Portland

Trail Blazers

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.

Morant had a good night shooting the basketball, making 80 percent of his attempts and all three of his three-pointers. He finished with more turnovers (four) than assists (three), but fantasy managers likely know Morant will have some high-turnover nights. More importantly, he stays healthy, as the athletic point guard has had at least one extended absence throughout his career. Availability and efficiency concerns have hurt Morant’s ADP, as he’ll be more valuable to managers willing to punt turnovers.

Based on Friday’s starting lineup, fantasy managers can assume (if they haven’t already) that the Trail Blazers will start Lillard and Ja Morant together to begin the regular season. Both took 10 field-goal attempts against the Warriors, and Lillard also got 13 free-throw attempts. However, in the 22:29 they shared the court, Portland posted a net rating of minus-20.6. Lillard’s offensive production won’t be an issue, but defensive concerns may force head coach Micah Nori to stagger Lillard and Morant’s minutes more than he did on Friday.

Trail Blazers head coach Micah Nori has been toying with the starting lineup in the preseason, with Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson starting in this game, while Morant and Jrue Holiday came off the bench. Morant was still productive, and it’s clear the four guards will all have a significant role. Morant and Holiday will reportedly start in their next preseason game, and the starting unit for opening night still hasn’t been decided.

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.

Because of the opposition and Robert Williams III getting the day off, Yang played 21 minutes on Monday. The 7-foot-1 center made the most of his height advantage on offense, shooting 75 percent from the field, but he recorded no defensive stats. Once the regular season begins, Yang is unlikely to get the minutes needed to affect fantasy basketball, especially if Williams and starting center Donovan Clingan remain healthy.

Cissoko is unlikely to get the opportunities needed to provide reliable fantasy value, but his defense may earn him a spot on the back end of Micah Nori’s rotation. Against the Lions, he didn’t miss a shot, going 3-of-3 from beyond the arc and 5-of-5 overall. With Shaedon Sharpe ruled out for at least six months with a torn meniscus, Cissoko and Vit Krejčí (10 points, five rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two three-pointers) should earn additional minutes.

With Ja Morant and Damian Lillard added to the roster, Henderson will remain in a reserve role this season. That makes it imperative that he improves his efficiency to provide reliable fantasy value. Over his career, Henderson is a 40.4 percent shooter from the field and has averaged 2.9 turnovers per game. Given Portland’s perimeter depth, Scoot’s fantasy outlook isn’t great, even though he will remain in the rotation.

Damian Lillard didn’t play in Monday’s exhibition, and his absence opened a starting spot for Holiday. Like the other starters, the veteran guard was done at halftime. The move to the bench lowers Holiday’s fantasy ceiling considerably, giving managers no reason to use a top-100 pick on him. However, he should play enough to provide reliable late-round value in most leagues.

With the Trail Blazers adding Ja Morant and Damian Lillard to the rotation, Clingan’s touches may take a hit this season. However, the 7-foot-2 center can still provide reliable fantasy value in rebounds, blocks and field-goal percentage. For managers punting free-throw percentage, Clingan is a prime candidate for that particular roster build.