Trail Blazers News: Portland Wing Emerges As Key Fantasy Basketball Sleeper

Alex Kirschenbaum | Apr 11, 2024

Apr 9, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson dunks the ball against Portland Trail Blazers frontcourt players Jabari Walker and Deandre Ayton. / Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

As their 2023-24 regular season winds down and their player injuries (or "injuries," depending on how much you think the long-since-eliminated-from-the-posteason club is actively embracing the tank), the Portland Trail Blazers are allowing intriguing young fringe talents to get a ton of run.

One of the big players whose emergence has served as a boon for fantasy hoops owners late into the year is small forward Jabari Walker.

As Yahoo Sports' Dan Titus details, Walker has really come on of late.

"Walker was the unheralded king of Week 23 for fantasy managers," Titus wrote on Monday. "He's dropped three straight double-doubles and is averaging a ridiculous 15 points with 16 rebounds and three assists in his previous four contests."

"He needs to be added to all leagues because, similar to teammate Dalano Banton, he's taking advantage of his increase in minutes down the stretch."

For the year, the 6'9" Colorado product (who's a second-generation NBA player, as the son of journeyman power forward Samaki Walker) is averaging 8.7 points on .458/.281/.761 shooting splits, seven rebounds and an assist through 70 games. The 21-year-old's double-double streak may have ended in Tuesday night's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans (he scored just four points on 2-of-5 shooting, but did grab 10 rebounds), but he's still an interesting fantasy pickup off the waiver wire.