Vít

Krejčí

With Saturday’s game being Portland’s first since losing Ja Morant to a Grade 2 hamstring strain, head coach Micah Nori had to alter his rotation. One change was more playing time for Krejčí, who logged 24 minutes in the 112-90 victory. His production wasn’t enough to make him a player worth adding going into Week 3, but Krejčí should get more opportunities in the coming weeks.

Henderson has come off the bench in each of Portland’s first two games, most recently playing 21 minutes in Friday’s win over the Kings. If he can’t play on Tuesday, Vit Krejčí may get more playing time, as he played just three minutes against Sacramento.

Avdija looked good during the preseason, but there is a chance he is sidelined for Portland’s regular season opener. Portland’s thin on the wing, with Vít Krejčí next in line on the depth chart. It’s possible the Trail Blazers use three guards in the starting unit instead of starting Krejčí, which would likely mean Damian Lillard, Ja Morant and Jrue Holiday all start.

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.

Krejčí will be available for the first time in nearly a month. His playing time will be limited as the Trail Blazers go through the process of ramping up the wing’s minutes.

Krejčí was also listed as questionable ahead of Friday’s win over the Clippers before being ruled out. And even if he can play on Sunday, playing time is likely to be scarce with Shaedon Sharpe making his return on Friday after missing time with a fibula injury.

It has been nearly a month since Krejčí last appeared in a game, and he remains out on Friday. With Shaedon Sharpe (fibula) making his return, there will be even fewer minutes available to Krejčí whenever he’s cleared to return.

Krejčí has not appeared in a game since March 15. With the Trail Blazers still awaiting Jerami Grant’s return from a calf injury, there may be a few more minutes available if Krejčí returns on Friday. However, he won’t be worth the risk in active fantasy leagues.

Krejčí has been out for three weeks, and he’ll miss another game on Wednesday. His continued absence does not affect the Trail Blazers’ rotation, as Krejčí’s minutes decreased before his calf injury.