Jakob

Poeltl

Thursday’s game is the first of two in as many nights for the Raptors, who host the Hornets on Friday. Poeltl’s absence opens up a spot in the starting lineup, and this may be a spot where Sandro Mamukelashvili or Collin Murray-Boyles starts. While Jamison Battle was the choice for Sunday’s loss to the Knicks, the Lakers’ Deandre Ayton spends more time around the basket than New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns.

Poeltl was back in the lineup after missing Sunday’s loss to the Knicks, pushing Jamison Battle (DNP-CD) to the bench. His return also impacted Sandro Mamukelashvili (6/7/2/0/1), who was limited to 19 minutes off the bench. Poeltl played 26 minutes, which aligns with his average for the season. While he did surpass 30 minutes in the two games before Sunday’s night off, Poeltl’s playing time will likely hover in the mid-to-high 20s range. While he can still be valuable to fantasy managers, that lowers his ceiling.

Poeltl is back after sitting out on Sunday, which was the second leg of a back-to-back. He’ll occupy his typical starting spot, which will push Jamison Battle back to playing a reserve role, which eliminates the streaming value he held.

The big man will sit out the second leg of Toronto’s back-to-back set on Sunday, and Sandro Mamukelashvili could be in line for a spot start. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles should see additional run off the bench.

Poeltl didn’t have to score much to have an impact on the Raptors’ victory. He crashed the glass hard and finished with a game-high in rebounds, while also finishing as one of two Raptors players with multiple steals. The veteran center has started in each of his appearances this year and continues to be a reliable frontcourt option for the suddenly-hot Raptors, who have not reeled off eight wins in a row.

The Raptors have made two changes to the lineup that started Sunday’s win over the Nets. Walter starts for the injured RJ Barrett (knee), who is considered day-to-day. While he isn’t a must-stream player, Walter should be watched in case Barrett’s injury is more severe than currently believed. The other change is Poeltl, who did not play on Sunday for injury management reasons. Sandro Mamukelashvili will come off the bench.

Murray-Boyles is back in the Raptors’ rotation after missing two games with a sprained right MCL. With Jakob Poeltl (back) not playing, there will be ample minutes available to CMB and Sandro Mamukelashvili, with the latter having scored a season-high 23 points in Friday’s win over the Wizards.

Sunday’s game is the first of two in as many nights for the Raptors, who host the Cavaliers on Monday. Poeltl, who missed time earlier this season with a sore lower back, will not play on Sunday. Sandro Mamukelashvili, who scored a season-high 23 points on Friday, is the most likely replacement in the starting lineup. How high Mamu’s ceiling is depends on the availability of Collin Murray-Boyles, who is questionable.

Poetll has now scored at least 19 points in three of his last four outings, his most productive stretch of the season. The lower back issues he dealt with during the preseason appear to be a thing of the past, as the 7-footer has surpassed 30 minutes in consecutive games for the first time. A healthy Poeltl makes a significant difference for the Raptors, and the recent run of individual success may catalyze him. Over the past week, he has provided top-75 value in nine-cat formats.

Murray-Boyles, who is dealing with a sore right knee, has surpassed 20 minutes just once in his last six appearances. Should the rookie not play on Wednesday, those minutes will be absorbed by multiple players, including Sandro Mamukelashvili. Murray-Boyles’ absence would not significantly impact fantasy basketball, especially with a healthy Jakob Poeltl being the starting center.