For tonight’s NBA Showdown slate, Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors visit Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. The Raptors are on a back-to-back after an ultra-competitive game in Golden State last night. The Raptors aren’t traditionally a team that rests players on the second night, but it is worth monitoring the injury report, especially for the OG Anunoby update. Here are the NBA DFS top plays we can invest in for our lineups on FanDuel and DraftKings!

 

Toronto Raptors Injuries

OG Anunoby - QUESTIONABLE

Portland Trail Blazers Injuries

Justice Winslow – OUT

Josh Hart – QUESTIONABLE

Jusuf Nurkic - QUESTIONABLE

MVP/CAPTAIN

Pascal Siakam (C)

Before last night, Siakam averaged over 50 fantasy points in his previous three games, but Draymond Green and the Warriors were able to slow him down to just 35 in Golden State. The competition won’t be nearly as stiff tonight as the Blazers are the fourth-worst team in the NBA against centers this season and are the absolute worst over their last seven games. 

Fred VanVleet (PG)

You may not have noticed, but Fred VanVleet is playing some of the best basketball of his career right now, averaging 50 fantasy points over the last 10 days including back-to-back games over 60 points a week ago. In his only other game against Portland this year, FVV put up 34 fantasy points but only shot 41% and had foul trouble in that game. If he can keep Lillard off the foul line tonight, this could be an easy 40-fantasy point performance for VanVleet. 

Damian Lillard (PG)

All DFS plays against Toronto have to be taken with a grain of salt these days. With their slow pace and strong defense, the Raptors are top-six against guards, wings, and centers this year. But Damian Lillard doesn’t care about such things and is able to pop off for 50 fantasy points on any given night. He also could go off for 90 points as he did against Utah in his last game, continuing an elite stretch where he has scored less than 49 fantasy points once since January 8th and is averaging 63 fantasy points per game over the last 10 days. 

UTILITY 

Anfernee Simons (PG/SG)

Simons has definitively put to rest any preseason concerns about how he and Damian Lillard would co-exist on the floor. Simons has scored more than 30 fantasy points in five of his last seven games and would get a nice boost if OG Anunoby misses this game. Regardless, Simons did score 22 actual points the last time these two teams met. 

Gary Trent (SG/SF)

Gary Trent has scored less than 25 fantasy points just once since three days before Christmas and has evolved into one of the most consistent fantasy players you can find for a mid-range salary. And what we can expect is pretty much exactly what he did to the Blazers last time they played when he dropped 31.5 fantasy points on them despite shooting only 37% from the floor. Any uptick there and we could see his fantasy stats increase. 

Jerami Grant (PF)

Grant bounced back from his worst game of the season to put up 35 fantasy points against the Jazz on Wednesday night. Grant was in the middle of a five-game stretch where he logged 30+ fantasy points before a couple of down games, but the production against Utah was a good sign. But the best part about Grant’s game right now is that he is always on the floor for 35+ minutes every night. The Raptors have dipped a bit lately, allowing the ninth-most fantasy points to power forwards over their last seven games. 

Precious Achiuwa (C)

When OG Anunoby suffered an injury last night, it was Achiuwa who started the second half in his place and played 36 minutes, putting up 36.25 fantasy points. Should Anunoby miss this game (which is likely on a back-to-back), Achiuwa would be in line for huge minutes again at a low $4,800 salary on DK. Even before the increase in minutes last night, Achiuwa has been very productive, scoring more than 22 fantasy points in five straight games while never playing less than 21 minutes in any of them. 

DART THROWS

Drew Eubanks (C)

Should Nurkic miss this game tonight (and I would consider him VERY questionable with a calf injury), then Eubanks will be the primary beneficiary. Eubanks leads the team in minutes when Nurkic is off the floor this season and puts up 0.86 fantasy points per minute. In the last game where Nurkic left early, Eubanks played 26 minutes and scored 28.5 fantasy points including a couple of blocks and some steals. He is a lock should Nurkic be ruled out tonight. 

Chris Boucher (PF)

Boucher’s salary has been creeping up lately, but that’s only because he is routinely playing 20 minutes now for the Raptors. In his last three games, Boucher averages 28 fantasy points per game in just 21 minutes on the floor each night as he has been piling up the points, rebounds, and blocks. With the Blazers checking in at 21st in defensive rating and allowing the eighth-most points in the paint this year, Boucher should easily be able to pay off a $3,600 salary on DK. His $5,400 on FD is a bit trickier, but still in play. 

 

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