How’d We Get Here?

The Raptors’ 2021-22 season was highlighted by the eye-opening impact of Scottie Barnes, the fourth-overall pick of the 2021 draft, who also happened to win the Rookie of the Year award, and the team’s first-round playoff exit at the hands of Joel Embiid and the Sixers. Key players like Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam have hit their stride and are arguably in the midst of their prime years in the league. It will be important for the Raptors to maximize this window and possibly make a run at the title once again.

The Raptors drafted Christian Koloko, a center with a traditional big-man stat set, something the team has been in desperate need of for some time now. But they also re-signed Chris Boucher to a three-year deal, so those two, along with Precious Achiuwa will have to sort things out as far as the battle for backup big man minutes is concerned. Toronto also bolstered its roster with the additions of Otto Porter Jr. and Juancho Hernangomez, whom they brought in via free agency.

Offseason Moves

Arrivals: Otto Porter Jr., Juancho Hernangomez, D.J. Wilson, Jeff Dowtin (2W), Josh Jackson
Rookie Arrivals: No. 33 Christian Koloko, UDFA Ron Harper Jr. (2W)
Departures: Armoni Brooks, Isaac Bonga, Yuta Watanabe
Retained: Thaddeus Young, Chris Boucher, Justin Champagnie

Depth Chart and Minutes Per Game

PG: Fred VanVleet (32-35) / Malachi Flynn (0, 12-15) / Dalano Banton (0, 10-16),

SG: Gary Trent Jr. (34-36) / Ron Harper Jr. (0, 5-10)

SF: O.G. Anunoby (35-38) / Juancho Hernangomez (0, 10-14), Josh Jackson (0, 5-10)

PF: Scottie Barnes (35-38) Otto Porter Jr. (16-20) / Thaddeus Young (14-18)

C: Pascal Siakam (35-38) / Precious Achiuwa (23-26) / Chris Boucher (20-26), Khem Birch (0, 14-20), Christian Koloko (0, 8-12)

Position Battles

Point Guard: Fred VanVleet has been on an upward trajectory even before the departure of Kyle Lowry in 2021-22, but he only fully inherited the keys to the point guard job last season. He’s going to see all the minutes he can handle, and knowing head coach Nick Nurse, those will be a ton, so backup PG Malachi Flynn won’t see much action on many nights, especially with Scottie Barnes’ playmaking abilities from the forward position. Flynn will also have to hold off Dalano Banton, who offers a bit more length and slashing at the expense of Flynn’s spacing ability.

Shooting Guard: Gary Trent Jr. is pretty much locked in as the Raptors’ primary 3-and-D option on the wings. He gobbled up 35 minutes per contest last season, so there will be very little left on the plate for Dalano Banton, his backup, to eat. When Trent’s off the floor, expect the Raptors to go super-sized with their all-switch lineups.

Small Forward: OG Anunoby had another injury-filled season but he’s coming into camp healthy and should comfortably slot in as one of the Raptors’ starting forwards this coming season. He will be spared by newcomer Otto Porter Jr., who is coming off a successful championship-winning stint with the Warriors. Thanks to Porter’s versatility, he should be able to see time behind both Anunoby and Scottie Barnes, but thanks to his ongoing injury management protocols, he will be missed on nights he’s rested. On those nights, expect Juancho Hernangomez and Josh Jackson to compete for the leftovers.

Power Forward: Scottie Barnes was sensational in his rookie season and only big things are expected from him in 2022-23. He will be doing double-duty as a playmaking forward and as an all-around Swiss Army knife when he’s on the floor. As mentioned, Porter will spend some time as a backup PF with the second unit and so could Precious Achiuwa or Chris Boucher, depending on the rotation that coach Nurse thinks is best. Thad Young is also going to pick up minutes both here and at center.

