Fred VanVleet will start for the Toronto Raptors on Friday against the Washington Wizards after missing the previous five games.

VanVleet has recovered from a knee injury which he suffered on Dec. 8 versus the Philadelphia 76ers:

The Raptors are 19-8 on the season. They are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, but heavily bruised right now. Center Marc Gasol and star small forward Pascal Siakam are out with injuries.

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In 22 games this season, VanVleet is averaging 18.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 7.0 assists. He’s shooting 40.9 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from beyond the arc and 87.6 percent from the free-throw line.

VanVleet projects to be one of the NBA’s most coveted unrestricted free agents during the 2020 offseason. The Raptors will be careful with him moving forward since it’s a long regular season and knee injuries can flare up at any time.

VanVleet re-signed with the Raptors in 2018 on a two-year, $18 million deal. Toronto signed All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry to a one-year, $31 million extension before the season started. Some, though, believe Toronto will make VanVleet the primary guard soon since Lowry is getting older.

Everyone on the Raptors is going to have to step up in the absence of Siakam and Gasol to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference. Getting VanVleet back in the lineup is huge.