Portland Trail Blazers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (finger) won't play in Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves. The 2018 No. 1 overall pick was also sidelined when these clubs met on Tuesday night, resulting in Donovan Clingan getting the start and finishing with four points and six rebounds. However, it was Robert Williams III who stole the show in just his third appearance of the 2024-25 campaign, ending the night by amassing 19 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, and three steals. But with Williams getting the night off to rest, Clingan should have more opportunities to produce, although fantasy managers should still be cautious before putting him in their lineups.

Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (finger) won't play in Tuesday's matchup versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 2018 No. 1 overall pick has averaged 13.3 points and 10.5 assists this season. He's also shot a career-high 38.5% from behind the arc. But he'll miss his first game of the 2024-25 campaign due to a sprained right index finger. Without him, Donovan Clingan will get the start. However, fantasy managers could see a productive evening from Robert Williams III, although he likely continue to operate under a minutes restriction.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (shoulder) is questionable for Thursday's matchup with the San Antonio Spurs. The 21-year-old has been sidelined with a labral tear and was expected to be out for 4-6 weeks. While it appears he could be nearing a return, there's still a chance that won't happen on Thursday night. But even if Sharpe is in uniform, he'll likely see reduced minutes while he works his way back. With that in mind, his potential absence should mean more minutes for guys like Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, and Rayan Rupert.

Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (hamstring) will play on Monday night against the Pelicans. The big man appeared in only six games for Portland in 2023-24 before suffering a season-ending knee injury in November. Unfortunately, he tweaked his hamstring during training camp and has been working his way back since. Without question, Williams is as talented as it gets, especially on the defensive end. However, he'll likely see limited minutes in his first game back, so fantasy managers should keep him on the bench.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (arm) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Saturday's game against the Phoenix Suns. Simons fell on his arm during Friday's loss, but it seems like it was a minor issue. Simons appears to be fine and should play his normal workload on Saturday. He put together his worst performance of the season on Friday, but has been solid outside of that. Fantasy managers should go ahead and get him back in their lineups for this one.