Sidy

Cissoko

Cissoko steps into the Trail Blazers’ lineup for Scoot Henderson, who has struggled with inconsistency since Ja Morant’s hamstring injury led to his starting. Cissoko may not be a great offensive threat, but he is a solid defender, which should come in handy in this matchup.

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.

This timeline has Sharpe returning after the All-Star break, though some sort of ramp-up period should be expected, meaning he likely won’t play a significant role until at least March. Sharpe was likely going to be a big contributor off the bench this season, which will likely force Portland to turn to smaller lineups, featuring two of Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson, more often. The wings that may take on more minutes in Sharpe’s absence are Vít Krejčí and Sidy Cissoko, though it is unlikely either plays enough to be worth taking a chance on late in your fantasy draft.

Sharpe is available for the first time since February 2. Given the amount of time missed, his minutes are likely to be restricted. Sidy Cissoko may fall out of the rotation entirely since Sharpe is available.

While Krejčí remaining out with a left calf contusion does not affect fantasy basketball, Grant’s calf strain does. His absence opens up a spot in the starting lineup, with Sidy Cissoko and Kris Murray being potential replacements. Also, no Grant means that the Trail Blazers will need more consistent production from Scoot Henderson off the bench.

Grant has missed Portland’s last two games and could remain sidelined for a third straight. Sidy Cissoko should start again if Grant remains out, though he was unproductive in 28 minutes on Monday.

Grant and Krejčí will remain out for another game, with the former’s absence likely resulting in another spot start for Sidy Cissoko. However, Cissoko played 19 minutes in Sunday’s loss to the Nuggets, with Matisse Thybulle playing 25 off the bench.

The Trail Blazers will not have Jerami Grant for Sunday’s game, as he is out with a sore left foot. Cissoko moves into the starting lineup, and while this does raise his short-term ceiling, he is not a must-stream player.

Cissoko is once again available after being listed as questionable with an illness. The 21-year-old point guard had zero points in seven minutes off the bench in Saturday’s loss to the Hornets.

Cissoko was also questionable ahead of Saturday’s loss to the Hornets, going on to play seven minutes off the bench. If cleared, his workload may not change much, so there’s no need to slot Cissoko into fantasy lineups.