Deni

Avdija

Avdija stayed hot in this one, and he has now scored at least 20 points in five straight games after being held to 18 points in the season opener. Most of his numbers this season are similar to last year, though his assists are slightly down. The main drop off has been his free throw percentage. After shooting 80.2 percent last year, he’s at 66.7 percent so far this season. If that improves, his overall fantasy value should jump back up.

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.

After scoring 11 first-half points on Tuesday, Avdija went quiet in the third quarter, scoring two points on 1-of-4 shooting. But he was front and center when the Trail Blazers needed him most, recording nine points, two rebounds, four assists and two three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Thanks in part to Avdija’s stellar play, the Trail Blazers outscored the Lakers 34-26 in the fourth and moved their record to 3-0.

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.