DraftKings Price: $4,400
The second Blazer you need to strongly consider is also relevant because of an injury to a teammate. As you all are probably aware, Jusuf Nurkic is done for the season after a gruesome leg injury. With him out, 27.4 minutes of playing time are available to divvy up, and Zach Collins is one of the players who stands to benefit most.
Though Enes Kanter could continue to start at the five, he's relatively poor on the defensive end, which is one of the areas Collins excels, which should motivate head coach Terry Stotts to give him more run. It certainly did on Wednesday, where Collins played 25 minutes in the Blazers' first game without Nurkic. The 25 minutes were the most Collins had seen since January 9.
Collins averages nearly 2.3 blocks per 48 minutes, which ranks 25th in the league. Kanter, by comparison, ranks 133rd with just 0.7. He's scored double figures in six of the eight games he's received 25 or more minutes, one of which happened on opening night; he salvaged a solid fantasy performance with six boards, two assists, and six blocks.
With the playoffs around the corner and minutes for the taking, it's the sophomore's time to shine. At only $4,400, give him a chance to do so in your lineups.