Center: Pascal Siakam was back in form last season and should be ready to build on his impressive 68-game campaign. The center minutes are likely his this season, especially as the Raptors use their up-tempo smaller lineups to give their opposition headaches. Backing him up will be Chris Boucher, primarily, but Precious Achiuwa could also be slotted in as well and figures to be the best option to start if the Raptors go away from their expected look. Khem Birch is also a dark horse starter candidate in specific matchups, but may also be out of the rotation. Christian Koloko, their rookie draft pick from the 2022 draft, could be given some looks but he will have to still earn any playing time during training camp and preseason action. Siakam, Barnes and Anunoby can all move around, so don't get hung up on nominal positions.

Outlook

Precious Achiuwa, PF

Per-Game Value: 289 / 299 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 209 / 213 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 72

2021-22 Review: Achiuwa's big preseason earned him some sleeper appeal but he failed to deliver, struggling to open the regular season even with the starting center position there for the taking. He played his way into the doghouse and then fought back out, providing the kind of energetic defensive presence that was the fabric of the team's identity. Achiuwa shot exceedingly poorly around the rim but was able to become a real 3-point threat over the course of the year, shooting 56-for-156 after missing his only attempt as a rookie. While a hot preseason changed the framing of his season, Achiuwa ended up as a key frontcourt piece despite still being a raw prospect.

This Year: Achiuwa should be the frontrunner to start at center on opening night, though the Raptors have never been afraid to get unorthodox and have the kind of versatile forwards (Otto Porter, Chris Boucher, Thad Young) that make lots of combinations possible. It means that Achiuwa probably won't play true starter-level minutes even if he does win the job, but he'll be a fixture up front. If he can work on his at-rim finishing it'll make it far easier to keep him on the floor.

Injury History: Achiuwa missed two games with a right shoulder injury, four in the health and safety protocols and three with right shoulder soreness.

Outlook: Achiuwa has lots of intriguing skills between his defensive versatility, energy levels, athleticism and ball-handling capability. Unfortunately, until he becomes a more consistent threat in the box score he'll only be an upside flier in deep drafts. A top-200 season would make for a big success, so draft him through that lens.

O.G. Anunoby, SF

Per-Game Value: 57 / 52 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 136 / 136 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 47

2021-22 Review: Anunoby leveled off after consecutive huge seasons, though he was able to brute-force his way to some extra points at the expense of a lower FG%. The rest of Anunoby's numbers were right in line with last season, though that can be taken as a positive given the rapid rise of Scottie Barnes. Another breakout didn't come but Anunoby was right around his ADP and only injuries prevented his season from being held in higher regard.

This Year: The Raptors didn't do much besides get the band back together and sign Otto Porter, so Anunoby should be pretty safe. A full season of Thad Young plus the arrival of Porter might drag everyone's minutes down but that may not be a bad thing if it leads to more appearances. Barnes' path to stardom may also keep Anunoby down in the secondary scorer ranks, but he's proven to be a quality fantasy player even if he's not hunting out buckets and putting up huge point totals.

Injury History: Anunoby's absences came in big chunks last season. First was a 13-game absence for a hip pointer, then a two-game stay in the health and safety protocols, a 15-game absence with a nondisplaced fracture in his right ring finger and four with a right quad contusion. In the Tampa season Anunoby's roll was slowed by a 10-game absence thanks to a left calf strain, and he would go on to miss a dozen future games for injury management purposes relating to the calf. A six-game stint in the health and safety protocols obviously didn't help, either. It was a stark departure from 2019-20, when he missed one game with an eye contusion and two in the bubble due to right knee soreness. In 2018-19 Anunoby missed three games with a right wrist sprain and four with concussion-like symptoms before undergoing an emergency appendectomy on the eve of the playoffs. That surgery led to big weight loss, preventing him from playing in the postseason. In his rookie season, Anunoby missed eight games with an ankle sprain, and he suffered an ACL injury in college that allowed him to slip to the Raptors in the first place.

Outlook: Anunoby is as steady as they come in the middle rounds of drafts and he'll present a nice value if his recent injury troubles depress his ADP. He's a prototypical 3-and-D forward in both fantasy and reality. If you can get him in round five and beyond in a 12-team draft, we're very much on board.

