Porter is coming off a strong campaign in which he averaged a career-high 31.7 minutes per game and made a career-high 81 appearances, a major step up from his previous high of 62 games played in 2022-23. His scoring took a slight dip, but he showed increases in his rebounds and assists per game. The 2023-24 season marked the fourth time in his five-year career that he shot at least 48.0 percent from the field and 39.0 percent from long range. It also marked the third time in the last four seasons that he attempted at least 6.0 three-pointers and made more than 2.5 per game. Additionally, Porter averaged a career-best 83.6 percent shooting from the foul line last season. He reached the 30-point mark four times during the regular season, including a season-high 34 points on 13-for-21 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds, a steal and a block in a road win over the Trail Blazers on Feb. 23. Porter hauled in at least 10 rebounds 18 times in the regular season and playoffs combined, leading to 16 double-doubles, including three with at least 30 points and 10 boards. He knocked down a season-high seven three-pointers twice and made five threes 11 times. Heading into 2024-25, Porter will remain a critical piece of the Nuggets' attack, which lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this offseason, and should continue to thrive from long-range thanks to great playmaking from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a five-year, $179.3 million contract extension with the Nuggets in September of 2021.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary
Michael Porter Jr. was born in 1998 in Columbia, Missouri. His mother, Lisa, played basketball at Iowa. His father, Michael Porter Sr. played college ball at New Orleans and was also an assistant coach at the University of Missouri during Michael Jr.'s one season there. Younger brother Jontay Porter also played at Mizzou. For high school ball, Porter attended Father Tolton Regional Catholic High School in Columbia, Missouri, before transferring to Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Washington for his senior season. Porter has seven siblings (Bri, Cierra, Jontay, Coban, Jevan, Izaak and Jayda). Porter grew up as a vegetarian. Then, in 2018, he changed his diet to raw vegan. Check him out on Twitter (@MPJr). Porter's collegiate career felt like a pin poked into a balloon. The 6-foot-10 forward was one of the top recruits in his class. As a high school senior in Washington, he averaged 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds and his team was undefeated on its way to a Class 3A State Championship. Porter put up 19 points in the Nike Hoop Summit. Originally, he was going to stay in state and play for coach Lorenzo Romar at Washington. When Romar was fired, the sweet-shooting forward chose Missouri, in order to play with his brother Jontay. He hurt his back in his first game of the season and the injury required surgery. Porter made appearances in the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. He had 16 points, 10 rebounds and three steals in the loss to Florida State in the first round of the Big Dance. After the abbreviated season, Porter declared for the 2018 NBA Draft and was selected with the 14th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets.
Goes cold in Game 7 loss
FDenver Nuggets
May 20, 2024
Porter posted seven points (3-12 FG, 1-6 3Pt), nine rebounds and two blocks across 34 minutes during Sunday's 98-90 loss to the Timberwolves in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
ANALYSIS Porter went just 1-for-6 from the three-point line, continuing a rough series for the sharpshooter. Over the seven-game span, Porter scored fewer than 10 points on five occasions. It was an unfortunate end for Porter after he managed to put together a strong season. Despite the poor postseason performance, Porter should be able to maintain mid-round value in most fantasy formats next season.
