8/9.5/5.5 | -3.8 pts, -1.5 reb, -0.5 ast |
| Jaden McDaniels | 36.7 | 17/6/5/0/2 | 14.8/4.4/2.7 | +2.2 pts, +1.6 reb, +2.3 ast |
| Bones Hyland | 35.9 | 23/2/5/1/0 | 6.9/1.4/2.5 | +16.1 pts, +0.6 reb, +2.5 ast |
| Kevin Porter Jr. | 37.8 | 13/4/8/3/1 | 17.1/5.0/7.5 | -4.1 pts, -1.0 reb, +0.5 ast |
| Naz Reid | 26.6 | 19/3/2/1/0 | 14.6/6.2/2.4 | +4.4 pts, -3.2 reb, -0.4 ast |
The Winners
Julius Randle dropped a full 48.6 Yahoo points on a 22.2 average, running up +6.8 above the norm. This is the kind of performance that makes you wonder if Minnesota's big man is finally figuring it out. He went 12-18 from the floor with 4 threes and looked unstoppable in the paint. Roll with him if you have him, but temper expectations. One game against a struggling Bucks defense doesn't mean he's turned a corner.
Bones Hyland was the real story here. 35.9 Yahoo FP on a 6.9 average is an absolute eruption. +16.1 above the norm. The guy dropped 23 points in 21 minutes while shooting 56% from three. I don't care that it's against the Bucks, that's a performance that gets league-mates texting the group chat. If he's still sitting on your waiver wire, grab him now. Backup guards who catch fire like this don't grow on trees.
Jaden McDaniels added 36.7 Yahoo points on a 14.8 average, +2.2 above the norm. Nothing flashy but consistent scoring with a couple defensive plays thrown in. He's been quietly solid all season and tonight was no exception.
The Letdowns
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38.1 Yahoo points on his 28.8 average, which sounds fine until you realize he shot 7-14 from the free throw line and went 0-3 from deep. He was -3.8 from his norm, which doesn't sound like much until you remember we're talking about the All-NBA first-team guy. The Bucks got blown out and Giannis never got rolling. He still put up decent counting stats but the efficiency was rough. Don't panic sell, but this is a reminder that even the MVP candidates have clunkers.
Kevin Porter Jr. came in at 37.8 Yahoo points on a 17.1 average, so that's -4.1 below norm. Eight assists looks good on the surface but 5-11 shooting in a blowout isn't moving the needle. He's your depth piece and tonight he played like one.
The Trends
Here's what jumped out at me from the nursing angle. The Bucks got absolutely destroyed from a spacing perspective. Minnesota's bench guys like Joan Beringer (24 Yahoo FP, +10.1 above his 2.9 average) and Jaylen Clark (20.2 Yahoo FP, +4.0 above norm) got legitimate run because Milwaukee's defense collapsed. When role players light it up like that, it's usually because the opposing bench is getting minutes in garbage time or the overall scheme is broken.
The real trend: Minnesota is deep and Wisconsin is struggling. Bones Hyland playing 21 minutes and dropping 23 points tells you the Timberwolves are comfortable going small and letting bench guys eat. If that continues, he becomes more than a waiver wire flier.
The Moves
Add: Bones Hyland immediately. I don't care if you have to drop someone. A 35+ point night from a bench guard at 6 percent ownership screams opportunity. Even if tonight was an outlier, he's got proven scoring ability and increased playing time lately.
Drop: Cole Anthony. He's getting 9 minutes on a bad team. There's no path to relevance here. The Bucks have too many guards and he's not breaking through. At 2.3 percent ownership, nobody's going to miss him.
Trade target: Consider buying low on Giannis if he had a bad week overall. One game doesn't scare me on a dude this talented. The Bucks are also-rans right now but they'll figure it out. Don't sell panic.
Next Up
The Bucks need to answer some serious questions about lineup construction. The Timberwolves showed exactly what happens when you let role players beat you. For your fantasy purposes, keep an eye on whether Bones Hyland gets continued minutes or if tonight was a one-off. Julius Randle's next game will tell us if this is sustainable or just a good night.
If you owned Milwaukee guys tonight, take the L and move on. This one stung.