Dalano Banton, PG

Per-Game Value: 461 / 487 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 354 / 369 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 64

2021-22 Review: Banton was immediately a fan favorite as a kid from nearby Rexdale suiting up for the hometown team. On the court, he was solid, but not quite good enough to lock down regular minutes despite the team's lack of guard depth. Banton took the mantle that Delon Wright used to have as a Human Changeup, with incredible length and a bevy of change-of-pace moves that put defenders on their heels on his way to the basket. The Raptors ended up rocking with their talented forwards as the top backup ball-handlers, as Banton's inexperience and shaky shooting were marks against him. He's a good fit for the team's vision as a 6'9" guard and lit up the G League for 24.1 points with 1.6 treys, 8.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 0.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, so he'll have his chances.

This Year: It'll be Banton and Flynn competing for the minutes behind Fred VanVleet once again. It's a compelling battle, as the two players are almost polar opposites. Flynn is a smaller playmaker who can pull up from anywhere on the court, while Banton is all limbs with the ability to drive to the rack. There may not be room for both in the rotation, so it could come down to matchups.

Injury History: Banton hit the health and safety protocols and missed one game with a right knee contusion and one for illness as a rookie.

Outlook: Banton is a flier in the deepest of leagues simply because his length can lead to stats by the handful. Hopefully a summer of development has served him well, because a 6'9" PG has the ability to rack up some fun numbers, even in limited minutes. He's a top-300 threat if he can lock down a rotation spot.

Scottie Barnes, SF

Per-Game Value: 71 / 66 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 38 / 45 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 73

2021-22 Review: The Raptors shocked draftniks by passing up Jalen Suggs to select Barnes 4th overall in the draft, but he put any doubters to sleep with a Rookie of the Year award. Barnes did it all in his first season, as reflected by his well-rounded stat line. The jumper was better than expected and Barnes showed a willingness to use his incredible frame in all kinds of ways, whether that was bullying players down low, stepping back to hit corner threes, pulling up for mid-range jumpers, dropping dimes as a massive point guard or switching across multiple positions on defensve possessions. He was way ahead of schedule in his first season, crushing even the most optimistic expectations.

This Year: Barnes was the sticking point in Kevin Durant trade discussions, with the Raptors adamant about holding onto the young star. He will once again do it all for the Raptors, and their decision not to add backcourt help means he'll also be in line for a lot of playmaking work. If some time in the lab this summer leads to better shooting numbers, it could be a massive fantasy season.

Injury History: Barnes missed one game with right wrist swelling, three for right knee tendinitis, one for right knee soreness, one for right knee maintenance and two because of a right thumb sprain. He also missed a pair of playoff games after a nasty left ankle sprain that put him in a walking boot.

Outlook: Barnes is going to be a hot commodity in fantasy drafts, and for good reason. He's a versatile player who is average or better in seven of the nine standard fantasy categories, with improvements in his areas of weakness already known issues that will be focal points for the Raptors development staff. As he continues to improve and the Raptors build their roster to leverage Barnes' strengths, he's set to make further strides in fantasy.

Chris Boucher, PF

Per-Game Value: 184 / 156 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 116 / 85 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 79

2021-22 Review: Boucher started off the season totally lost, wandering aimlessly around the floor and jacking up some insane shots. Fantasy managers were livid given Boucher's upside and incredible 2020-21 play, but anyone watching the games could've told you that Boucher didn't deserve any more than he was getting. A few call-outs in the media got his attention and Boucher rose to the occasion after some prompting, locking in mentally and playing with the kind of effort that makes him such a dynamic presence. The bounce between being unplayable and a core bench piece was wild, but Boucher was able to produce some must-start stretches in the back half of the year, especially whenever another starter was out. A huge drop in 3-point efficiency forced Boucher to struggle for inside shots, where his lack of strength stood out, and less freelancing on defense led to fewer blocks, leaving Boucher right on the cusp of 12-team relevance when the dust settled.

