POR 118, NOP 106: Avdija Paces Fantasy With 49.1 Yahoo FP
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate ยท Houston Rockets fan
Blazers Survive Close One, But the Real Story Is Holiday and Avdija Running the Offense
Trail Blazers 118, Pelicans 106. Three seeds battling for playoff positioning, and Portland walks away with the W in a game that felt closer than the final score. But here's what matters for your fantasy squad: the Blazers' backcourt went absolutely nuclear, and if you're holding either of these guys, you're having a very good Friday.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deni Avdija | 43.0 | 49.1 | 26/8/7 | 23.9/7.0/6.7 | +2.1 |
| Jrue Holiday | 51.0 | 45.5 | 27/5/9 | 16.1/4.5/6.0 | +10.9 |
| Toumani Camara | 50.0 | 40.3 | 23/4/1 | 13.1/5.2/2.5 | +9.9 |
| Derik Queen | 36.0 | 35.7 | 12/6/7 | 11.4/6.8/3.6 | +0.6 |
| Jeremiah Fears | 43.0 | 34.9 | 21/2/1 | 13.0/3.5/3.3 | +8.0 |
| Trey Murphy III | 31.0 | 33.6 | 19/8/2 | 21.7/5.7/3.8 | -2.7 |
| Robert Williams III | 31.0 | 28.5 | 6/10/1 | 6.7/6.9/1.0 | -0.7 |
| Saddiq Bey | 24.0 | 25.7 | 15/6/1 | 17.4/5.6/2.6 | -2.4 |
| Dejounte Murray | 21.0 | 25.6 | 9/8/4 | 17.3/5.2/6.5 | -8.3 |
| Matisse Thybulle | 28.0 | 25.5 | 13/5/1 | 5.4/2.0/0.8 | +7.6 |
Jrue Holiday Reminded Everyone Why He Was All-NBA
Let's start with the obvious: 51 ESPN points is a statement. Holiday dropped 27 points on 10-22 shooting with 7 threes and 9 assists, completely controlling the pace against a Pelicans defense that came in playing decent. That +10.9 point differential versus his season average? That's the difference between "solid depth piece" and "I'm winning this week."
What's wild is his line doesn't look crazy efficient on the surface (10-22 is 45%), but the volume was there and he hit the shots that mattered. He's been running the offense all year, but tonight he had the green light to score, and he took it. If you're in a league where he somehow fell to your waiver wire, grab him. If you own him, you already know his ceiling, but nights like this remind you why he's still dangerous.
The other thing: he played 37 minutes. Portland needed him out there, and he delivered exactly when it mattered.
Deni Avdija Putting Together a Career Season
Avdija finished with 49.1 Yahoo FP on 26/8/7 with 10-13 from the free throw line. That's 37 minutes of work, and he wasn't even trying that hard to force things. He's hitting his spots, and more importantly, he's getting the respect from refs that All-NBA caliber players get. Seven free throws attempt tells you New Orleans couldn't stop him without fouling.
The season average comparison is where this gets interesting: +2.1 points isn't massive, but he's at 23.9 PPG on the year, which for a 26-year-old forward is exactly where you want him. He's not going to have 45-point nights every week, but the consistency is there. In PPR scoring, this was basically a 49-point night on average efficiency.
The Depth Guys Came Through
Toumani Camara (40.3 Yahoo FP) went 8-15 from the field with 6 threes off the bench. That's 23 points, 4 boards, and the kind of shooting night that makes you think "how is this guy available in my league?" He's been streaky all season (13.1 PPG), but when Portland needs floor spacers, he delivers. 39 minutes suggests he was Portland's second option offensively, which is important for future games.
Matisse Thybulle (25.5 Yahoo FP) came off the bench with 13 points, 5 boards, and 2 steals in 30 minutes. He's not a fantasy powerhouse, but +7.6 points versus his season average (5.4 PPG) tells you he had a really good night. He hit 3 threes, which isn't his normal game, but it worked.
New Orleans Got Contributions Everywhere, Just Not Enough
Jeremiah Fears was legit with 21 points in 25 minutes, hitting 7-10 from the field. That's +8.0 versus his season average, and it's a reminder that young scorers can absolutely go off on any given night. But 25 minutes in a loss is the thing. If New Orleans keeps feeding him, he's a solid depth add in 12-team leagues, but don't overreact to one game.
Derik Queen had a nice 12/6/7 line with 2 steals, but again, he was on the losing side. He's not hurting your week, but he's not carrying it either.
Trey Murphy III underperformed his season average (-2.7), dropping 19 points but on 7-17 shooting with only one three. He got the boards (8 rebounds) which helped, but this felt more like a "fine, not great" night for someone averaging 21.7 PPG. Not worried about him long-term, but the efficiency dipped.
The Concerning Part for New Orleans
Dejounte Murray scoring 9 points on 4-10 shooting is the kind of stat that makes you nervous if you're holding him. Yes, he got 8 boards and 4 assists, but that's -8.3 points versus his season average of 17.3 PPG. He played 28 minutes, which is normal for him, but something wasn't clicking offensively. One bad game doesn't mean panic, but if this becomes a trend, your draft capital in him might be bleeding value.
What's Next
Deni Avdija is getting dropped by 0.4% of league ownership after this game, which is insane. He's been rock solid all year and just put up a 49-point night. If he's sitting on someone's bench in your league, that's a theft waiting to happen.
On the flip side, Ace Bailey (Jazz) is getting cut in leagues league-wide (-4.0% ownership), but he wasn't even in this game. People are clearly making moves elsewhere, so check waivers after tonight's games process.
The real fantasy lesson from Portland winning this one: depth matters in the playoffs. The Blazers had five different guys score 13+ points, and that's how you grind out close games. If you're building a playoff roster, you need more than one star. Holiday and Avdija carried the load tonight, but Camara's shooting and Thybulle's defense were the difference.