Andrew Wiggins

Wiggins only minimally increased his field goal attempts and scoring average last year, despite Jimmy Butler's trade to the 76ers 10 games into the season. After his No. 1 selection in 2014 and Rookie of the Year honors, Wiggins increased his scoring average in each of his first three seasons, reaching an apex of 23.6 points in the 2016-17 season. He's failed to hit the 20-point threshold since, but his production in 2018-19 was encouraging. Wiggins played a career-low 34.8 minutes per game in 73 appearances, and his averages per 36 minutes were up across the board. He averaged career bests in rebounds (4.8), assists (2.5) and three-pointers (1.6) per game. Wiggins closed the season on a tear, averaging 21.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists over the final 12 games. His career-best 1.7 combined blocks/steals should give fantasy owners hope that Wiggins can improve upon defensive deficiencies that have nagged him throughout his career, though Wiggins is far more valuable on the offensive end of the floor. A volume scorer throughout his career, he'll be the clear number two option in the Minnesota offense behind Karl-Anthony Towns.

The arrival of Jimmy Butler last summer meant that Wiggins' production was likely to take a hit, and that was ultimately the case in 2017-18. With Butler finding his fit in Minnesota, Wiggins attempted 3.2 fewer field-goals per game, resulting in his scoring dipping from 23.6 to 17.7 points per game. Unfortunately for Wiggins, the decrease in volume also coincided with a drop in efficiency. Wiggins hit just 43.8 percent of his field goals -- the lowest mark since his rookie season -- and his free-throw percentage inexplicably fell from 76 percent to an unsightly 64 percent. Wiggins' game revolves around his ability to put the ball in the basket and defensive flaws have always been a major hindrance, from both a Fantasy and real basketball standpoint. While he was able to make some slight improvements on the defensive end (1.7 combined steals/blocks), Wiggins is still a long way away from being an elite Fantasy contributor on that end of the floor, which belies his physical abilities. Looking on the bright side, Wiggins has been one of the NBA's iron men since entering the league in 2014. He managed to play and start all 82 games for the third time in four seasons. Looking ahead, his role will likely remain much the same heading into 2018-19, as the Wolves bring back virtually the same core and coaching staff. Barring an injury to either Karl-Anthony Towns or Jimmy Butler, Wiggins will be fighting for touches on the offensive end and based on his most recent production, he'll battle more closely with Jeff Teague for the role of the third scoring option. Fantasy owners willing to take the risk should be able to grab Wiggins with a late-middle-round pick, although his name and pedigree as a former No. 1 overall pick often warrants unfounded hype.

Wiggins has been an increasingly utilized part of the Timberwolves offense over each of the past three seasons. He increased his field-goal attempts per game from 13.9 his rookie season, to 16.0 his sophomore season, and finally 19.1 last season. Over that stretch, he’s also managed to increase his effective field-goal percentage – a good sign for his development. Overall last season, Wiggins posted 23.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal across 37.2 minutes per game. He also shot 45.2 percent from the field and knocked down 1.3 threes per game at a 35.6 percent clip. The addition of Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague to the Wolves may result in Wiggins seeing fewer touches than usual, however. Butler, a wing, averages 23.9 point per game himself. And, while Butler has shown improved ability as a ball-handler and passer, asking him to share the floor with Wiggins will likely result in someone getting the short end of the stick. With Butler undoubtedly the better player, Wiggins will probably end up deferring some of his touches to his new teammate(s). Wiggins certainly has potential to have a great Fantasy season, with a strong possibility to improve his efficiency, though his stock may be plateauing for the first time in his career.

On the heels of a strong rookie campaign, Wiggins entered his sophomore season facing even loftier expectations. While he may have been overshadowed by Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns, Wiggins showed improvement, raising his scoring average by nearly four points per game and shooting a hair under 46 percent from the field. As was the case during his rookie year, Wiggins was more volatile from beyond the arc, closing the season shooting just 30 percent from three-point range on 2.3 attempts per game. However, he was much better over the second half of the season, converting at a 41.3 percent clip after the All-Star break, compared to just 24.4 percent before. Still, considering his physical gifts and high-profile status, Wiggins has yet to play to ascend to the level most expected when he entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2014. Consistency has seemingly been Wiggins’ primary issue. While he recorded 10 30-point games last season, he had 33 games of fewer than 20 points, somewhat of a concerning number from a fantasy perspective for a player who doesn’t put up gaudy assist or rebounding numbers. That said, Wiggins is still very much an unfinished product, and he could hit a new phase in his development as Tom Thibodeau takes over for Sam Mitchell as head coach. Wiggins would be a very profitable middle-round fantasy player if he replicates his 2015-16 season, but if he makes the leap many around the league have been waiting for, he could return third or fourth-round value.

Wiggins was the first-overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft but was dealt from Cleveland to Minnesota in the Kevin Love trade last summer. All he did after was average 16.9 points, 2.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 0.6 blocks per game en route to Rookie of the Year honors. Expected to be more of a defensive contributor than offensive in his first campaign, Wiggins benefited from a robust 36 minutes played in his rookie season, allowing him to be an excellent source of scoring for fantasy owners. His percentages still leave a bit to be desired (43 percent from the field, 31 percent from three-point-range, and 75 percent from the free-throw line), but those are still solid considering Wiggins is only 20 years old. Now firmly locked in as the Timberwolves' franchise player, Wiggins has tremendous upside due to his role, athletic ability, and improving supporting cast. It's also worth noting that Wiggins was phenomenal after the All-Star break, averaging 20.0 points in his final 29 games. If he can continue his development, particularly by improving his three-point shooting (0.5 three-pointers per game in 2014-15), Wiggins boasts perhaps the most upside of any young player in the NBA this season.

Andrew Wiggins came to Minnesota as part of the trade that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland. One of the most hyped prospects in recent memory, Wiggins will get to grow with the Timberwolves who hope that he is the next superstar wing. The Canadian-born forward spent one year at Kansas, where he averaged 17.1 points and 5.9 rebounds. Wiggins showed off incredible athleticism and a nose for the ball in college. He could be an excellent offensive rebounder for his position. While he hit just 34 percent of his three-pointers, he has fluid form and should improve from long range as he matures. Other than his currently inconsistent perimeter shot, Wiggins also lacks ball-handling skills, and he tends to drift in games (highlighted by his four-point effort as Kansas lost to Stanford in the NCAA tournament). He scored at least 20 points four times last season, including 41 points in a loss to West Virginia on March 8. Wiggins' point production may be spotty as a rookie, but he will get plenty of playing time and should be matched up defensively against the opponent's top scorer. The rookie may not be able to live up to the hype bestowed upon him, but he should be a quality player who could grow into a superstar.