If you’ve been refreshing the Jakob Poeltl game log every night hoping for a double-double, you’re probably feeling a mix of frustration and genuine concern right now. Jakob—or "Big Yak"—is basically the structural glue of the Toronto Raptors. When he plays, the defense makes sense. When he sits? Well, things get messy fast.
Lately, though, looking at the game logs feels like reading a medical chart rather than a box score. We’re in January 2026, and the narrative around the Austrian center has shifted from "reliable anchor" to "injury question mark." Honestly, it sucks for the fans and for the guy himself, especially after he signed that massive three-year, $84 million extension last summer. Some reports even cited a four-year, $104 million figure, but either way, it's a lot of money for a guy currently doing more stretching than dunking.
The 2025-26 Season: A Frustrating Run
Basically, the 2025-2026 season has been defined by a nagging lower back strain. He hasn't just been "out"; he's been in this weird limbo where he plays one game, feels a tweak, and then disappears for two weeks.
Look at the December stats. They are thin. He played about seven minutes against the Brooklyn Nets on December 21st before the back gave out again. Two points. Two rebounds. That was it. Before that, you had some solid but unspectacular outings. He put up 8 points and 8 boards in a win against Miami on December 15th, looking like his usual self for 29 minutes. But the consistency just isn't there because the health isn't there.
Why the drop-off?
Last season (2024-25), Poeltl was a beast. He averaged career highs in points ($14.5$) and rebounds ($9.6$). This year, that scoring has plummeted to around $9.7$ points per game. That’s a huge dip. When your back is acting up, you can't explode to the rim or fight for those gritty offensive rebounds that Poeltl usually eats for breakfast.
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The Recent Numbers (When He Actually Plays)
If we look at his last handful of appearances from late 2025, the trend is pretty obvious. The efficiency is still there—he’s shooting nearly 70% from the field because he doesn't take bad shots—but the volume is gone.
- Nov 29 vs Charlotte: 8 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists (Almost a triple-double!).
- Dec 9 vs New York: 10 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists.
- Dec 15 vs Miami: 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists.
- Dec 21 vs Brooklyn: 2 points, 2 rebounds (Left early).
Since that Brooklyn game, he’s been a ghost in the lineup. As of mid-January 2026, he’s missed over 10 straight games. Darko Rajakovic, the Raptors' coach, has been trying to stay optimistic, but the updates have been "bleak" according to some beat writers. Jakob was cleared for contact on January 5th, but the "conditioning" phase is taking forever. Sources like Michael Grange have noted he's still feeling discomfort during workouts.
What This Means for Your Fantasy Team (and the Raptors)
If you're tracking the Jakob Poeltl game log for fantasy reasons, you're likely tearing your hair out. He was supposed to be a high-floor center who wouldn't hurt your field goal percentage. Instead, he's taking up an IR spot for a month.
The Raptors have pivoted to playing Collin Murray-Boyles, the rookie who has been absolutely electric. In a recent win over the 76ers, the kid put up 17 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. It’s the classic "next man up" scenario, but it makes you wonder where Poeltl fits when he finally gets back. Does he go back to 30 minutes? Or is he on a strict 18-minute limit for the rest of the winter?
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"Jakob Poeltl has to grab 10 rebounds for us to be successful." — James Wade (Raptors Assistant Coach)
That quote sums it up perfectly. When Jakob is active and healthy, the Raptors are a different team. They don't have another "true" center of his size, other than maybe some 10-day contract flyers or Mo Bamba (who they recently let go). Without Jakob, they're playing small-ball by necessity, not by choice.
The "Overpaid" Narrative
There’s a segment of the fanbase—especially on Reddit—calling this contract a disaster. I think that's a bit reactive. Back injuries are tricky, but Poeltl is only 30. He’s not "old" in center years, but he's also not a spring chicken. The worry is that a 7-foot-1 body doesn't usually get better at healing as time goes on.
If he can return to that $14/9$ production from last year, $28$ million a year is just the market rate for a starting NBA center. If he’s a $9/7$ guy who plays 40 games a season? Then yeah, the Raptors are in trouble.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you are following the Jakob Poeltl game log to make decisions, here is the current reality of the situation:
- Don't expect a sudden 35-minute night. Even when he is "back," Rajakovic has shown he is extremely cautious with injury returns. Expect a 15-20 minute limit for at least the first three games.
- Watch the "Questionable" tags. If he's upgraded to "Game Time Decision," it usually means he's cleared the medical hurdles but is testing the back during warmups. That's a high-risk bet.
- Monitor the Rookie. Collin Murray-Boyles is the real deal. If Jakob’s minutes are suppressed, the rookie is the one reaping the rewards.
- The Schedule Matters. The Raptors have a bunch of back-to-backs coming up. There is almost zero chance Poeltl plays both halves of a back-to-back until February at the earliest.
The real test will be the upcoming road trip. If Jakob stays in Toronto for "treatment" instead of traveling, you can basically write off the next two weeks of his game log. But if he’s on the plane, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
Keep an eye on the official Raptors injury reports about three hours before tip-off. That's the only time you'll get the real truth, as the morning shootaround updates have been notoriously unreliable this season.
Check the injury status again before Wednesday's game against the Pacers; if he’s still not participating in full-speed drills, his return date is likely sliding toward the end of the month. Use this downtime to scout waiver wire bigs if you're in a competitive fantasy league, because the "DNP - Injury" streak isn't over just yet.