Anthony Edwards Gets a New Backcourt Partner in LaMelo Ball

Since Minnesota took Anthony Edwards first overall in 2020, the Timberwolves have cycled through lead guards like they're auditioning for a role that never gets cast. Ricky Rubio, Patrick Beverley, D'Angelo Russell, Mike Conley — and now, reportedly, LaMelo Ball, a peer from Ant's own draft class rather than another veteran mentor. Through all of it, Edwards just kept climbing, posting 28.8 points, 5 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 61 games last season (2025-26) for 44.1 fantasy points per game, good for our #15 overall rank and #7 at his position.

That's the headline for roster purposes: the guard next to Ant keeps changing, and Ant's production keeps holding. Each partner left a fingerprint. Rubio — who once helped Devin Booker (40 fantasy pts/game in 2025-26) and Donovan Mitchell (44.4, our #12) find their footing — was, in Edwards' own words, the best leader he'd ever been around, someone who led by both example and voice. Beverley handed the young Wolves a chip on their shoulder. Russell showed Ant what overconfidence looks like when the film doesn't match the follow-through.

What the Russell Era Taught Us

The D'Angelo Russell chapter is the cautionary one. Brought in as the cerebral floor general, he got benched during Ant's first playoff series against Memphis for his shot selection, pace and defensive limitations — replaced by undrafted Jordan McLaughlin, who simply ran the offense better. The Gobert pairing never clicked, and Russell was flipped for Conley at the deadline. Russell now sits at #226 overall (our rank), averaging just 18.9 fantasy points per game across 26 games last season in Memphis. A stark reminder that fit beats name recognition.

The LaMelo experiment is a genuine unknown. Two high-usage, ball-dominant scorers from the 2020 class sharing a backcourt is either combustible or brilliant, and there's no historical Wolves template for it — every prior guard was older, steadier, or a designated distributor. Edwards spent his early years learning to raise the players around him the way Rubio did. Whether he can share the floor with a peer who wants the ball just as badly is the season's real question.

The Fantasy Angle

Here's the reassuring part for managers: Edwards' fantasy floor has survived every backcourt reshuffle so far, and there's no reason to expect a downgrade. If anything, a creator like Ball could ease some of Ant's playmaking burden and juice his efficiency. The one flag worth noting is his recent form — he's down 10.8 fantasy points over his last five games versus his season average, so if you're monitoring a cold stretch, that's real.

Bottom line: HOLD Edwards through the noise. He's a locked-in top-10 guard whose value doesn't hinge on who runs the point beside him. If a nervous manager in your league tries to sell the LaMelo uncertainty as a discount, that's your cue to buy, not bail. Don't overthink this one.