Portland Trail Blazers
Team Outlook-
The Portland Trail Blazers overachieved last season by advancing to the Conference Semifinals before being eliminated by the Golden State Warriors. An impressive feat in which most considered a rebuilding year with the loss of LaMarcus Aldridge. The Blazers had money to spend during the offseason and rewarded Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe with a combined $145 million. That’s a significant amount of money for two role players. The team also signed Festus Ezeli and re-signed Myers Leonard and Moe Harkless to deals. Monitor the team early in the season to see how all of the pieces fit together. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum project to carry the offensive load again this season. They are your two main targets for fantasy. Head coach Terry Stotts has led the Blazers to the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. Expect the Blazers to contend again this season.
Projected Starting Lineup
Point Guard- Damian Lillard-
Damian Lillard put the Blazers on his shoulders averaging a career-best 25.1 points/per game last season. Lillard has elite fantasy upside that can win you a GPP tournament. Last season, Lillard had four games where he scored over 40 points including two games where he scored at least 50 points. The issue with Lillard is that he relies on scoring to hit his fantasy value, thus he is usually more of a GPP play as compared to a cash game target. Lillard has a history of showing up in big spots especially in the 4th quarter. However, his minutes tend to fluctuate more than most elite Point Guards. Lillard said there were points toward the end of the season in which his foot hurt so bad that he could only play during games. Expect Lillard to continue to produce as a top-tier fantasy Point Guard again this season.
Shooting Guard- C.J. McCollum -
C.J. McCollum had a breakout third season averaging 34.8 minutes/per game with 20.8 points/per game. McCollum was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year for the 2015-2016 season. McCollum is the second option behind Damian Lillard with the Blazers offense. When Lillard is not on the floor, McCollum picks up the Point Guard duties. Reports are that McCollum has been working on the defensive side of the ball during the offseason. Expect McCollum to continue to improve as a player and fantasy option this season.
Small Forward- Evan Turner-
Evan Turner agreed to a four-year, $70 million deal with the Blazers this offseason. Turner is a solid all-around player who will improve the Blazers offense. Turner is projected to start at Small Forward but Moe Harkless could cut into his minutes. Monitor Turner early in the season to see if he will have a fantasy impact with the Blazers.
Power Forward- Al Farouq Aminu-
Al Farouq Aminu is a good fit for the Blazers as he can play multiple positions and fill up the stat sheet. Aminu averaged a career-best 28.5 minutes per/game last season because he is a force on defense. With the addition of Evan Turner, expect Aminu to play more of his minutes at Power Forward this season. Aminu often is disregarded by the fantasy community because he isn’t a high scorer.
Center- Mason Plumlee-
In Mason Plumlee’s third season, he averaged career-highs of 9.1 points/per game and 7.7 rebounds/per game in only 25.4 minutes/per game. Expect Plumlee to see a bump in minutes during the early part of the season as Myers Leonard and Festus Ezeli recover from offseason injuries.
Key Bench Players
Myers Leonard-PF, C- Myers Leonard agreed to re-sign with the Blazers on a four-year $41 million deal. Leonard had left shoulder surgery during the offseason and recently was cleared for 5-on-5 drills. Expect the Blazers to be cautious with Leonard early on this season. Once Leonard fully recovers, expect him to take the next step as a player this season. Keep an eye on Leonard’s minutes as he has potential value for fantasy.
Allen Crabbe-SG- Allen Crabbe got paid this offseason. The Blazers matched the Brooklyn Nets four-year $75 million offer for Crabbe. Portland General Manager Neil Olshey said that Crabbe is a “foundational player.” Crabbe is a three-point specialist who excelled at times last season. If C.J. McCollum misses time, Crabbe should be a low-priced fantasy option.
Ed Davis- C, PF- Ed Davis said he added 15-20 pounds during the offseason. Davis has been bulking up with the expectation that he will play more Center minutes behind Mason Plumlee this season. Davis doesn’t usually play enough minutes to be fantasy relevant.
Moe Harkless-PF, SF- The Blazers re-signed Moe Harkless to a four-year $40 million deal during the offseason. Harkless peaked last April when he averaged 11.8 points/per game and 6.5 rebounds/per game in 28.7 minutes/per game. Keep an eye on Harkless’ role in the offense as he has fantasy upside if given enough minutes.
Noah Vonleh-PF- Noah Vonleh projects to be buried on the bench behind Al-Farouq Aminu, Moe Harkless, Myers Leonard, and Ed Davis. He holds minimal fantasy value.
Shabazz Napier-PG- Shabazz Napier was traded to Portland for cash considerations. Even though Napier is listed second on the depth chart, don’t expect to see him in the rotation. He currently has zero fantasy value.
Key Offseason Acquisitions
Festus Ezeli-C- Festus Ezeli agreed to a two-year $15 million deal with the Blazers. With a history of knee injuries, Ezeli had his left knee injected with a bone marrow aspirate concentrate in August and is currently out without a timeline to return to action. Some expect Ezeli to return in November but don’t count on him for your fantasy roster during the early part of the season.
Key Offseason Departures
Gerald Henderson-SG- Gerald Henderson signed a two-year $18 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Brian Roberts-PG-Brian Roberts signed a veteran’s minimum contract with the Charlotte Hornets.