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Damian Lillard (Achilles) under no restrictions

Damian Lillard.png

Damian Lillard

POR Guard #0

Player Stats

Damian Lillard (Achilles) has no restrictions going into training camp.

Lillard, who did not play last season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, was cleared to resume 5-on-5 in late April, so his statement at Trail Blazers media day is not a surprise. Lillard said that he’s “operating like I wasn’t hurt,” which is music to the ears of fantasy managers. However, one concern as he begins his second stint in Portland is the team’s perimeter depth. The Trail Blazers acquired Ja Morant from Memphis, and they also have holdovers Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson. That may lead to Lillard’s workload being managed early in the season, potentially lowering his fantasy ceiling.

- Raphielle Johnson

Injury

Source: Sean Highkin

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Damian Lillard

POR Guard #0

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Damian Lillard produced 25 points (7-of-12 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), three rebounds, six assists, one steal and six three-pointers in Wednesday’s win over the Suns.

Lillard and the Trail Blazers could not have hoped for a better opener, as Portland scored the first 17 points and never looked back. In his first appearance in a Trail Blazers uniform since March 22, 2023, Lillard shot 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. With Portland winning in a rout, the veteran guard played just 24 minutes and saw no action in the fourth quarter. For fantasy managers who may have harbored any questions about Lillard’s potential this season, Wednesday night was a good start.
Damian Lillard

POR Guard #0

Trail Blazers will start Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan against the Suns on Wednesday.

Lillard will be back on the floor for the first time in over a year after missing all of last season with an Achilles injury. He’ll also be back in a Trail Blazers uniform for the first time since the 2022-23 season. Lillard will start alongside Morant, Avdija, Camara and Clingan.
Ja Morant

POR Guard #1

NBA Insider Chris B. Haynes reports that Ja Morant will start alongside Damian Lillard in Portland’s backcourt to open the 2026-27 season.

Conflicting offseason reports noted that Morant could come off the bench, but the Blazers will play the pair of superstar guards together in Wednesday’s season opener against the Suns. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to this pairing and keep in mind that Portland may experiment with different lineups throughout the season.
Damian Lillard

POR Guard #0

Damian Lillard accounted for 23 points (4-of-10 FGs, 13-of-13 FTs), one rebound, one assist and two three-pointers in Friday’s exhibition against the Warriors.

Based on Friday’s starting lineup, fantasy managers can assume (if they haven’t already) that the Trail Blazers will start Lillard and Ja Morant together to begin the regular season. Both took 10 field-goal attempts against the Warriors, and Lillard also got 13 free-throw attempts. However, in the 22:29 they shared the court, Portland posted a net rating of minus-20.6. Lillard’s offensive production won’t be an issue, but defensive concerns may force head coach Micah Nori to stagger Lillard and Morant’s minutes more than he did on Friday.
Jrue Holiday

POR Guard #5

Jrue Holiday finished Monday’s exhibition against the London Lions with six points (3-of-5 FGs), five rebounds and three assists.

Damian Lillard didn’t play in Monday’s exhibition, and his absence opened a starting spot for Holiday. Like the other starters, the veteran guard was done at halftime. The move to the bench lowers Holiday’s fantasy ceiling considerably, giving managers no reason to use a top-100 pick on him. However, he should play enough to provide reliable late-round value in most leagues.
Damian Lillard

POR Guard #0

Damian Lillard finished Wednesday’s exhibition against the Warriors with 15 points (5-of-11 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), one rebound, one assist, two steals and three three-pointers.

Appearing in a game for the first time since the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Lillard looked sharp in his 19 minutes. Coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon, he started alongside newcomer Ja Morant and did most of his work off the ball. Lillard will be a key figure for the Trail Blazers this season, but his assist production may take a slight hit with Morant’s arrival. That said, Lillard simply being on the court is a win for fantasy managers and basketball in general.
Damian Lillard

POR Guard #0

Damian Lillard (Achilles) said on Thursday that he has resumed playing 5-on-5 pickup games.

