Deni Avdija Fantasy Outlook: Should You Draft the Portland Trail Blazers Small Forward This Year?
It’s the final weekend before the NBA regular season begins, which means you’re coming here for your fantasy basketball drafts.
Should you draft Deni Avdija this season? Here’s the latest outlook, projections, and rankings for the Portland Trail Blazers Small Forward.
Should You Draft Deni Avdija in Fantasy Basketball?
Deni Avdija was the biggest standout of Portland’s second-half surge last season, which saw the young squad finish 23-18 after stumbling to a 13-28 start. While a stark team defensive improvement heavily factored into the Trail Blazers’ turnaround, Avdija’s breakout as a versatile go-to scorer, rebounder, and playmaker also turned heads.
Over his final 16 outings, the 24-year-old forward averaged 24.9 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on elite 50.8/43.1/81.6 shooting splits. The impressive stretch allowed Avdija to finish his first campaign with Portland with career highs of 16.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.9 apg, and 1.0 spg, making him one of fantasy basketball’s biggest wildcards heading into the 2025-26 season.
While Avdija may struggle to sustain All-Star-level play over a full 82-game campaign, he should have every opportunity to continue establishing himself. With offseason addition Damian Lillard (Achilles) expected to sit out the entire season, the Trail Blazers, who lack a bona fide star, will need someone to seize a primary offensive role. As such, Avdija projects to be a high-ceiling fourth-round pick in standard drafts, poised to deliver multifaceted production.
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What Are Avdija’s Fantasy Basketball Projections This Season?
Based on our proprietary metrics here at PFSN, we project Avdija to score 2,727.3 fantasy points this season, with him averaging 17.7 points per game.
This includes 5.8 field goals per game, 1.9 three-pointers per game, 4.2 free throws per game, 7.6 rebounds per game, 4.2 assists per game, 1.2 steals per game, and 0.6 blocks per game.
Where Does Deni Avdija Rank in the Upcoming Fantasy Basketball Season?
Avdija is ranked 39th overall and eighth at his position. The five players ranked ahead of him overall include Jalen Williams, Nikola Vučević, Derrick White, DeMar DeRozan, and Josh Giddey.
The five players ranked behind him overall include Amen Thompson, Michael Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Desmond Bane, and Jamal Murray.
The five players ranked ahead of him at his position include Franz Wagner, Miles Bridges, Jimmy Butler III, Williams, and DeRozan.
The five players ranked behind him at his position include Porter, Trey Murphy III, Josh Hart, Kawhi Leonard, and Andrew Wiggins.
