Deni

Avdija

Avdija has been excellent over the past two weeks, averaging 27.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks over a seven-game span during that timeframe, delivering fourth-round fantasy value in the process. The 24-year-old got to the line just three times in this one after recording double-digit free throw attempts in each of his previous five games. Despite his recent hot streak, Portland has lost five of its last six and 10 of their last 13 overall.

Holiday’s continued absence means Deni Avdija will remain the primary playmaker for the Trail Blazers. Already rostered in most leagues, Avdija boasts an even higher fantasy ceiling with Holiday unavailable.

Avdija was just one rebound and three assists shy of a triple-double. The 24-year-old small forward led the way with 35 points, though Jerami Grant had 29 points and Shaedon Sharpe had 28 points. For the season, Avdija is providing third-round fantasy value.

With the NBA changing the format of the All-Star Game, it may be time to discuss Avdija’s chances of making his first career appearance. The Trail Blazers wing continues to shoulder most of the playmaking workload as Jrue Holiday (calf) remains sidelined, and he’s enjoying the most productive season of his NBA career. For the season, Avdija is providing third-round value in eight-cat formats, two rounds better than his Yahoo! ADP. Portland continues its road trip in Detroit on Friday.

Avdija has been upgraded from questionable to available for Wednesday’s game. With Jrue Holiday still out, he will continue to run the show offensively, which raises Avdija’s fantasy ceiling. While turnovers can be an issue, the overall production makes up for them.

Avdija’s potential absence on the second night of a back-to-back would open up a ton of minutes and a starting spot. Shaedon Sharpe would likely move back into the starting lineup, while Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert could take on larger roles off the bench, though neither would play enough to be worth streaming in standard leagues.

One game removed from recording his second triple-double of the season, Avdija posted his seventh double-double on Tuesday. Since Portland lost Jrue Holiday to a calf injury, the versatile forward has been close to a top-50 player in eight-cat formats. Avdija is just outside the top-100 in nine-cat during this stretch, due mainly to an average of 3.8 turnovers per game. However, when Deni dishes out assists at the rate he did on Tuesday, fantasy managers aren’t going to lose sleep over a few turnovers.

With Donovan Clingan sidelined with an illness, Avdija practically filled in as the starting center. He fell one rebound shy of matching his career high for rebounds, but he was still able to record the fourth triple-double of his career. Avdija is enjoying a phenomenal breakout season and will continue to be an elite option in fantasy basketball, even if the lack of defensive stats and subpar shooting percentages have slightly limited him.

Holiday has not appeared in a game since November 14. While he was due for a re-evaluation early next week, interim head coach Thiago Splitter said on Saturday that the veteran guard is still limited to non-contact work. Holiday’s absence has led to Deni Avdija spending more time as the primary playmaker, raising his fantasy ceiling.

Avdija set a new season-high in scoring on Wednesday, using the three-point shot and accurate shooting inside the arc to achieve it. Six missed free throws prevented the versatile forward from reaching the 40-point mark, and his six turnovers also likely cost him a few shot attempts. However, he also tallied a team-high in assists against the Spurs before the final buzzer sounded. Avidja has been Portland’s most productive player thus far, which shouldn’t change as the season progresses.