The Timberwolves will try to maintain a playoff position without the aid of Jimmy Butler. The All-Star’s knee injury means other players are going to have to step up offensively, and Jamal Crawford appears to ready for the task at hand. The 37-year-old guard scored 19 points off the bench in Minnesota’s victory over Chicago on Saturday. 
“He’s still playing like he’s 22 years old,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said of Crawford. “He was playing by himself out there for a while. When he gets rolling, he’s a hard guy to stop.”
Crawford, who joined the Wolves on a two-year deal worth approximately $8.87MM prior to the season, is averaging 19.7 points and 4.3 assists per game in three contests without Butler this season. He’s available in slightly over 94% of ESPN leagues.
Here are a few more fantasy notes from around the league:
- With the Hawks set to finalize a buyout for Ersan Ilyasova, rookie center John Collins needs to be owned in all leagues. Collins posted nine points, nine rebounds, and two blocks over 30 minutes of action against the Pacers on Friday night and if he can stay out of foul trouble, the big man should see even more run on a nightly basis.
- Keep an eye on the status of Darren Collison. The Pacers point guard isn’t expected to come back until early March — while he’s out, Lance Stephenson (available in slightly over 89% of ESPN leagues) and Cory Joseph (available in nearly 98%) will continue to be streaming options. Going forward, I prefer Stephenson of the two, though once Collison returns, both players belong on waivers.
- Check your waiver wire to see if Paul Millsap is available, as he is in over 36% of ESPN leagues. The Nuggets‘ prized offseason acquisition went through a full practice last week and although he’ll likely be on a minutes restriction upon returning, he’s worth adding in all leagues.
- The Kings are the only team with five games this week. The Spurs only play two. Every other team plays three or four contests.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Missed an earlier edition of Fantasy Hoops? Check out the entire series here.
Statistics are current through Monday morning. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.