This Year: Boucher re-signed with the Raptors as a free agent and will be the team's top rim protector once again. The arrival of Otto Porter plus a full season of Thad Young could be a threat to Boucher's playing time, but there's simply no one else on the roster who can swing a game as quickly as the former Oregon Duck. There will be alternatives if Boucher gets his head in the clouds again, however, so he'll need to stay disciplined in order to play up to that new contract.

Injury History: Boucher stayed out of the infirmary last season and did the same in 2020-21 until a left knee sprain in late April knocked him out for nine games. He battled back spasms throughout the 2019-20 playoffs as well as minor ankle issues throughout the regular season in 2018-19. He tore his ACL back in college too.

Outlook: Boucher is the ultimate upside swing late in drafts and figures to be undervalued after his very rocky start to last season. He may be a less impactful fantasy player if he has finally learned to play under control, but as long as he's getting around 20 mpg there's value to be had because Boucher's stat set is so electrifying.

Per-Game Value: 487 / 474 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 420 / 414 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 36

2021-22 Review: Champagnie went from undrafted to two-way contract, impressing the Raptors with his tenacious play and terrific rebounding work. He had a few chances to shine when the team was dealing with COVID issues but was mostly out of the rotation. Nick Nurse would occasionally call on Champagnie to give the team a spark but his offensive limitations prevented him from consistent minutes. Hopefully his work in the G League can carry over -- Champagnie shot 41 percent from deep with Raptors 905 (while putting up two defensive stats per night as well).

This Year: Champagnie is in a fight for the final roster spot in Toronto this year, though we'd still give him the edge over Josh Jackson given his defensive consistency. The Raptors could use a little more depth on the wings in the minutes that they don't trot out all their identically-built forwards, so Champagnie could get himself into the mix with a strong preseason.

Injury History: Champagnie dealt with an LCL injury in his final year of college. As a rookie, he missed a couple games in the health and safety protocols and dealt with a minor knee injury in the preseason.

Outlook: Champagnie isn't on the fantasy radar but managers in ultra deep leagues can remember him as a source of out-of-position rebounds.

Per-Game Value: 459 / 464 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 491 / 492 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 9

2021-22 Review: Dowtin bounced between the Warriors, Bucks and Magic last season, mostly appearing as a fill-in when his teams needed to meet the roster minimums during COVID outbreaks.

This Year: After a strong Summer League performance, Dowtin signed a two-way contract with the Raptors. They've got a strong development program and Dowtin provides some scoring pop that other members of the bench cannot, but he's quite far away from a rotation spot to begin the year.

Injury History: Dowtin's injury records are clean.

Outlook: Dowtin can be ignored in fantasy leagues.

Malachi Flynn, PG

Per-Game Value: 442 / 433 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 378 / 366 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 44

2021-22 Review: Flynn definitely took a step back in his sophomore season. He saw his minutes shrink to just 11.6 per game after getting 19.7 as a rookie, though that total is definitely inflated by the Raptors punting on their Tampa season and just letting the kids run wild. Flynn did hold standard-league appeal in February/March when Fred VanVleet was ailing, though a hamstring strain put an end to that. The Raptors never seemed to trust Flynn fully, and the emergence of Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes as ball-handlers knocked him out of the equation for the most part. That Flynn couldn't break through on a team starved for dribble penetrators isn't the best sign ever.

This Year: Flynn turned heads with dominant performances on the pro-am circuit over the summer, but he'll need to prove it against NBA competition now. A facial fracture limited his preseason action but Flynn, once again, will need to outdo Dalano Banton to earn the backup PG spot. Perhaps more pressing is the fact that both of those guys will need to convince Nick Nurse that they're ready for every-night work so the team won't super-size at every opportunity.

Injury History: Flynn missed one game in the health and safety protocols and 15 after suffering a left hamstring strain. In his rookie year, Flynn missed five games while in the health and safety protocols but was otherwise healthy.

