Toumani

Camara

Camara hit four first-quarter triples and finished with six, establishing a new high for three-pointers in a game. Over his last two outings, the third-year forward is 11-of-22 from beyond the arc. Camara’s season-long fantasy value hasn’t been great, due in part to his shooting 41.3 percent from the field, but he’s made 44.4 percent of his attempts over the past two weeks.

In addition to pestering Milwaukee’s Ryan Rollins defensively for most of the night, Camara finished Monday’s victory with a complete stat line. The third-year forward has been close to a top-100 player in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. With Camara being a limited scorer, turnovers have a greater impact on his value than some other 3-and-D wings. He’s averaged 2.8 turnovers per game during this stretch, resulting in his nine-cat value being three rounds lower than his eight-cat value.

Camara notched his first 20-point game of the season on Friday and was one of four Trail Blazers to score at least that many points. Interestingly, he did not provide any defensive stats against the Warriors, making it the third time this season he’s completed a game without a steal or a blocked shot. While he’s still rostered in 42 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Camara remains ranked well outside the top-100 in eight- and nine-cat formats. That said, holding onto him with Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson out for multiple weeks isn’t a bad idea.

Camara didn’t provide his usual supply of steals, but he continues to be an effective threat from beyond the arc. He is averaging a career-best 2.2 three-pointers per game this season, which has helped make up for a drop in steals and field goal percentage. Camara will continue to be an elite defender, but the best part of his fantasy game right now is his deep-range shooting.

Murray is a late addition to the injury report after playing 24 minutes against the Lakers on Monday. With Matisse Thybulle (hip) also questionable, Toumani Camara and Jerami Grant will likely see a boost in minutes if Murray isn’t able to suit up.

Camara was one of several Portland players to find success on the offensive end in the team’s high-scoring, 139-point outing against Golden State. He was one of five starters to score and double figures, with the production from beyond the arc leading to nearly half of his scoring output. The versatile forward also chipped in on the glass and used active hands to come away with a few steals. Overall, he had a balanced performance on the evening and could find himself in a good position to sustain this level of play going forward.

Camara sat out the second half of Portland’s October 10 exhibition against the Kings with a sore knee and did not play in the team’s preseason finale. However, he was a full participant in Monday’s practice, which may be a positive sign regarding the forward’s availability for Wednesday’s opener against the Timberwolves. Fantasy managers should consider Camara, who has established himself as one of the NBA’s better defenders, questionable for the opener.

Camara had tremendous success in his second season, hanging his hat on defense but showcasing his abilities on both ends of the court. Portland has the 2023 second rounder locked in through the 2029-30 campaign, and he figures to factor heavily into the team’s gameplan this season. Camara skyrocketed up fantasy draft boards, and he’s one of the most popular breakout candidates heading into the 2025-26 season.

Since Toumani Camara was unavailable for Thursday’s preseason finale, there was no question about who Portland’s starting forwards would be. Grant and Deni Avdija filled those spots, with the latter not returning for the second half due to lingering upper back stiffness. Grant went off against Utah, scoring 32 points while providing solid value in rebounds, “stocks” and three-pointers. The issue is that Grant has rarely done this in recent years. And with the Trail Blazers being in the midst of a rebuild, he’s been a challenging player to trust in most fantasy leagues. Managers drafting this weekend should be careful not to allow Thursday’s effort to persuade them to reach for Grant.

Camara played 14 minutes during the first half of Friday’s game, finishing with three points (1-of-3 FGs), two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one three-pointer. More concerning than the numbers was the reason why he did not play after halftime, with Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups revealing after the game that Camara was dealing with some knee soreness. The issue doesn’t sound serious, so fantasy managers should continue to draft Camara with the expectation that he’ll be good to go when the regular season begins.