Deni Avdija scores nine fourth-quarter points

Portland’s first game since losing Ja Morant to a hamstring strain went smoothly, as they beat the Jazz by 22. Avdija led the way offensively, shooting a solid percentage from the field. He was one of three Trail Blazers to record multiple assists, along with Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday. Compared to Thursday’s loss to the Grizzlies, Avdija’s usage increased slightly, and it should remain that way until Morant returns. Portland plays four games next week, starting with Denver on Monday.

Avdija’s production is slightly down from last season, but he continues to be the primary scoring option for Portland. He only scored 18 points in the season opener, though he only played 24 minutes because of the lopsided score. Since then, he has averaged 24.3 points and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 51.1 percent from the floor. If Avdija can continue to shoot this efficiently, he’ll be even better than he was last season.

He had a very prototypical Deni Avdija game. He got you a lot of points, good rebounds, good assists, and a lot of free throw attempts. You would wish he shot better than 75%, but its hard to be too critical after a performance like this. The additions of Ja Morant and Damian Lilliard have not impacted his production that much up to this point which is a relief for owners of Deni in fantasy.

Due to an ankle injury, Avdija was a game-time decision on Wednesday. Cleared to play an hour before tip-off, he started and logged 23 minutes. With the Trail Blazers winning by over 40 points, Avdija didn’t have to extend himself in the season opener. He led the team with 16 shot attempts, a positive development given Damian Lillard and Ja Morant were also in the Blazers’ starting lineup.

Deni will give it a go and start in the Blazers first game of the season. He’s looking to build upon his All-Star season last year and lead the Blazers back to the playoffs.

The Blazers already have Shaedon Sharpe out for an extended of of time. If Deni were to miss time, there would be more minutes for Sidy Cissoko and Vit Krecji, but neither would be that impactful in most fantasy leagues.

Avdija looked good during the preseason, but there is a chance he is sidelined for Portland’s regular season opener. Portland’s thin on the wing, with Vít Krejčí next in line on the depth chart. It’s possible the Trail Blazers use three guards in the starting unit instead of starting Krejčí, which would likely mean Damian Lillard, Ja Morant and Jrue Holiday all start.

As of Friday, Avdija had a Yahoo ADP of 40, suggesting fantasy managers aren’t too concerned about the potential impact of sharing the court with Damian Lillard and Ja Morant on the All-Star forward. Against the Warriors, Avdija led the Blazers starters with 15 attempts, and usage shouldn’t be an issue for him once the regular season begins. He didn’t shoot well Friday, but fantasy managers shouldn’t worry about that. He boasts top-50 fantasy potential, especially in turnover-punt builds.

If there were concerns about Avdija’s usage with all the changes to Portland’s backcourt, he has addressed those during the preseason. Clearly, he’s still the focal point of the offense. He has averaged 24.5 points in 23 minutes per game through two preseason appearances. It’s a tiny sample size, but Avdija is still going to be a fantasy stud this season and have the ball in his hands a ton.

With Damian Lillard and Ja Morant in the fold, questions arose this offseason about how that would affect Avdija’s usage. Coming off the best season of his NBA career, the Trail Blazers forward looked good in the team’s preseason opener. A 31.8 percent shooter from three last season, Avdija made three of his six attempts from beyond the arc and shot 6-of-7 from two. His usage of 30.2 was the highest among the Blazers starters, and he led the team in shot attempts. His assist output may take a hit this season because of the number of quality guards on Portland’s roster, but Avdija won’t lack scoring opportunities.