2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
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2023 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Vs Opp
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Stat Review
How does Michael Porter compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
True Shooting %
An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
Effective Field Goal %
A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
3-Point Attempt Rate
Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
Free Throw Rate
Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
Offensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Defensive Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Total Rebound %
An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
Assist %
An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
Steal %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
Block %
An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
Turnover %
An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
Usage %
An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
Fantasy Points Per Game
NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
Fantasy Points Per Minute
NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
60.1%
Effective Field Goal %
58.6%
3-Point Attempt Rate
51.3%
Free Throw Rate
10.2%
Offensive Rebound %
4.7%
Defensive Rebound %
19.3%
Total Rebound %
12.2%
Assist %
6.7%
Steal %
0.7%
Block %
1.8%
Turnover %
6.8%
Usage %
0.0%
Fantasy Points Per Game
29.8
Fantasy Points Per Minute
0.9
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Total
Per Game
Per 36
NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
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NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
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NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
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Historical ADP
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Nuggets Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Michael Porter was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
FanDuel
DraftKings
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
Porter has been a frustrating player at times throughout his career, but he is one of the most talented youngsters in the league. After playing just nine games in the 2021-22 season, MPJ averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocks last year. He also hit 3.0 three-pointers a night, shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from long range. Those shooting numbers are impressive considering how many contested looks he takes, but that's who we've seen throughout his career. We also saw Porter provide 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in the 2020-21 season, and it wouldn't be surprising if he gets closer to that with how dangerous the defending champs looked throughout the year on the offensive end. The assists, steals and blocks are always disappointing from a fantasy perspective, but not many three-point shooters provide the percentages MPJ does at such a high volume. Things are always easier when players like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are on the floor, and a career year is not out of the realm of possibility for this highly-touted 25-year-old. Porter's value remains muted because of his back issues, playing just 44 games per year through his first four years in the league (and missing his entire rookie season).
Porter is talented, but health issues have plagued him throughout his career. It's the reason why he fell to the 14th pick in the 2018 Draft. When he was mostly healthy, he stood out by averaging 19.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 three-pointers during the 2020-21 season. He even shot 54.2 percent from the field and 79.1 percent from the free-throw line, making him a valuable option in fantasy. However, Porter's back issues cropped up against last season, and ultimately resulted in him needing surgery after appearing in just nine games. With a full offseason to recover, the expectation is that Porter will be ready at the start of the season. If there is a list of high risk, high reward players, he should be near, or at, the top of it. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Nuggets take a cautious approach with him as the season moves along, including resting him for one half of back-to-back sets. If he can stay healthy, he should slot right back in as the third-best scoring option behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Despite continued concerns about Porter's injury history -- specifically, his surgically repaired back -- he stayed mostly healthy last season and appeared in 61 of 72 regular-season games for the Nuggets. In a breakout campaign, the forward averaged 19.0 points on 54/45/79 shooting, 7.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.6 combined blocks-plus-steals. His impressive efficiency led to him posting the league's seventh-highest true-shooting percentage (66.3%). He had six 30-point games and 15 double-doubles. Overall, the man they call "MPJ" ranked 43rd in fantasy on a per-game basis. Heading into 2021-22, the 23-year-old is in position to improve his numbers across the board. Jamal Murray (knee) could be out for the majority of the regular season, which means Porter will be the clear No. 2 option behind Nikola Jokic. With Murray off the court last season, Porter averaged 24.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 blocks, plus 3.4 made threes per 36 minutes. If he's able to replicate those numbers, he'll easily be worth a third-round selection. However, fantasy managers need to keep in mind his injury potential. His medicals were reportedly some of the worst that teams had ever seen coming into the 2018 Draft, which is what caused him to slip to the 14th pick.
Porter made his much-anticipated NBA debut last season after missing all of 2018-19 due to a back injury. His overall stats were modest -- 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 16.4 minutes -- but Porter's upside showed through when he was given extended run. In the nine games (regular season and playoffs) that he saw 30-plus minutes, the forward averaged 23.1 points (55/51/94 shooting splits), 9.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.7 combined blocks-plus-steals. Heading into 2020-21, he's expected to start at forward for the Nuggets after both Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee left in free agency. Porter's defensive deficiencies are noteworthy, but coach Michael Malone doesn't have the same personnel available to keep him on the bench when he's struggling on that side of the ball. Plus, Porter's offensive potential is enormous. Fantasy managers need to keep in mind Porter's injury history dating back to high school, but he could be in store for a breakout sophomore campaign.