Lillard ruptured his Achilles tendon during last season’s playoffs, missing the entire 2025-26 campaign as a result. The veteran guard, who turns 36 in July, appears to be on track to return to action next season, as he has resumed playing 5-on-5. Lillard also noted on Thursday that, while nothing was ever said about him possibly playing this season, he did think about the possibility. With Lillard back in the fold, the Trail Blazers should be in a position to take a step forward after earning the No. 7 seed in this year’s playoffs.
Damian Lillard

POR Guard #0

Damian Lillard won the three-point contest as part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night.

Lillard’s score of 29 in the final round was enough to beat Kon Knueppel, who had 17, and Devin Booker, who had 27. The 35-year-old point guard won the three-point contest for the third time in his career, tying Larry Bird and Craig Hodges for most in NBA history. Lillard is out for the season after rupturing his left Achilles during last year’s playoffs.
Jrue Holiday

POR Guard #5

Jrue Holiday tallied four points (1-of-5 FGs, 2-of-3 FTs), two rebounds and seven assists in Wednesday’s loss to the Warriors.

Holiday, acquired from the Celtics during the offseason, only played 17 minutes in his unofficial Trail Blazers’ debut. The veteran guard did not shoot the ball well, but he was solid otherwise, making plays for others and committing just one turnover on the night. With Scoot Henderson likely to miss the start of the regular season with a torn left hamstring and Damian Lillard out for the season as he recovers from a ruptured Achilles, Holiday will have to take on point guard duties for the foreseeable future. After seeing his fantasy value take a hit in Boston last season, Holiday will be worth the investment in Portland.
Damian Lillard

POR Guard #0

Damian Lillard (Achilles) said Monday that he does not plan on returning to action during the 2025-26 season.

Lillard ruptured his left Achilles tendon during the Bucks’ first-round series against the Pacers. Planning on doing his rehab in Portland, the guard agreed to a multi-year deal with the Trail Blazers after Milwaukee bought out his contract. Lillard’s declaration that he doesn’t plan on attempting to play this season is unsurprising, but there had been no official declaration from him or the team. With his comments on Monday, fantasy managers don’t need to consider stashing Lillard with a late-round pick. This will be a critical season for Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, as both will take on significant roles with Lillard sidelined and Anfernee Simons now a member of the Celtics.

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Keegan Murray

SAC Forward #13
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Keegan Murray accounted for two points (1-of-8 FGs), four rebounds and one steal in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers.

Given Darius Acuff Jr.'s struggles on Wednesday, Murray’s night may avoid some scrutiny. However, he also struggled, missing his first seven attempts and not scoring until 9:08 was left in the fourth quarter. And Murray didn’t do much in the other categories either, which is a concern for fantasy managers. He’ll look to bounce back on Friday when the Kings host Portland.
- Raphielle Johnson

Recap

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Darius Acuff

SAC Guard #5
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Darius Acuff Jr. amassed 12 points (5-of-24 FGs, 2-of-5 FTs), three rebounds, three assists and three steals in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers.

Most fantasy managers and basketball fans expect rookie point guards to be inefficient. However, Acuff’s performance against the Clippers was rough. He missed all seven three-point attempts, shot 5-of-24 from the field, and finished with more turnovers (four) than assists (three). Acuff’s upside is undeniable, but he’ll have games like Wednesday.
- Raphielle Johnson

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Domantas Sabonis

SAC Forward-Center #11
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Domantas Sabonis finished Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers with 14 points (5-of-5 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), 18 rebounds, eight assists and one steal.

Sabonis didn’t miss a shot on Wednesday and finished two assists shy of a triple-double. However, it’s fair to ask why he didn’t get more shots, especially when Darius Acuff Jr. and Keegan Murray combined to shoot 6-of-32 from the field. Playing alongside a rookie point guard can be challenging for a veteran post player like Sabonis, who can also facilitate offense. However, Wednesday’s outing showed he can offer excellent fantasy value on nights with low shot attempts.
- Raphielle Johnson

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Zach LaVine

SAC Guard #8
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Zach LaVine recorded 28 points (10-of-19 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs), four rebounds, four assists and three three-pointers in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers.

