Jrue

Holiday

It appears all three Trail Blazers are still a ways away from returning to the floor. Scoot has yet to suit up this season, while Holiday has been out almost a month and Thybulle hasn’t played since October. Portland has made it work without Scoot and Jrue by starting Sidy Cissoko and putting the ball in Deni Avdija’s hands, though the return of either would help this rotation tremendously.

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.

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.

After recording one assist in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Thunder, Avdija was considerably better on Monday. In addition to the increased assists, he has scored at least 22 points in three of his last four games. Since the Trail Blazers lost Jrue Holiday to a calf injury, Avdija has averaged 23.2 points and 7.0 assists per game. While turnovers can be an issue on occasion, Deni is well-positioned to provide top-50 value at a minimum while Portland awaits Holiday’s return.

Holiday was initially listed as questionable for Friday’s game against the Warriors, but he won’t be available after missing the last two games with a right calf strain. The 35-year-old guard is set to miss at least the next 1-2 weeks after the latest update from the team. With Shaedon Sharpe (calf) also out, the Trail Blazers will be significantly shorthanded. Jerami Grant, Kris Murray and Deni Avdija all stand to see increased usage and minutes.

Holiday and Sharpe will remain out, which will open up opportunities across the roster. Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love should see extra playing time at guard, while Jerami Grant and Kris Murray should see more run at forward. Deni Avdija should operate as the Blazers’ de facto point guard, and he finished with a 32/11/11 triple-double on Wednesday. Grant should get a boost in offensive usage as one of the team’s go-to scoring options.

Holiday has missed Portland’s last two games with a strained right calf. With Shaedon Sharpe also out for Wednesday’s loss to the Bulls, the Trail Blazers turned to Deni Avdiaj to run the show offensively. Avdija will have high fantasy value regardless of Holiday’s availability, but his ceiling is higher when he’s effectively the lone playmaker.

Holiday is dealing with a right calf strain that also kept him out of Tuesday’s game against the Suns. Jerami Grant replaced Holiday in the starting lineup Tuesday, but he’s questionable for Wednesday’s game. Shaedon Sharpe is doubtful, which could leave the Trail Blazers shorthanded against the Bulls.

Henderson suffered a torn left hamstring during a workout just before the Trail Blazers opened training camp. While he has progressed in his recovery, the lack of clearance to run, jump or engage in other explosive movements indicates his return to action is not imminent. “I can walk around to spots, but no jumping, no exploding,” Henderson told The Athletic on Tuesday. “I shoot free throws, some ballhandling, but without moving much.” With Jrue Holiday and Blake Wesley also injured, Portland has relied on Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and Caleb Love to take on playmaking responsibilities. Holiday’s injury is not expected to be long-term, so he’ll assume the starting point guard duties once again when he’s cleared to play. As for Henderson, fantasy managers with an open IL+ slot can continue to stash him. However, those working with injury-riddled rosters may need to move on and seek alternatives.

Holiday was initially doubtful for Tuesday’s game, so the downgrade in status is unsurprising. Jerami Grant has been his replacement in the starting lineup, with Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe spending more time on the ball as playmakers.