Outlook: Flynn looks to be an improved player but only time will tell if he's done enough to become a rotation player. The team has a dire need for 3-point shooting and additional ball-handling, so hopefully talent meets opportunity here. Consider Flynn a late-round flier in 20-team leagues if things point to him winning the backup PG spot.

Juancho Hernangomez, PF

Per-Game Value: 460 / 459 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 401 / 399 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 39

2021-22 Review: Hernangomez racked up frequent flier miles with ease as he was rerouted from Minnesota to Memphis to Boston to San Antonio and finally to Utah, where he finished the season.

This Year: Fresh off a quick stop in Hollywood, Hernangomez signed with the Raptors and will try to provide some forward depth off the bench. He's a decent 3-point shooter and should get first crack at filling in if Otto Porter ever gets hurt (when has that happened though?), though he's a coin flip to play regularly when the Raps are healthy. He's coming off a great run in the EuroBasket tournament, so perhaps he can keep the good vibes going between that and his movie stardom.

Injury History: Hernangomez missed four games while in the health and safety protocols but avoided injury otherwise. In 2020-21 he missed 12 games while in the health and safety protocols and one with a left quad contusion. There was also a wrist injury that led the Wolves to prohibit him from playing for Spain at the Olympics. He suffered from a nasty bout of mono in 2017-18 and underwent core muscle surgery in May of 2019 after dealing with groin soreness as far back as January.

Outlook: Hernangomez is a 30-team flier in case he can finally get his act together. The Raptors badly need bench contributors and he's got decent skills, so hopefully the development staff can shape him into a productive player again.

Christian Koloko, C

Per-Game Value: / (8/9Cat)

Total Value: / (8/9Cat)

Games Played:

2021-22 Review: Koloko is a 7'1" center out of Arizona who put up 12.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.8 blocks per contest last season, shooting a neat .635 from the field to boot. He's an older prospect at 22 but plays with great intensity and can change the game at the rim on both ends of the floor. His offensive game is highly limited beyond that, though Koloko can deliver accurate passes on his rim-runs. He's a bit of an old school big.

This Year: Koloko was taken at No. 33 by the Raptors, who have a big hole at center on the team's depth chart. While they're not afraid to go center-less, adding a prospect who offers legitimate size at the position is appealing. Koloko's core attributes -- defense and hustle -- fit the organization, and it's possible that him being so different than the rest of the roster can lead to spot minutes.

Injury History: There's no injury risk here.

Outlook: Koloko is a flier for managers chasing blocks in leagues with more than 20 teams. He's not a lock to be in the rotation, but he should be a pretty dependable producer if he's able to squeak his way in.

Otto Porter Jr., SF

Per-Game Value: 146 / 115 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 147 / 117 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 63

2021-22 Review: After a couple years of major injury troubles, Porter found a soft landing spot in Golden State where he could check in off the bench, play a simple game and knock down the open shots that fell in his lap. He was a respectable late-round option for 12-team formats, albeit one with a heavy roto lean thanks to his modest night-to-night output. Porter paints a picture that can't be fully admired until you take a few steps back once the work is complete.

This Year: Porter signed with the Raptors, where he'll join a deep group of long, versatile forwards. His 3-point shooting touch is badly needed, and while he won't exactly prop up the team's second unit offense, Porter is a great complementary player for what the Raptors want to accomplish. Depth was a problem for Toronto last season but adding Porter lengthens the bench in a meaningful way. Expect mid-20s playing time as a primary backup to Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes, with Thad Young and Chris Boucher also vying for minutes.

Injury History: Porter wasn't asked to play in back-to-back sets, which accounts for a good chunk of his missed games, but he also sat out four due to illness and three with back tightness during the regular season. He also battled left foot soreness throughout the postseason, sitting out three contests on the Warriors' run to a title. In 2020-21 Porter missed the final 24 games of the year with left foot pain. He also missed two games in January due to a back strain and 15 with back spasms that struck in February. In 2019-20 a left foot fracture caused 51 straight absences. Prior to that, Porter had been mostly healthy, though his 2018-19 was littered with missed games: one game with a left big toe contusion, 10 games with a right knee strain, one with a lower left leg strain and the final 11 games of the season with a right shoulder problem (grain of salt there for the tanking). OP had also dealt with some recurring hip injuries earlier in his career but the feet and back are the major concerns now.