Porter is one of the more interesting prospects heading into the 2019-20 season, as the former USA Today High School Player of the Year in 2017 has played limited amounts of competitive basketball over the last two years due to a lingering back injury. After being cleared to participate in summer league, the Nuggets ultimately held Porter out due to a minor knee injury. Before arriving at Missouri, the 6-foot-10 Porter showed he had the physical tools and scoring ability that NBA teams desire in a modern wing, but his inability to take the floor in a healthy manner since has left the prospect as a big mystery for the league. The emergence of Torrey Craig and Malik Beasley as legitimate contributors for the Nuggets last season afforded them some time with Porter, and assuming the development of Craig and Beasley continues to head in a positive direction, Denver will likely be careful with the 21-year-old this year. Still, given Porter's pre-NBA accolades, it wouldn't be surprising if he finds himself in a legitimate rotation role with the Nuggets, able to play both forward spots and shooting guard. We know what Porter's floor is, but if he can reach a realistic ceiling of 25 minutes per game, he should hold fantasy relevance.
Porter, USA Today’s High School Player of the Year in 2017, was No. 1 on many team’s draft boards before the 2017-18 season. However, before even playing a game for Mizzou, Porter suffered a back injury, which required surgery to repair a bulging disc. The nature of back injuries combined with the fact that he appeared in just three college games scared NBA teams off, and Denver was able to draft Porter 14th overall. At 6-foot-10 with a smooth shooting stroke, it’s easy to understand why the Nuggets would be willing to take a gamble on Porter’s upside given their draft position. Things have gotten off to a less-than-ideal start, as Porter underwent another back surgery in mid-July. Still, according to a mid-August interview by Porter, "I don't have a date but I'm hoping to be back for the beginning of the year. Gotta heal up, but I feel great. I'm able to get on the court a little bit right now, do something different things. But my rehab has definitely been very conservative. They're really taking it easy with me, being patient with me." Fantasy owners who are optimistic about Porter’s health have a case to take him in the later rounds of a draft, as the team got thinner at the rookie’s position(s) over the summer, mainly due to the departure of Wilson Chandler. More conservative Fantasy owners also have a case to stay away and let someone else take the risk, as many NBA teams did on draft night.
More Fantasy News
Quiet night Tuesday
FDenver Nuggets
May 14, 2024
Porter had six points (2-10 FG, 2-7 3Pt), seven rebounds, one assist and two blocks over 36 minutes during Tuesday's 112-97 victory over the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
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Strong from deep in 21-point Game 3
FDenver Nuggets
May 10, 2024
Porter ended with 21 points (6-10 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one steal over 30 minutes in Friday's 117-90 win over the Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
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Leads from deep in 20-point Game 1
FDenver Nuggets
May 4, 2024
Porter finished with 20 points (6-13 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 4-6 FT), six rebounds, one assist, one block and three steals across 40 minutes during Saturday's 106-99 loss to Minnesota in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
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Records double-double in Game 4
FDenver Nuggets
April 27, 2024
Porter chipped in 27 points (10-20 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 3-5 FT), 11 rebounds, one assist and one steal over 40 minutes during Saturday's 119-108 loss to the Lakers in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
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Goes for 22 points in Game 2
FDenver Nuggets
April 23, 2024
Porter totaled 22 points (8-13 FG, 6-10 3Pt), nine rebounds, one assist and two steals in 38 minutes during Monday's 101-99 victory over the Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Takes blame for series loss
FDenver Nuggets
May 21, 2024
Porter acknowledged he's one of the players to blame following the Nuggets' loss to the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Semifinals, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. "This was a terrible series," Porter said. "I felt like I might've had one or two good games out of the seven we played. Part of it was the way they were guarding. Part of it was that my shot wasn't falling. It's just tough because I know if I would have played up to par with how I normally play, we would have won this series."
ANALYSIS Porter was one of the best players for the Nuggets during the first-round series against the Lakers but didn't repeat that against Minnesota, averaging 10.7 points on 37.1 percent shooting from the field. The sharpshooting forward scored just 25 points in the last four games combined and didn't step up when the Wolves were focused on slowing down the duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.