After injuries limited him to 39 games in his first full season with the Kings, LaVine looked completely healthy on Wednesday. Without him and fellow veteran Domantas Sabonis, the Kings would have fared worse, but they still lost the opener 121-96. As long as he stays healthy, LaVine should return to being a reliable fantasy asset. The question is whether a good first half of the season would convince a contending team to acquire him before the February trade deadline.
- Raphielle Johnson

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Keaton Wagler

LAC Guard #1
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Keaton Wagler notched 15 points (4-of-8 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), five rebounds, five assists, two steals and three three-pointers in Wednesday’s win over the Kings.

In a matchup of lottery picks, Wagler had a much better night than Sacramento’s Darius Acuff Jr. The former Illinois standout played 29 minutes off the bench, sharing the court with Darius Garland and taking a few short stints as the lone playmaker. Wagler was efficient, and while you shouldn’t overreact to one game, it wouldn’t hurt to add him now if he’s on the waiver wire in deep leagues.
- Raphielle Johnson

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Brook Lopez

LAC Center #11
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Brook Lopez accumulated 17 points (7-of-12 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), 11 rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one three-pointer in Wednesday’s win over the Kings.

Despite coming off the bench, Lopez played 27 minutes on Wednesday due to starting center Isaiah Jackson getting into foul trouble. The veteran 7-footer clearly still has something left in the tank, as he recorded a complete stat line that included a double-double. Jackson still hasn’t established himself as a center you can fully trust in fantasy basketball, which is a good reason to roster Lopez in deep leagues.
- Raphielle Johnson

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Rui Hachimura

LAC Forward #28
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Rui Hachimura tallied 10 points (3-of-13 FGs, 2-of-5 FTs), eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and two three-pointers in Wednesday’s win over the Kings.

Given the Clippers’ lack of proven scorers, Hachimura is in a position to offer more value than he did as a Laker. However, you have to make shots, and he didn’t do that consistently enough on Wednesday. Hachimura shot 1-of-6 from inside the arc, which hurt his field-goal percentage. He did put up decent numbers in rebounds, steals and blocked shots, so Wednesday wasn’t a total loss for those rostering Hachimura.
- Raphielle Johnson

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Isaiah Jackson

LAC Forward #23
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Isaiah Jackson accounted for 13 points (6-of-8 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), five rebounds and one steal in Wednesday’s win over the Kings.

Jackson’s starting nod was expected to raise his fantasy ceiling, and he was productive Wednesday night. However, the Clippers’ center played just 15 minutes because of foul trouble. Backup Brook Lopez played 27 minutes, and that may not have happened if Jackson were able to stay on the court. Jackson is worth a look in 12-team leagues if he’s on the waiver wire, even with the foul trouble against Sacramento.
- Raphielle Johnson

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Darius Garland

LAC Guard #10
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Darius Garland finished Wednesday’s win over the Kings with 30 points (11-of-19 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs), one rebound, four assists, one steal and three three-pointers.

After a tumultuous offseason for the franchise, the Clippers got their 2026-27 season off to a good start on Wednesday. Garland dominated his individual matchup against Kings rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr., scoring an efficient 30 points. Matchups will get tougher as the season progresses, but fantasy managers hope Garland delivers performances of this caliber more often.
- Raphielle Johnson

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Scoot Henderson

POR Guard #00
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Scoot Henderson accounted for 15 points (7-of-14 FGs), two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one three-pointer in Wednesday’s win over the Suns.

Among the four guards in Portland’s rotation, Henderson (19 minutes) played the least on Wednesday. He played nine of those minutes after halftime, while starters Ja Morant and Damian Lillard and reserve Jrue Holiday (8/4/1/2) logged between seven and nine minutes each. While Henderson having a role won’t be an issue for him, his playing time might be, especially against tougher opponents.
- Raphielle Johnson

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