Despite entering as a five seed and pushing the Cavs to seven games, this squad made its mark on fantasy hoops by grinding out wins with elite defense and surprising bounce-back performances. While the roster still feels unbalanced for fantasy purposes, several key players exceeded expectations, powering a 46-win campaign before their early playoff exit. Let’s recap Toronto’s season and look ahead to the offseason.
Scottie Barnes: The defensive anchor
Barnes is the cornerstone of everything Toronto does and is looking like a late second, early third-round pick heading into next fantasy season. He finished third in stocks per game and chips in just about every category, with the exception of 3s.
Other key fantasy assets
Brandon Ingram was one of the top bounce-back players this season. He came in with a 64th overall ADP, played 77 games and finished top 50 in High Score and top 75 in 9-cat — a solid return for anyone who rostered him. A heel injury cost him valuable games in the first round, but it doesn’t look like something that’ll creep into next season. If he falls beyond the seventh round in drafts, take him.
Immanuel Quickley did his thing, too. He played 70 games and ranked in the top 70 across leagues. Injuries hurt fantasy managers in March, but he was a decent source of assists, 3s and steals. RJ Barrett continued to be a much better fantasy player for points than in 9-cat leagues.
Final thoughts
Jakob Poeltl was a disappointment. Collin Murray-Boyles looked great in the postseason and heading into next year, investing in CMB’s upside is far more interesting from a fantasy standpoint than buying into Poeltl’s floor. Barrett is in the final year of his deal, which could play into a potential trade. Although he did hit the biggest shot in Toronto since Kawhi Leonard in 2019. Sandro Mamukelashvili is likely opting out of his $2 million player option. Gradey Dick is extension eligible, but JaKobe Walter has been the more impactful player and the more compelling fantasy asset going forward. Toronto was decent fantasy-wise this season and should be again next year — just know which guys are worth the cost.
Read the full article here