Rudy Gobert sits with back spasms, and Joan Beringer's 34 minutes show who covers for him

Joan Beringer had never played more than 20 minutes in an NBA game before Saturday, and he spent 34 of them across from Victor Wembanyama because Rudy Gobert was out with back spasms. The Timberwolves were already without Anthony Edwards after his knee surgery, and in their 121-111 loss in San Antonio the rookie started in Gobert's place, roughly doubling the 13 to 20 minutes he had played in each of his first six games. He finished with 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting, six rebounds, two assists, a steal and five fouls, according to ESPN's box score, while Wembanyama scored 43 on 17-for-34 shooting with seven rebounds and six blocks.

Neither the Associated Press recap nor any report we could find gives a timeline for Gobert's back, and we found no word on whether he will be available when Minnesota hosts Milwaukee on Monday. That uncertainty is the whole question for fantasy managers this week, because the Wolves play four times between Monday and Sunday, and the answer decides whether Beringer is worth a roster spot or only a watch.

What Gobert's absence costs

Gobert had played all six of Minnesota's games before Saturday, averaging 30 minutes and 12.3 rebounds a night in our game log, which is the production a 9-cat roster drafted him for. Back spasms are a symptom rather than a diagnosis, and we will not guess at how long they last; the Wolves' next injury report is the thing to read. On our points board under ESPN's standard scoring he is 98th, and the analysts' consensus has him 76th on points and 73rd on 9-cat, so he stays in every lineup the moment he is cleared. Managers who can hold him on an injured reserve slot should do so if he is ruled out on Monday, and nobody should drop him for a back problem that has not yet cost a second game.

Beringer, the rookie behind him

Our live projections already read Saturday's start: Beringer's projected minutes moved from 18.6 to 20.3 a night and he rose from 189th to 175th on our points board and from 182nd to 162nd on our 9-cat board, where he projects 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game. Those blocks have not shown up yet, since he has averaged 0.6 a game so far and blocked nothing in his 34 minutes against San Antonio, and the five fouls are a reminder that a rookie center's minutes depend on staying on the floor.

The case for adding him is narrow and short term. In a deep 9-cat league where rebounds or blocks are thin, he is worth a speculative pickup if Gobert is ruled out for Monday's game against Milwaukee, since a starter's minutes on a four-game week can move both categories. In a standard points league his line on Saturday was worth 25 fantasy points under ESPN's scoring, which is replacement level rather than a reason to cut someone, and he goes back to the bench the night Gobert returns.

Wembanyama keeps climbing

The other side of the game moved our boards too. Wembanyama's 43 points and six blocks lifted his projection from 61.3 to 62.7 fantasy points a game under ESPN's scoring, still second on our points board, and moved him from second to first on our 9-cat board. Our earlier piece on his rough opening night, Victor Wembanyama went 1 for 13, looks a long time ago now, and the Spurs have won four straight.

What to do

Check Minnesota's injury report before Monday's lineup lock. If Gobert is out, Beringer is a reasonable short-term add in deep 9-cat leagues for the Milwaukee game and possibly Wednesday's trip to Houston, and a pass in points leagues. For more on the Wolves' other absence, see Anthony Edwards and Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss weeks.

Every player in this story is on the fantasy basketball rankings and the 2026-27 projections, and the NBA depth charts show where each one stands in his team’s rotation tonight.