RJ Barrett hits four triples, scores 22 points

Barrett was tasked with shouldering more of the scoring workload in this one with Kawhi Leonard (knee), Scottie Barnes (groin) and Immanuel Quickly (hamstring) out due to injuries. The 26-year-old hoisted a team-leading 21 shot attempts and got to the free-throw line regularly against a struggling Milwaukee squad. He’ll continue to be relevant for fantasy managers as Toronto’s primary offensive catalyst until the rest of their starting lineup gets healthy.

Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) and Scottie Barnes (adductor, groin) will not play in Friday’s game, so the Raptors replaced them with Jamal Shead and Jakob Poeltl. If either of them are available in redraft leagues, they are worth a stream for Friday. Shead would be the priority over Poeltl given the fact that Shead will have the ball more, but most of his value comes from assists.

Barrett led the team in shot attempts in this game and he did a good job scoring the ball. On the season, he’s averaging 20.9 points, 6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks, shooting 48.1% from the field, 59.5% from the free throw line, and 31.8% from three. Outside of the free throw percentage, he’s been great for where he was selected in redraft leagues. There’s even room for him to get better once he starts hitting more of his free throws.

Barrett scored 16 points in the first half of Monday’s game, shooting 7-of-9 from the field. The overall stat line was good, except for one category: free-throw percentage. Barrett is shooting a career-worst 58.8 percent from the charity stripe this season, a number that has done his category league value no favors. That said, Barrett is a career 69.5 percent shooter, so it may not be too surprising that he’s started slowly in that regard.

RJ Barrett took the shots early in this game in the first game without Kawhi and was efficient from the field. Notably, he was on the exercise bike at multiple points in this game, so it could be something to monitor. If you got RJ Barrett in fantasy, you should be really happy about what he’s been doing. He won’t get you many defensive numbers but he will certainly score, and get you some rebounds. There’s an opportunity with Kawhi out, so there could be room to sell-high if someone gives you a good offer.

Kawhi Leonard is out with knee soreness, so Ja’Kobe Walter will get the start against the Magic. He’s useful if you need some points and 3’s but he likely will not be much more than a deeper league guy. Look for Barnes, Quickley, and Barrett to pick up the slack without Kawhi.

Barrett helped keep the Raptors within striking distance of the Timberwolves in the first half, scoring 14 points. Unfortunately for him, he went cold in the third quarter, along with the rest of the Raptors, shooting 1-of-5 from the field. Toronto was outscored 35-15 as Kawhi Leonard’s absence and Scottie Barnes’ 0-of-12 shooting caught up to them. Barrett and the Raptors will look to bounce back on Wednesday against the Magic.

We got one of RJ’s good games in this one. He’s gotten much better with peripheral stats since getting to the Raptors. There will be bad games where you will get frustrated with the shot chucking when he’s missing shots, but for now, if you have RJ, you’re feeling good after this performance.

After scoring six points on 3-of-8 shooting in the first half, Barrett scored 10 in the third quarter alone. He shot well on Wednesday, making just over half his shots, and he also posted solid rebound and assist numbers. Most encouraging were the 14 shots, possibly a sign that Barrett’s volume won’t suffer much with Kawhi Leonard back in Toronto. Barrett has long offered better value in points leagues than category leagues, and that’s unlikely to change in 2026-27.

Barrett, who paced Toronto’s 57-point first half effort with a team-high 15 points, remains a one-dimensional fantasy contributor and his scoring numbers figure to take a hit with the return of Kawhi Leonard, who will be the focal point of Toronto’s offense, when healthy. There will be enough volume during the moments when Leonard is unavailable for workload management reasons that he’ll offer some fantasy appeal in deeper formats.