Scottie Barnes moves into 5th on TOR assist list

You would like Scottie to hit some more 3’s and not turn the ball over 8 times, but that’s not why you have him. These are the stat lines that you wanted when you drafted Scottie as early as you did. There are not many players that can get 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists in fantasy. Sit back and enjoy the high-level production.

Barnes torched the Knicks’ backups for 19 points on Tuesday. With most of the Knicks’ starters playing Thursday, the results were pretty much the same for Barnes, who had another excellent game. The 25-year-old forward is a fantasy stud that can be had in the second round of drafts this year.

If there was any concern about how Barnes would fit alongside Kawhi Leonard, he was able to quiet it with his performance in this game. Though it came against the Knicks’ backups, both players produced at a high level. Barnes has been a true fantasy star for most of his career and should continue to stuff the stat sheet despite Kawhi’s arrival. Managers should draft him early in the second round with confidence.

The Raptors didn’t make any significant offseason changes besides the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster, which should shift a considerable amount of the scoring burden away from Barnes this season. He made some tremendous strides from an efficiency standpoint last year and Leonard’s arrival should lead to even more favorable matchups on the offensive end of the floor. It’s worth noting that Leonard has yet to play this preseason, so we haven’t gotten a look at how the offense will run just yet. It took Barnes just over one half to record a double-double in this exhibition contest. He’s a borderline first-round pick in all fantasy drafts this fall.

The Raptors didn’t need to push Barnes much in Saturday’s exhibition opener, so he spent the second half on the bench in street clothes. As usual, he did a little bit of everything during his 12 minutes on the floor. Barnes remains a highly valuable fantasy option regardless of league format, even with Kawhi Leonard’s return to Toronto. He should be no worse than a second-round pick in standard drafts.

Barnes was arguably Toronto’s best performer on Sunday. In his 37 minutes, efficient shooting led him to finish as the team’s top scorer, and his production on the defensive glass nearly led to a double-double. The fifth-year forward showcased his versatility on both ends of the floor and played well in essentially all seven games this series. He was virtually the same level of fantasy player this season as he was last. However, his success in the opening-round loss to the Cavaliers makes another leap in production in the 2026-27 season something fantasy managers could be optimistic about.

Barnes’ 14th assist of Game 6 was his most important, as a pass to RJ Barrett led to a three-pointer that gave Toronto a 112-110 lead with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime. That shot would stand as the game-winner, sending the series back to Cleveland for a Game 7 on Sunday. Barnes, who finished Game 6 three rebounds shy of a triple-double, has been the best player in this series so far. And another performance like the one he produced on Friday will give Toronto a shot at advancing.

Barnes played through a right quad contusion that he suffered during the second quarter of Wednesday’s Game 5 defeat. Following the game, he said that he’ll be fine for Game 6, and the Raptors have not even included Barnes on the initial injury report. With Toronto’s season on the line, Barnes will take on his usual workload, if not exceed it.

Barnes may have recorded his second double-double of the series on Wednesday, but the Raptors’ star was not his usual self. He took a hit to the right quad during the second quarter and was hobbled the rest of the way, gutting out 39 minutes. When asked about the injury after the defeat, Barnes made it clear that he’ll be ready for Game 6 on Friday. The Raptors need a win to extend the series to a decisive Game 7, which would be played on Sunday in Cleveland.

Both teams struggled to score in Sunday’s contest, but behind Barnes’ 23 points, the Raptors did just enough to win and even the series. The fifth-year forward earned nearly half of his points total at the charity stripe, with the remainder coming inside the three-point line. He tallied more rebounds and assists than any other Raptors player and was impactful on the defensive end of the floor. Now tied at two games apiece, the series flips back to Cleveland for Game 5, where Barnes will look to lead his team to a third straight victory.