Outlook: Porter goes from one good fit to another and he'll be on the board again as a sneaky value towards the end of standard-league drafts. He gets a good bump in 9-cat and has a stat set that won't hurt you anywhere, though Porter may be passed over for more explosive options in head-to-head leagues.

Pascal Siakam, PF

Per-Game Value: 33 / 35 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 28 / 31 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 68

2021-22 Review: Nobody was happier to see Toronto again than Siakam, who dealt with a lot of struggles during the team's stay in Tampa. He set new career-highs in playing time, rebounds, assists and steals and richly rewarded managers who took him in the middle rounds of drafts even knowing that he'd miss time to open the year while recovering from shoulder surgery. Siakam was expected to miss at least a month of the season but returned early, missing the first 10 games of the season and only four from then on, including one for rest on the last day of the regular season. He looked charged up again and really hit his stride in the winter months, finding an extra gear that landed him on the All-NBA Third Team.

This Year: Siakam returns to a Raptors team that didn't make major changes over the summer, with Otto Porter the only real addition of note. He'll lengthen the bench and maybe lead to a few extra minutes off for Siakam, but nothing that should leave any fantasy players scrambling.

Injury History: Siakam missed the first 10 games of the year after undergoing offseason surgery on a torn labrum, but other than that he missed two for rest and two in the health and safety protocols. In 2020-21 Siakam missed two games with left knee swelling, six in the health and safety protocols, two with left shoulder inflammation and the last four games of the year with an unspecified left shoulder injury that ended up being that torn labrum. The year prior, Siakam missed 11 games with a “stretched groin” that popped up out of nowhere. In 2018-19 he played through a right calf issue in the second round of the playoffs but missed just one game due to injury — back soreness — in the regular season. Siakam didn’t hit the injury report in his first two years in the league.

Outlook: Siakam is coming off his fourth straight top-50 season and we know what the floor is here. Things finally seemed to click for him while playing as a No. 1 option last season and while there will be more adjustments to come, Siakam ended last season with as much confidence as anyone. He's someone that should come off draft boards in the third round, with a little room for upside if his free throws get back to his career norms.

Gary Trent Jr., SG

Per-Game Value: 58 / 43 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 41 / 34 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 69

2021-22 Review: Trent put together a breakout season in his first full campaign with the Raptors. He had been able to stand out in fill-in situations before but there were questions about how he'd handle being a key guy for the full season. Trent passed every test with flying colors, setting new career-highs with 18.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 3.0 triples per game, as well as his .853 mark at the line and his 35.0 mpg. Those steals were critical -- coming off a previous career-high of 1.0 per game, they ended up being the difference between a late-round volume scorer with questionable efficiency and a legitimate middle-round option.

This Year: Trent returns as Toronto's starter at SG, and the team decided to keep stocking up on forward rather than round out the backcourt group. GTJ's microwave scoring abilities and mid-range play are unique to the roster, and he's one of the few players in the group that teams treat as a lethal floor-spacer. There's no threat to Trent's importance.

Injury History: Trent missed three games with a left toe hyperextension, six games with left ankle swelling, one game in the health and safety protocols and two with a right calf contusion. Some of Trent's absences from 2020-21 need to be taken with a big grain of salt since they came while the Raptors were tanking, but he missed six games with a left leg contusion and two with right ankle soreness (plus three DNP-CDs to end the year), as well as two with a right calf strain while with Portland. Trent missed seven games in 2019-20 with a right hamstring strain but was otherwise healthy.

