Deandre

Ayton

Sunday’s game will be the fifth straight that Williams has missed with a sprained left knee. With Deandre Ayton (calf) also out, the Trail Blazers will again rely on Donovan Clingan and Jabari Walker to fill the void. While Clingan has been the more popular pickup in fantasy leagues, Walker can provide deep-league value off the bench.

Williams is available for Portland’s first game out of the All-Star break. He’ll serve as Donovan Clingan’s backup, where there is the potential to provide deep-league value. Managers in deep leagues should roster Williams, especially with Deandre Ayton (calf) out for at least three more weeks.

Ayton left Monday’s game against the Nuggets with an injury that an MRI confirmed Tuesday to be a strained left calf. The 26-year-old center will be re-evaluated around March 12. While the injury is a tough break for Ayton’s fantasy managers, it’s a boon for Donovan Clingan’s fantasy value. Clingan should be rostered in all formats at this point as the Trail Blazers are poised to give him the bulk of the center minutes with Ayton out.

As expected, Ayton - who suffered the calf injury on Monday - will sit this one out. Williams is dealing with an injury of his own, and if he can’t go, Donovan Clingan would be in line for huge minutes. The severity of Ayton’s injury is unknown, but savvy fantasy managers should make sure to roster Clingan in the meantime.

Ayton suffered a non-contact injury on Monday, and more clarity on a potential absence should be provided before the All-Star break. It seems unlikely that Ayton will play against Denver on Wednesday, which means that Donovan Clingan should get the starting nod. He had 21 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes on Monday and really stepped up after Ayton went down. Clingan should be considered a must-roster player at this point, and Robert Williams III (knee) may also play enough minutes to provide value, assuming he is available to play.

Clingan was impressive in his 21 minutes, scoring 21 points without missing a shot. However, he may be asked to keep this up moving forward. Deandre Ayton (calf) exited early from this game, and while there hasn’t been an official diagnosis yet, it was a non-contact injury that resulted in Ayton being helped to the locker room. It would be surprising if Ayton played on Wednesday, and there is a real chance that he misses more than just one game. Clingan would likely be the one that moves into the starting unit in that scenario. As long as Ayton is out, Clingan’s fantasy value will climb massively and he is a worthwhile pick up for teams that need help at center.

Ayton went up for a layup early in the third quarter and quickly grabbed for his left calf after coming down. There wasn’t any contact, and he had to be helped to the locker room. Portland should provide more clarity on the injury over the next few days, but rookie Donovan Clingan will be the next man up at center, with Robert Williams in line after that.

Ayton wasn’t involved much on the offensive end in this game, but he was still able to make a big impact as a rebounder. Ayton has played well throughout Portland’s recent run of success, so this game isn’t something that managers should expect from him often. He has scored less than 20 points in three straight games (and less than 10 points in two of those), but Ayton had scored at least 20 points in five straight prior to that. He’ll look to get back on track in Denver on Monday.

The ups and downs continued for Ayton Thursday against the Kings. One game after playing just 22 minutes and being benched to start the second half against the Pacers Tuesday, Ayton played 31 minutes and rebounded against the Kings. It was a step in the right direction, though it’s anyone’s guess how many minutes he might play in the Trail Blazers’ next game Saturday.

Despite being available for Monday’s game against the Suns, Williams did not play in the overtime victory. On Tuesday, he replaced Donovan Clingan (DNP-CD) in the rotation and even started the second half for starter Deandre Ayton (8/9/2/2/1 in 22 minutes). The Blazers won’t play again before Thursday’s trade deadline (3 PM Eastern), as they host Sacramento that night. The Time Lord is someone to watch, as multiple teams with loftier ambitions need help in the frontcourt. The worst-case scenario for fantasy managers would be for Portland not to do anything, likely resulting in inconsistent minutes for Williams and Clingan.