Portland

Trail Blazers

The lone change to the starting lineup is Clingan, who is back after missing three games with a leg injury. Kris Murray heads back to the bench, and he won’t play any minutes at center since Robert Williams III and Yang Hansen are also available.

While Yang will be available for Sunday’s game, the rookie is not guaranteed to play rotation minutes. Starting center Donovan Clingan is available, as is backup Robert Williams. At best, Yang is a player to roster in dynasty leagues.

The Time Lord is back after sitting out Thursday’s loss to the Pelicans. However, with Donovan Clingan (leg) also available, Williams will slot into the backup center role, limiting his fantasy potential.

Clingan is back after a three-game absence due to a lower left leg contusion. He’ll occupy his usual place in the Trail Blazers’ starting lineup, and Portland will have all three of its centers available. Robert Williams III and Yang Hansen are also cleared for Sunday’s game.

Yang was held out of Thursday’s loss to the Pelicans with a facial contusion, joining Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III on the sidelines. Whether the rookie is in Portland’s rotation on Sunday depends on the availability of Clingan and Williams, who are also questionable. If those two can play, Hansen will likely be out of the rotation entirely.

Portland was without its top three centers on Thursday, including Williams. He was initially questionable for that game before being ruled out, and that could happen again on Sunday. Williams’ fantasy value, if available, depends on the status of starting center Donovan Clingan, who has missed the last three games. If Clingan plays, Williams will be locked into the backup center role, which limits his fantasy ceiling.

Clingan has missed Portland’s last three games with a lower left leg contusion. If he’s able to play on Sunday, he will resume his usual duties as the starting center. However, with Robert Williams III and Yang Hansen also questionable, the Trail Blazers could once again be in a position to play without a legitimate center. Kris Murray started Thursday’s loss to the Pelicans, recording nine rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots in 29 minutes.

For the first time since November 19, Cissoko was used in a reserve role, with Shaedon Sharpe reclaiming his place in the starting lineup. However, this did not negatively affect Cissoko’s opportunities, as he played 32 minutes. And the former second-round pick had the best night of his NBA career, recording his first 20-point game. Cissoko still isn’t at the point where he should be rostered in most fantasy leagues. However, he will get his opportunities while the Blazers await the returns of players such as Jrue Holiday, Matisse Thybulle and Scoot Henderson.

Grant shot 1-of-7 from beyond the arc on Thursday, which did a number on his overall field-goal percentage. Over the past two weeks, the Trail Blazers forward has been a top-75 player in eight-cat formats. And that’s with him shooting 38.8 percent from the field. Grant has been more productive as a rebounder and shot-blocker, which has boosted his fantasy value. Rostered in 43 percent of Yahoo! leagues, he’ll be worth a look ahead of Portland’s final game of Week 8 on Sunday against the Warriors.

While Avdija recorded a complete stat line and kept the turnovers in check, committing two, he struggled with his shot in New Orleans. And that was with the Pelicans’ top defender, Herb Jones, getting ejected just before halftime. Over the past two weeks, Avdija has provided top-25 per-game value in eight-cat formats. That’s slightly higher than his season-long production, and the 6-foot-9 will possess a high fantasy ceiling as long as the Trail Blazers remain without Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson.