Jalen

McDaniels

It appears like McDaniels won’t be in San Antonio for long. The Kings wanted to clear up roster space and he doesn’t fit the Spurs’ vision. McDaniels averaged 6.9 points and 3.3 rebound across his first five NBA seasons.

McDaniels logged just 10.8 minutes across 50 games for Toronto last season, but there’s a chance he will see an uptick in playing time for his new team as Keegan Murray’s primary backup at PF.

McDaniels made his first start on Wednesday, with the 37 minutes being a season-high. This was only the second time he’s surpassed 20 minutes in a game. McDaniels didn’t shoot the ball well playing against his brother Jaden, but the rebounds and assists were solid. Under normal circumstances, Jalen would not be considered a must-add in any fantasy leagues. However, given how shorthanded the Raptors have been recently (only eight players were available on Wednesday), he’ll be worth a look if that remains the case. The same can be said for Jordan Nwora, who played 29 minutes off the bench and finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and one 3-pointer.

Toronto, who has lost 14 games in a row, decided they weren’t tanking hard enough. McDaniels, Temple and Williams, who recently signed a 10-day deal, will all be part of the starting group. Gary Trent Jr., RJ Barrett and Kelly Olynyk are all out for this game. It’s a great opportunity for the three new starters, but it may be difficult to truly rely on any of them.

Porter was ruled out for Monday’s game against the Nets for “personal reasons” and may not be cleared to return until the investigation is completed. While this frees up minutes off the bench for Jalen McDaniels and Mouhamadou Gueye, neither needs to be added immediately. Fantasy managers can watch both on Monday to better understand the minutes’ distribution and players’ production.

Add Porter’s name to the list of Raptors players who will not be available for Saturday’s game. His absence will free up additional minutes for Jalen McDaniels and Mouhamadou Gueye, neither of whom need to be streamed in most fantasy leagues.

Boucher has been sidelined after having one of his best games of the season in Toronto’s overtime loss to the Blazers on Saturday. His absence should result in more minutes for Jalen McDaniels and Jontay Porter, with the former having accounted for 10 rebounds, two steals, and one blocked shot in Portland. McDaniels offers a higher fantasy upside than Porter, but both should play plenty in Denver.

Both players were upgraded to probable and have now officially been given the all clear to suit up. McDaniels has played a total of one minute over their last six games and shouldn’t be considered in fantasy basketball. Agbaji has started their last two games and should remain in the starting lineup, but he isn’t worth rostering in standard leagues.

Agbaji and McDaniels were initially questionable for Thursday’s game, so they’re trending in the right direction. The former’s availability is of more significance to fantasy managers, as he has been a starter since Scottie Barnes suffered a season-ending hand injury. McDaniels could get some rotation minutes but will not impact fantasy basketball.

Trent has missed Toronto’s last three games but appears likely to return as soon as Friday night. He’s officially considered probable for the Raptors’ game against the Celtics. Trent’s return would likely mean fewer minutes for Gradey Dick and Jalen McDaniels, with the former having started Toronto’s last game against the Bucks on Wednesday.