Outlook: The fact that Trent's steals started to dry up down the stretch last year is cause for a little concern, but he's a safe pick in the middle-rounds and has extra utility if you're putting together a punt-FG% team. The ADP shouldn't catch all the way up to Trent's true value yet so there will be solid ROI available.

Fred VanVleet, PG

Per-Game Value: 16 / 14 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 18 / 21 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 67

2021-22 Review: VanVleet took the torch from Kyle Lowry and picked things up where Lowry left off, earning an All-Star nod and a second-round fantasy season with all kinds of huge lines. He was a top-15 value despite shooting .403 from the field on over 16 shots per game, bumping up his points, assists and 3-pointers despite actually losing a little bit of usage. Injury troubles were the only thing that could slow him down. It was the third straight season of top-25 returns for Steady Freddy, who has become one of the league's best point guards.

This Year: The Raptors didn't address their lack of point guard depth over the summer, so they'll be relying on improvement from Malachi Flynn and the collective efforts of their 6'9" forwards to swing the rock around. That is to say that VanVleet has no real threats to his playing time or role.

Injury History: VanVleet missed eight games with right knee soreness (across three stints) and a handful for right knee maintenance thereafter, plus three for groin soreness and two in the health and safety protocols. He also missed the end of the postseason after suffering a left hip strain. During the 2020-21 season VanVleet missed five games while in the health and safety protocols and another six with a left hip flexor injury, with his remaining eight absences all coming for rest/maintenance and a suspension. In the 2019-20 season VanVleet missed five games with a right knee contusion, another five with a right hamstring strain and the final six of the original schedule with left shoulder soreness. He also dealt with some left knee soreness and a right knee hyperextension in the bubble but those were minor ailments. The year prior, VanVleet missed 12 straight games after undergoing surgery to repair ligament damage in his left thumb around the All-Star break, and he also missed four games with a sprained left big toe and one apiece for back and thigh issues. After the season VanVleet revealed that he dealt with back issues for much of the year and a hip pointer in the postseason, in addition to stitches and a chipped tooth, but none of that forced him out of action. In 2017-18 he spent time on the sidelines due to a right hand contusion, a tight back and a right knee contusion, as well as a shoulder strain on the last night of the regular season that limited him in the playoffs.

Outlook: VanVleet is a rock solid choice in the second round. He doesn't need good field goal percentage to meet an ADP in that neighborhood and if he improves, you're sitting with a first-rounder. As long as he stays upright, VanVleet is going to be a great table-setter for any fantasy squad.

Thaddeus Young, PF

Per-Game Value: 271 / 277 (8/9Cat)

Total Value: 260 / 259 (8/9Cat)

Games Played: 51

2021-22 Review: Young started the year in San Antonio as a result of the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade, and aside from a few spot appearances when the team was shorthanded it was clear that he wasn't in their plans. The Raptors scooped him up at the deadline and Young was brought into a reserve role that asked him to play sound defense and make some plays from the elbow. He averaged 18.2 mpg in 26 games with the Raptors and was around the top-165 in the last month of the campaign.

This Year: Young might be in line for some extra minutes this year even with the Raptors adding Otto Porter. Last season's number includes Young playing his way back into shape while also learning a new system, so he could take on a larger role after a full offseason in the program. Young may also be the best-equipped to play backup center (he'll be competing for time there with Precious Achiuwa and Khem Birch, primarily) so it's possible we see him back over 20 mpg.

Injury History: Young missed one game for illness and five days (while he was out of the Spurs rotation) in the health and safety protocols. Young's 2020-21 season started off on precarious ground as he was diagnosed with a MRSA infection in his left leg. Luckily he was okay and only missed the first four games of the campaign; his only absences of the season. He sprained a wrist six years ago but that's the only real injury of note in his recent history aside from the leg infection.

Outlook: Young is past his prime but his ability to be a productive on-court player leaves his fantasy stock afloat. He's a late-round plodder but is worth consideration for managers building teams that need rebounds, steals and field goal percentage and willing to sacrifice a little upside.

*Originally posted August 31, 2022