The Raptors definitely didn’t design for their season to start this way, but there are already some positive vibes around some of their young contributors, including rookie Jonathan Mogbo ($3,500), who is a great fantasy basketball sleeper to consider this Saturday.
The Setup
Toronto is finishing a back-to-back on Saturday after playing their first two games at home to start the season. They were without RJ Barrett ($6,900; shoulder, questionable) for both games and lost Immanuel Quickley (pelvis) after just 14 minutes in their season opener.
Although they lost that first game to the Cavs by 30 points, the Raptors pulled out a nice win on Friday night against the similarly shorthanded 76ers. Scottie Barnes ($9,000) and Jakob Poeltl ($6,200) led the way, but Mogbo and the team’s other young players contributed important minutes as well.
Mogbo played 11 minutes against the Cavs in his NBA debut and had just 9.5 fantasy points, but he was much more involved Friday night. He played 24 minutes and contributed 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three blocks, two steals and a massive 39.75 fantasy points. He was only $3,000 at the minimum salary in DraftKings DFS contests and was an elite value play returning over 13x.
Jonathan Mogbo showing why he's the ultimate five for modern four/five-out concepts.
He's disrupting the interior and gets a second-chance opportunity with his hustle, and immediately finds the cutter and even finishes off the miss
12 PTS, 9 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 3 BLK
CARRY ON pic.twitter.com/hpUrRWtgJB
— Ersin Demir (@EDemirNBA) October 26, 2024
The Raptors snagged Mogbo with the first pick of the second round in last year’s draft after his breakout year for San Francisco. The 22-year-old is known for his defense and his motor and has shown the ability to stuff the stat sheet while adding hustle stats across the board.
The Smash Spot
The Raptors take on the Timberwolves on Saturday night and are 14.5-point underdogs in Minesota’s home opener.
Mogbo is still extremely affordable in this matchup with a salary of just $3,500 in DFS contests, like the NBA $300K Fadeaway [$100K to 1st]. He also comes with eligiblity at both PF and C, which makes him easy to fit into multiple lineup constructions.
With Kelly Olynyk (back) already ruled out, Mogbo should get more playig time once again. An RJ Barrett return could crowd him a little, but Barnes’ ability to play smaller opens up time in the frontcourt if Mogbo continues to excel on both ends of the floor.
The Skinny
If Barrett is out or the game gets lopsided as the spread indicates, Mogbo could end up with 20+ minutes for a second straight night. If he does, he has shown he can fill up the box score in multiple categories and offer great DFS upside.
As you build your Saturday night lineups, don’t overlook Mogbo as an elite fantasy football sleeper to help save the salary you need to spend elsewhere.
Depending on how the playing time shakes out as the season progresses, Mogbo could also quickly become relevant for your season-long fantasy leagues. Based on your format and roster size, he could be a great stash for now since he brings those hard-to-get defensive numbers or maybe just someone you add to a watch list to see how things shake out in Toronto.
On Friday, he looked like he can definitely contribute to the scrappy Raptors if he keeps getting regular playing time.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
