Jaden McDaniels
McDaniels is a starting-level two-way forward whose scoring role may grow after the Randle trade, but I could not confirm where he lines up in the regular-season starting five.
Role
He played 31 minutes in a 117-94 win over the Raptors on Oct 25 (Rotowire via CBS Sports) and was a listed starter in preseason. Offseason coverage assumed a starting five of Ball, Edwards, Dosunmu, McDaniels and Gobert. Finch said in the offseason that he did not see McDaniels as the starting power forward right away. Trey Lyles was signed, but one blog sees him as best suited to a reserve role. I found no current reporting on who starts at power forward, and none on a usage rate. The rest note for the Friday preseason game against the Bulls is a maintenance-type absence. Earlier rest days in the preseason (Miami) and an April 2026 rest game for knee maintenance suggest Minnesota manages his workload. I did not verify a regular-season back-to-back pattern. Last season's line shows 1,631 minutes.
Randle and Reid are gone, so there are more shots and minutes available. He shot a career-best 41.2 percent from three last season per CBS Sports, and in the preseason he went 4-of-6 from deep against Indiana. He also had 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks on Oct 25. Rotowire says he could take on a larger scoring role.
His fantasy value depends on efficiency, because his contributions outside good shooting nights are modest (Rotowire). A move to power forward carries risk: he weighs about 185 pounds and would give up some physicality. Last year's McDaniels and Dosunmu pairing had a -6 net rating in 281 minutes (SI). Minnesota also manages his rest, which costs him games.
Where analysts split
The split is whether McDaniels ends up as the starting power forward or stays on the wing. Finch said he did not see him starting there right away. Dunking with Wolves notes the stance could change if the defense against forwards struggles. SI worries about giving up physicality and rebounding if he moves up. The offseason sources I found are 3 to 4 months old, and I did not find current reporting that settles it.
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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