Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes Crack ESPN's Top 20 — The Fantasy Read
Leonard jumped to 15th and Barnes to 17th in ESPN's league rankings. Kawhi averaged 45.9 fantasy pts/game last season (2025-26) — but his last five games tell a cautionary tale.
Elite usage with no shot competition in Toronto — and the price just dipped.
- Leonard ranked 15th league-wide, up five spots from 20th
- Barnes ranked 17th, a 13-spot jump from 30th
- Kawhi: 27.9 pts, 6.4 reb, 3.6 ast in 65 games (2025-26)
- Leonard our rank #9 overall, #4 among forwards
- Last 5 games: -8.7 fantasy pts vs his season average
ESPN just dropped its top-50 player rankings and two Raptors cracked the top 20: Kawhi Leonard at 15th and Scottie Barnes at 17th. Leonard climbed five spots from last year's 20th, while Barnes leapt 13 places from 30th. Both landed ahead of names like LeBron James, Tyrese Haliburton and Devin Booker — who sits at our rank #31.
That's not just a vibe check. Leonard put up 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists across 65 games last season (2025-26), good for 45.9 fantasy points per game. Barnes earned his bump through two-way versatility — the kind of do-everything game that holds up in the postseason, especially on a Raptors team without a true top-tier center.
Why Kawhi Fits Toronto
ESPN's one knock on Leonard is familiar: he hasn't made it past the first round since 2021, and he's got to prove he can still crank it up when it matters. Fair. But the ranking is about individual quality, not banners, and on a per-game basis Kawhi is still elite. He slots just behind Jaylen Brown and Kevin Durant on their list — two stars with their own playoff baggage.
The roster-construction angle matters for fantasy too. Brown (our rank #10) is walking into a crowded Philadelphia lineup where touches get fought over, a 'too many cooks' problem that can quietly cap counting stats. Durant (our rank #21) brings bulletproof consistency — 26 points across 78 games last season (2025-26). Kawhi, meanwhile, has no competition for the ball in Toronto. That's a usage dream.
The Fantasy Fallout
Here's the wrinkle. Leonard's last five games ran 8.7 fantasy points below his season average — the steepest cold streak among this group. Brown is also trending down (-3.3), while Durant (+4.8) and Booker (+2.1) are heating up. One slump doesn't rewrite a résumé, but it does create a window.
Verdict: buy low on Kawhi. He's our #9 overall and #4 among forwards, he owns an uncontested role in Toronto, and his recent dip likely has a manager in your league nervous. If you can grab him at a discount off that 45.9 fantasy pts/game pace from last season (2025-26), do it. Barnes, meanwhile, is a straightforward hold whose arrow keeps pointing up.
