This week, the Timberwolves knocked off the Lakers to win first-round series in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history; LeBron James, 40, doesn’t know how long he plans to keep playing; and Amen Thompson dominated both ends of the court as Houston stayed alive. Other Fantasy basketball stories we’re tracking include…

Fred VanVleet Is Lighting It Up

In 2020-21, the Houston Rockets bottomed out with a .236 winning percentage and have been steadily building since. At first, there were some baby steps (.244 in 2021-22 before .268 the following season). But last season, Houston finished .500 and then took it to the next level in 2024-25, posting a .634 winning percentage to punch its first playoff ticket since 2019-20.

The Rockets were near the top of the NBA in terms of rebounding, and really had no obvious weaknesses, except, we suppose, experience. That would definitely help explain the 3-1 hole Houston dug for itself in its first round matchup against the battle tested Golden State Warriors.

But Houston showed some moxie on Wednesday in staving off elimination and forcing a Game Six. One of the keys to victory was holding the Warriors to 34.1 per cent shooting from three-point range, continuing a trend that has seen the Rockets allow the seventh-lowest percentage from deep among playoff teams.

Other than Thompson’s big game, Fred VanVleet deserves some love for stepping up on Wednesday. VanVleet is injury prone enough that we have recommended his understudy as a stash for when he next got hurt, but he’s healthy now and it shows.

He poured in 26 points (including 19 in the first half) on superb 8-of-13 shooting on Wednesday, with four treys and even a rare block. VanVleet has scored at least 17 points in three straight, canning a combined 15 treys over this stretch while continuing to be flawless from the line throughout this series.

A point guard capable of making quick and smart decisions running the offense, he’s worth considering as a DFS play while he’s on fire. His touches dipped down the stretch, but have risen dramatically in the playoffs. Knee and ankle woes limited him to 60 games this season, and he wasn’t as accurate as usual from beyond the arc, but sure is making up for that now.

Detroit Looking to Tie Series

Another team going through a rebuild that finally bore fruit – albeit, in a less linear fashion – is the Detroit Pistons. Last season, they bottomed out with the worst season in franchise history, winning just 14 games, but in 2024-25, they boosted that total by 30 to earn their first playoff appearance since 2018-19.

Detroit’s improvements were fueled by a defense that paced the NBA in blocks and was among the top rebounding units. The Pistons are still middling in terms of assists and turnovers, but made progress in both areas this season, especially the latter.

On a young team with little postseason experience, veteran Tobias Harris has provided a steadying presence. While he took a step back this season, from a Fantasy perspective there’s nothing wrong with his level of production, as we discussed in late-November.

And when the Pistons staved off elimination on Tuesday, Harris provided a nice boost, scoring 17 points with eight boards, four blocks and three treys. He’s scored 15 or more in four of the five games so far, doing nice work on the glass, getting more blocks than usual and offering perfect work at the line. Small wonder he’s at -720 to score at least 10 points on Thursday as per FanDuel.

Harris’ PT really dropped down the stretch as he dealt with a heel injury, but he’s playing big minutes in the playoffs and has seen a boost in touches over the regular season.

Waiver Wire Pick of the Week

Moses Moody, SG/SF, Golden State Warriors (ESPN: 3.9 per cent; CBS: 18 per cent): We pimped Moody in mid-November as a speculative deep league option, and it was a great choice as his role kept increasing as the season progressed. And while he’s been inconsistent in the playoffs so far, on Wednesday he showed what he can do with 25 points, nine boards, three treys, two assists, two steals and a block. Moody is subject to streakiness like most bench players, but when he’s seeing 24 minutes or more and gets on a roll, he’s a very viable Fantasy option, and who knows — he may get the start in Game Six.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

Natural Self, born Nathanial Pearn, is a U.K.-based down-tempo artist/DJ. In 2008, he released The Art of Vibration, which includes the bouncy number “In the Morning.”