MIN 132, NOP 126: Derik Queen Cleans Every Miss: 22 Rebounds
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Jasmine "Jazz" Porter
University Student ยท Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Timberwolves Steal One in NO: Role Players Step Up, Queens Go Nuclear
Minnesota pulls out a 132-126 win, but here's the thing, this game tells two completely different fantasy stories depending on which side you're on. The Pelicans had the better individual performances, but the Wolves' depth finally showed up when it mattered.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derik Queen | 54.0 | 64.4 | 30/22/4 | 11.7/7.1/3.7 | +18.3 |
| Joan Beringer | 72.0 | 63.6 | 24/13/2 | 3.9/2.3/0.3 | +20.1 |
| Jeremiah Fears | 58.0 | 62.5 | 36/10/5 | 14.3/3.7/3.4 | +21.7 |
| Joe Ingles | 48.0 | 40.2 | 15/6/10 | 1.5/0.7/1.3 | +13.5 |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | 28.0 | 38.3 | 26/4/5 | 5.6/1.2/0.9 | +20.4 |
| Micah Peavy | 42.0 | 38.3 | 21/4/3 | 4.3/1.9/1.0 | +16.7 |
| Enrique Freeman | 37.0 | 34.4 | 13/7/2 | 3.3/2.5/0.5 | +9.7 |
| Zyon Pullin | 37.0 | 30.1 | 19/3/5 | 4.6/0.6/1.8 | +14.4 |
| Trey Alexander | 35.0 | 29.7 | 16/1/1 | 5.2/1.2/1.0 | +10.8 |
| Jordan Hawkins | 23.0 | 29.5 | 13/5/3 | 5.1/1.7/0.8 | +7.9 |
The Pelicans Went Nuclear, And It Wasn't Enough
Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen put on an absolute clinic last night. Fears dropped 36 points on just 28 shots while adding 10 boards, going +21.7 from his season average. That's not a lucky night, that's a man taking over a game. He was in the gym all 41 minutes and it showed.
But here's where it gets interesting for fantasy: Queen went full beast mode with 30 points and 22 boards. A 22-board night for a center? That's elite territory. He's been averaging 11.7/7.1 all season, so this was a +18.3 explosion. If you've got Queen, last night was chef's kiss. The question is whether this is his real ceiling or a one-off that had Houston so locked down defensively that he was eating.
The problem for New Orleans is that even with those two going off, everyone else basically played role player minutes. Micah Peavy had a solid night at +16.7 from average (21 points, 7-12 shooting), which is encouraging if you own him in deep leagues. Jordan Hawkins was brutal though, 4-18 from the field while somehow still putting up 29.5 Yahoo FP off free throws (14-18 from the line). Don't get fooled by that score, he cooked.
Minnesota's Depth Finally Showed Up
The Wolves won this without their main guys doing their usual thing. No, seriously. But what killed New Orleans was seeing Joan Beringer suddenly remember how to basketball. A 24/13/2 line with 7 blocks in just 31 minutes? The season average was 3.9/2.3. That's a +20.1 swing.
Here's the thing about Beringer: she was borderline droppable a week ago. Deep bench energy. Now she's suddenly central to the Wolves' game plan at center, and if she's got any consistency in her game, she's a must-add in 12+ team leagues. Even in 10-team, you look at her on waivers and kick yourself for not grabbing her sooner.
Joe Ingles (15/6/10) doing Joe Ingles things, which means he went +13.5 on a 1.5 season average. The assists are always there with Joe, but scoring 15? That's not baseline Joe. That's Minnesota needing someone to create off the bench, and he delivered.
Terrence Shannon Jr. was the real story though. 26 points on 6-18 shooting, but he was 14-18 from the line. That's aggressive basketball. He was +20.4 from his 5.6 season average. If Shannon Jr. keeps getting this kind of usage, he's looking at 18-22 per night floor going forward. That's a guy you want on your roster.
The Waiver Wire Play
Joan Beringer is getting added in leagues everywhere right now, but honestly, she shouldn't be on waivers. If she is, drop someone you don't love and grab her. The 7 blocks is the real headline here. Even if her scoring normalizes, blocks plus 10+ rebounds puts her in top-50 territory for centers.
Kyle Anderson (0.7% owned) got mentioned in the adds, but that's more noise than signal. He didn't play tonight and has been a non-factor all season.
What This Actually Means
Minnesota steals a road win with a committee approach. Their depth is legit, which is good for win-loss but can be frustrating for fantasy because you never know who's going off. New Orleans had two absolute studs and still lost, which should tell you something about how balanced this Wolves team is getting.
For your roster, Queen might not be this explosive every night, but he's got the usage to stay relevant. Fears is your guy if you own him, but he can't carry a team every night. And Shannon Jr. is a sneaky pickup if you've got a bench spot. The role players who went off last night (Beringer, Ingles, Freeman) are basically just noise unless they show this kind of production again.