Deni

Avdija

No Blazers played well in Sunday’s 134-89 loss to Memphis, but Avdija was especially poor. Missing all five of his shot attempts, he went scoreless with two rebounds, four assists, and one steal to his name. Avdija was much better on Tuesday, scoring 17 on a night when four Blazers reserves finished in double figures. Fantasy managers should not give up on Deni, especially with Portland and Minnesota playing again on Wednesday.

Sharpe made his season debut on Thursday after missing time with a shoulder injury, and Avdija took the most significant hit regarding playing time. The decision to move Sharpe into the starting lineup is unsurprising due to Portland’s lack of options at shooting guard. While this raises his fantasy ceiling, Avdija’s value takes a hit.

Sharpe made his season debut on Thursday and looked sharp in his 20 minutes on the floor. While the full impact of his return on the rest of the rotation isn’t fully known yet, Sharpe’s presence meant fewer minutes for starter Deni Avdija. Playing 25 minutes, Avdija finished with nine points, seven rebounds, five assists, and one 3-pointer. Meanwhile, fellow starter Toumani Camara played 35. Due to Portland’s lack of shooting guards and Camara’s defensive ability, it may be Avdija whose value takes the most significant hit with Sharpe back in action. Fantasy managers should consider Sharpe questionable for Friday’s game against Minnesota.

Portland’s offseason acquisition has gotten off to a bumpy start to the year despite starting in every game. The main issue has been a subpar field goal percentage, which was an issue once again in this game. However, this was arguably his best performance as a Trail Blazer, as he recorded a double-double while maintaining the defensive production. Avdija is averaging 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, which has kept his value afloat in 9-cat leagues. If he can get his field goal percentage up from 30.4% and his 3-point percentage up from 11.1%, his 9-cat value should skyrocket. Hopefully he can do that sooner rather than later.

This is a pretty big lineup alongside Anfernee Simons, who will be the startnig point guard for this game. That means that Scoot Henderson will come off the bench during the first game of his second season. This bodes well for both Avdija and Camara’s value in 9-cat leagues, though only Deni will be worth rostering at this point.

Avdija’s had better nights shooting the basketball, but he was impactful in multiple areas on Friday. He shared the team-high in assists while producing solid numbers in the rebounds, steals, and blocks categories. He’ll have more opportunities to display his skill set in Portland than in Washington, especially if Chauncey Billups doesn’t start Scoot Henderson (he didn’t start on Friday in Anfernee Simons’ return to the lineup).

Avdija struggled in his preseason debut for Portland, but he looked much better in this game. The Blazers weren’t fully healthy for this preseason game, but Avdija should be part of the team’s starting unit when the regular season begins. His season-long value is unclear, since Shaedon Sharpe will be healthy next month, and Portland will likely be a lottery team once again, which could result in Avdija missing time down the stretch. However, when he’s on the floor, he should be effective.

Sharpe was limited to 32 games last season due to a core muscle injury. Now, he’s back on the shelf. This time, it’s due to a small tear of his posterior labrum, and the Blazers announced that Sharpe would miss 4-6 weeks. Given the diagnosis, he’s only viable in deeper fantasy leagues allowing IL+ designations. As for who stands to benefit, Toumani Camara stands to pick up additional rotation minutes off the bench. While a starter for most of last season, Camara was expected to lose time due to the presence of Sharpe and the offseason acquisition of Deni Avdija. Avdija is expected to be a starter; Sharpe’s absence will also boost his value.

After having the best season of his career in year four with the Wizards, Avdija will get a fresh start with the Trail Blazers. This certainly makes Portland’s wing rotation interesting, with Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Jerami Grant and Matisse Thybulle all fighting for minutes. Brogdon’s departure leaves Scoot Henderson as the only point guard option, which bodes well for him heading into year two. In Washington, Tyus Jones is now more expendable with Brogdon in town, which means that he may end up signing elsewhere. Bilal Coulibaly and Corey Kispert should both take on extra minutes next season, though it wouldn’t be shocking if the Wizards added another forward with one of their three first round picks.

Vukcevic will join Poole and Holmes on the sidelines after he suited up for their last game, which should allow Anthony Gill to return to the starting unit. Deni Avdija will take on the point guard duties once again after finishing with 24 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in their last game.