Toronto Raptors Roster
- Eastern Atlantic
- Stadium
- Amalie Arena
Toronto Raptors shooting guard/small forward Gary Trent Jr. (ankle) has been ruled out for Friday's contest against the Magic due to a sore right ankle. The trio of Rodney Hood, Deandre Bembry and Paul Watson figure to see as many minutes on the wing as they can handle, with Stanley Johnson also a candidate to snatch some added playing time. Trent's last four appearances have been as sweeping on the spectrum as they come with scoring performances of six, 44, 23, and seven points, an indication of his fantasy volatility. Having averaged 15.2 field-goal attempts per game since joining the Raptors, Trent's upside remains sizable over the final month of the year.
Toronto Raptors point/shooting guard Fred VanVleet (hip) has been given the green light to get back into action Friday against Orlando, as he was removed from the team's injury report ahead of tip-off. VanVleet is set to take the floor for the first time in two weeks, which could cap his minutes, even as Toronto finds themselves immensely short-handed Friday, especially in the backcourt. In his last seven full games, VanVleet has hoisted double-digit three-point attempts in six of them, an indication of his likely offensive aggressiveness down the stretch.
Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (rest), forward Pascal Siakam (rest), and forward OG Anunoby (rest) will all be taking a seat for Friday's contest against the Magic. The Raptors have been conservative with their core players lately, particularly Lowry, who is set to miss his third straight game due to rest. Fred VanVleet, who is likely to make his return from injury and suspension, should be expected to see the bulk of the offensive opportunities with Gary Trent Jr. (ankle) and DeAndre' Bembry (hamstring) considered doubtful.
Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, one block, and two steals in 37 minutes during Wednesday's win over the Spurs. In four of the past five games, Siakam now has at least 20 points. Overall, the 27-year-old has been very consistent this season and is averaging a solid 20.8 points per game, making him a great fantasy option. He has a great matchup on Friday against an average Magic defense.
Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet(hip) could make his return to the court on Friday. VanVleet is serving his one-game suspension, which indicates that he is past his hip injury. In a confusing turn of events, head coach Nick Nurse initially said that the update on VanVleet's injury was not good on Tuesday night, though he said that "he would assume" that the guard would be available for Friday's contest when asked. This is definitely a situation to monitor closely if you have VanVleet rostered, as it sounds like he'll play, though there's always the threat of a potential late scratch from the lineup.