5 years agoThe ascension of Karl-Anthony Towns as one of the league’s top fantasy assets has been years in the making, but it appears that the 2019-20 campaign may be the one that puts him over the top. After a harrowing car accident last year that nearly derailed the big man’s career, Towns opens the year as the unquestioned top dog in Minnesota. The Timberwolves roster may not carry as much promise into this season as years past amidst a crowded Western Conference, but that may actually be to Towns’ benefit. There were some first-half clunkers for the big man last year, but his run of 17 double-doubles in 19 games following the All-Star break was a boon for owners down the stretch. With both Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose out of the offensive picture for the entirety of the season, Towns will likely be asked to carry the load night in, night out during the upcoming campaign. While his overall field-goal percentage dipped to 51.8 last season, he fired up 4.6 three-point attempts per game while setting a new career-high with 12.4 rebounds per contest. The only thing that could theoretically slow Towns is foul trouble, having fouled out nine times in ’18-19 and having logged five fouls in 19 other outings. Due to the structure and scoring of some leagues, there is a case to be made for spending the No. 1 overall pick in drafts on Towns.--Jesse Borek