Portland

Trail Blazers

The first month of Scoot’s rookie season was disappointing, but he was able to showcase the reason that he was selected with the No. 3 pick in the draft. He set a new career-high for scoring in this game in what was the best game of his young career. He is still working through the struggles that most rookies face, but he will figure it out eventually. It is only a matter of time before he is putting up big numbers consistently. Until that starts, there will be some poor performances, but this was an encouraging performance for the rookie.

Brogdon set a new season-high with 25 points in this game and tied with Shaedon Sharpe in leading Portland in scoring. Unfortunately, it didn’t lead to a win, which ended Portland’s two-game win streak. However, Brogdon has been really solid as of late in fantasy basketball. Over the past two weeks, he has ranked in the top-100 in 9-cat value, and he has been able to provide plenty of buckets and dimes. Brogdon has continued to start at point guard with Scoot Henderson back, and his role should be safe for the foreseeable future.

Henderson didn’t have a good night shooting the basketball, but he finished tied with Malcolm Brogdon (11/3/7/2/1 with one 3-pointer) with a team-high seven assists. The rookie hasn’t shot the ball well since returning from the sprained ankle that sidelined him for three weeks, and it’s fair to wonder if the new goggles (which he wasn’t wearing pre-injury) have been a factor. With the shooting a major question mark, fantasy managers will need consistent assist production from Henderson in order to recoup some value, based on his Yahoo ADP of 99. Portland finishes its Week 6 slate on Saturday in Utah.

Camara is in the starting lineup primarily for his defense, as the combination of size and athleticism has helped him pester some top-level scorers. Donovan Mitchell may have scored 23 points, but he shot 7-of-20 from the field, with the former Dayton standout being the primary defender for extended periods. Camara isn’t productive enough offensively to merit being rostered in most fantasy leagues, but his name is one to keep on the radar for the second half of the season.

Portland received solid production from both of its reserve big men on Thursday. Reath’s 13 points were three shy of his career-high, and he’s hit double figures in four of the 10 games he’s appeared in. Also of note was the play of Jabari Walker, who chipped in with six points, 12 rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 24 minutes. As long as Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton remain healthy, there won’t be much reason to roster Reath or Walker in most leagues. But they’re worth tracking in case any of Portland’s starting frontcourt players are sidelined due to injury.

Sharpe needed a night like this, as he entered Thursday in a serious slump. Since scoring 22 points in a November 5 loss to Memphis, he averaged 14.5 points per game on 35.5% shooting from the field. Many fantasy managers were intrigued by Sharpe’s upside after Portland traded Damian Lillard, as he was bound to see an increase in usage and scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, the efficiency hasn’t been there, and Portland having three guards miss time due to injury didn’t help matters. Sharpe’s still ranked well outside the top 150 in 9-cat per-game value, and the only way that will change is if he can improve his efficiency. Thursday was a step in the right direction.

Sharpe’s shooting struggles continued on Monday, but he was productive in other areas as the Blazers bounced back from Sunday’s disappointing defeat in Milwaukee. Over the last two weeks, he’s shooting 32.4% from the field, a big reason why Sharpe’s not even providing top 200 value during that stretch. He’s ranked outside the top 150 in 9-cat per-game value for the season, but Sharpe jumps up boards considerably for managers punting field-goal percentage. Malcolm Brogdon was one of the Trail Blazers who picked up the slack for Sharpe on Monday, finishing with 24 points, two rebounds, seven assists, and one 3-pointer in 36 minutes.

The Pacers have been one of the NBA’s pleasant surprises this season, but their defense has a tendency to let opposing players cook. That was the case for Grant and Deandre Ayton, who combined to score 56 points on 21-of-31 shooting from the field. Grant now has three 30-point games to his credit his season, with two coming in Portland’s last three outings. And due to the combination of improved offensive efficiency and increased defensive production, he’s been a top 20 player over the last week. As for Ayton, who finished Monday’s win with 22 points, 13 rebounds, one assist, and one steal, he’s been a 3rd-round player during that stretch. Portland will play two more games in Week 6, with the first being Thursday in Cleveland.

Outside of the shooting and the result, Brogdon had a good day against the team that selected him in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft. Hitting double figures in assists for the second time this season, his 12 helpers were a new season-high. Starting backcourt partner Shaedon Sharpe 17/6/3/2 with one 3-pointer) also struggled from the field, shooting 7-of-19, while Scoot Henderson (13/4/1 with three 3-pointers) came off the bench and shot 5-of-10. Whether or not Henderson replaces Brogdon in the starting five soon remains to be seen, but the veteran guard will provide solid fantasy value either way.

Back in action after sitting out Wednesday’s win over Utah, Ayton recorded his eighth double-double of the season on Sunday. Just as nice for fantasy managers is that he’s had at least one steal and one blocked shot in three straight games, two shy of his longest streak of the season. Getting consistent defensive production out of Ayton was a chore during his time in Phoenix, and it limited his fantasy ceiling. That hasn’t been the case in Portland, a big reason why he’s ranked well within the top 50 in 9-cat per-game value.