Shaedon

Sharpe

Grant remains out for Friday’s game, and it would be surprising if he played on Sunday. Shaedon Sharpe has been his replacement in the starting lineup, but he’s questionable for Friday. If Sharpe also sits, Rayan Rupert and Kris Murray are the most likely options to fill the void.

Sharpe played 35 minutes in Wednesday’s overtime loss to the Jazz and scored a career-high 37 points. If he does not play against the Warriors, Kris Murray, who logged 22 minutes off the bench on Wednesday, will have more opportunities to play.

Sharpe had a big night in Portland’s overtime defeat, establishing a new career-high point total. He’s scored 33 points or more in three of his last five games, making the most of his opportunities to figure more prominently in the Trail Blazers’ offense. Sharpe is worth picking up for Portland’s final two games for fantasy managers in active leagues if he’s sitting on the waiver wire. Sure, he turned the ball over five times on Wednesday, but the overall stat line and availability are more important.

Portland finally did it. They immediately ruled Grant out instead of listing him as doubtful first, which was a month-long trend. Grant was already unlikely to play again this season, and this is just further evidence. Shaedon Sharpe will continue to start in his place. Henderson’s continued absence will allow Dalano Banton to continue to play a large role, but whether or not Banton starts will depend on the status of Anfernee Simons, who is questionable.

Sharpe managers in category leagues who were on the verge of losing field-goal percentage going into Sunday were done no favors, as he shot 5-of-17 from the field. However, the overall line was solid, with the Blazers’ wing recording his second double-double in four games and third of the season. Over the past two weeks, Sharpe has been a top-75 player in eight- and nine-cat formats. For those whose leagues will be active during Week 23, Portland plays three games, starting with Utah on Wednesday.

While Sharpe could not extend his streak of 30-point games to three, he has scored at least 17 in nine straight. The issue on Friday was his inefficiency, as he shot 7-of-23 from the field. By comparison, Sharpe shot 49.3 percent from the field in the first eight games of this run. Over the past three weeks, he has provided sixth-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats, taking advantage of the Trail Blazers being shorthanded on the wings.

Sharpe is ending the season on a high note. He’ll be 22 in May, and he clearly still has loads of untapped potential. This was his sixth time scoring at least 20 points in his last seven appearances, and it ended up being his second-straight game with at least 30 points. He tied his career-high for scoring, which he set back in February. Sharpe has started in place of the injured Jerami Grant, but it would be a surprise if he wasn’t a full-time starter next season.

As expected, this will be a 12th-straight absence for Grant, who hasn’t played a game in April since 2021. Shaedon Sharpe will continue to start in his place.

Grant has missed 11 games in a row with a knee injury. He’s not expected to return Thursday given his doubtful listing. Shaedon Sharpe will continue to start in Grant’s place if that is indeed the case.

For the fifth time in his career, Sharpe was able to score 30 points in a game, with four of those coming this season. This also ended up being the third double-double of his career. The 21-year-old has shown plenty of flashes through his first three seasons in the league, and he has really taken advantage of this recent stretch with Jerami Grant (knee) out of the lineup, which has allowed Sharpe to start. Grant hasn’t played a game in April since 2021, and that is unlikely to change this season, which means Sharpe’s spot should be safe for the rest of the season.