Since the All-Star break, Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns has been posting incredible stat lines, sending his value in FanDuel NBA play soaring.
Numerous centers were unexpectedly made available at the trade deadline, but at no point did the Minnesota Timberwolves ever entertain offers for Karl-Anthony Towns.
Aside from his dip in shot blocking, Towns has shown steady improvement across the board from last season’s Rookie of the Year campaign, secured by a unanimous vote.
The sophomore center has increased his scoring by 5.7 points per game, with his 24 points a night ranking 13th most in the league, and his rebounding by 1.7 a night, with his 12.2 serving as the NBA’s sixth highest average.
In each of the past five games, Towns has posted at least 20 points and 15 rebounds. Towns has scored 20 or more points in 16 consecutive games. The only player with a longer active streak is teammate Andrew Wiggins.
The 21-year-old already boasts a polished post game, averaging 4.8 points per game and shooting 49.1 percent from the field with his back to the basket.
Towns has even incorporated a potent step-back jumper, popularized by Dirk Nowitkzi, into his offensive arsenal.
Karl-Anthony Towns doing his best Dirk Nowitzki impression with this fadeaway.
— NBA SKITS (@NBA_Skits) February 28, 2017
pic.twitter.com/4me0SM1Uy7
On shot attempts within 10 feet of the basket, Towns is connecting 60.9 percent of the time.
Along with his exceptional post game, Towns possesses a viable long range shot, connecting on 34.8 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc this season, and has the ability to create his own shot off the dribble.
In the four games since the All-Star break, Towns has averaged 28.3 points, 18 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks per game, resulting in 53.2 FanDuel NBA tournament points a night.
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The uptick in rebounding can be attributed by the ability of Towns to continually put himself in position to collect errant shots. According to NBA.com, Towns is in position to rebound the ball 20.8 times a game and manages to secure a rebound 58.9 percent of the time.
Towns has pulled down 221 offensive rebounds, the fifth most in the league, resulting in 3.1 points per game off put-backs.
The exceptional scoring and rebounding numbers has resulted in Towns becoming one of the most expensive FanDuel NBA roster options, with his $10,400 price tag being the fourth highest salary for any player available Saturday night.
For the season, Towns has produced the seventh most FanDuel NBA points on a nightly basis, posting 44.47 points a night.
The only other primary post players scoring more fantasy points a night are the New Orleans duo of DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis.
Fifteen times in the past 16 games Towns has managed to score 40 or more fantasy points in FanDuel NBA tournament play, making him a solid foundational piece to build any roster around.