We are almost officially at the halfway point of the fantasy NBA season. It’s been an exciting and strange first 12 weeks of action, with some huge stat lines and some frustrating injuries.

However, there is still plenty of time to turn things around if you are on the outside looking in to your league’s playoff brackets. Starting your week by identifying key match-ups and games is a start, especially on a shortened week like Week 12 with only eight teams scheduled for four or more games.

The Best of the Best

Chicago Bulls

With the average team playing only playing three games this week, Chicago Bulls fantasy owners (expect those who drafted Rajon Rondo) will be thrilled to see that not only are they playing better and have five games this week. So what if there are two back to backs and two separate instances of three games in four nights, five games on a shorter week is going to be huge for some of your matchups. Chicago’s offense is also playing very well without Rondo at the helm. They still can’t shoot the three, but they are averaging 115.6 points per game over their three-game winning streak. Other than their annual meeting with Memphis around MLK Day, their other four matchups should be primed for fantasy goodness too.

Brooklyn Nets

It’s hard to predict the Nets rotations, especially if they are getting blown out. However, there are still assets on this team that could be in for a nice week as one of only eight teams that have at least four games this week. Brooklyn also has a beautiful schedule this week. While the Nets easily play at the fastest pace of any team, three of their four games are against teams that rank in the top 10 in possessions per game this season, so as long as they can stay in some games, guys like Brook Lopez may be in for some big stat lines in Week 12.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons are a tough team to figure out, but they are also a tough team with a lot of really good fantasy players. Detroit can get double-figures from six or seven guys on any given night and while that makes them kind of inconsistent when it comes to fantasy, maybe all they need is a week like this one. They continue their West Coast road trip with games against the Kings, Warriors, Jazz and Lakers. While the game against Utah will be no fun, the other three are all firmly in the fun zone for fantasy. Plus, after winning three of their last four games and scoring an average of nearly 116 points per game in that stretch, roster all your Pistons this week.

Houston Rockets

The Suns team that Mike D’Antoni coached to the Western Conference Finals were all really good, but this Rockets team may be better. The Rockets look like they should easily get home court advantage in at least one playoff series this season and James Harden continues to put up some mind boggling stat lines. The Rockets have a mixed week when it comes to fantasy. Two of their games are against the Grizzlies and Hornets, who both rank in the top 10 in defensive efficiency, Their other two are against Brooklyn and Minnesota, who both rank in the bottom 10 teams in points allowed per 100 possessions. However, with such a short week, volume is key for the Rockets this week.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Speaking of the Wolves, they too have four games this week and all four of them have fantasy value written all over them. They get two games against the Mavericks who are allowing 109.5 points per 100 possessions, while the other two are nice pace-up games against Houston and Oklahoma City. Other than that, the good thing going for the Wolves this season is the eighth seed in the West looks up for grabs. Eight teams are within four games of the eighth spot right now and Minnesota might be the best team of all eight of them. They may be in last place now, but they could still make a run against some below-average Western Conference teams.

New York Knicks

The Knicks have a couple of glaring issues this season. For starters, their defense is awful and they have a very hard time finding offense outside of their “big three.” However, that makes their fantasy value very consolidated into three guys, which does help if you own one of them. However, coming into Week 12, the Knicks have allowed 113.5 points per game over their last eight games and if that doesn’t get solved quickly, the Knicks aren’t going anywhere this season. However, three of their four games this week come against .500 or worse teams, so all is not lost if they can start winning some games.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder broke a three-game losing streak over the weekend and now they head into the regular season’s 12th week with a nice fantasy schedule. Other than a home meeting with the Grizzlies, the Thunder’s other three games are against teams who allow an average of 109.3 points per 100 possessions. With Victor Oladipo back it does hurt Russell Westbrook some. However, the OKC star still has an insane, league-leading 42.4% usage rate, so look for more dominating from Westbrook this week.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers’ four games are nothing to write home about, but at least there are four of them. LA opens with a game against the Blazers, which should be nice, but their next three games are all against teams that rank seventh or better in defensive rating. While that won’t necessarily kill their fantasy value, it does muddy the waters some. The Lakers’ backcourt is pretty tough to predict, so while it may be nice to have four games from them this week, don’t expect huge stat lines from guys other than maybe the red-hot Julius Randle.

Notable Three Game Weeks

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are back to their winning ways and it has started on defense. They have won six straight games and during that stretch have allowed only 91.8 points per game in regulation during that stretch. However, the great thing is it hasn’t hurt their pace, which is still ranked 10th in the league. Now they head into Brooklyn to start Week 12 on Tuesday, followed by games against the Celtics and Bucks at home. All three of those games are winnable, so assuming that the Hawks should have some nice stat lines this week.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics have won 10 of their last 12 games heading into Week 12 and they look like they could threaten Toronto for the second overall seed in the East. They start that road this week by facing the Raptors north of the border on Tuesday. That game should be high scoring and fun to watch, which will ensure loads of fantasy value to go around. Combine that with pace-up games against the Wizards and Hawks and you have another big week ahead for Boston. If Avery Bradley misses time, Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart and Al Horford will be in for even bigger weeks.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers are in the midst of a six-game road trip and with three games this week and one back to back, it’s tough to predict how they will play their stars in Week 12. Both Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving had days off last week, but the guy to watch is Lebron James. They play Portland on no rest coming off a game against the Jazz on Tuesday and James has already sat out three back to backs this season. Plus, all three of them were road games coming off home wins. This time around it’s a road-road back to back, but it’s also one of the league’s worst defensive teams, the Portland Trail Blazers. With another game against the Warriors fast-approaching for next Monday, I wouldn’t be surprised to see James sit out Wednesday.

Dallas Mavericks

If Dallas is truly going to start making a run towards a potential shot at the eighth seed in the West, they are going to have to start winning against bad teams. That has eluded them recently with losses to the Suns, Nuggets and Kings over the last month. However, this week we could start to see a turnaround. They play the Wolves twice and the Suns again in Phoenix. They get a full two days off in between each game and with their roster getting healthier, they find themselves only four games out of the eighth seed. This could have some nice fantasy impact on their starters, but even if they keep losing, their young guys might be nice stash options in deeper leagues too.

Memphis Grizzlies

If you’re looking for the surprise of the first half, look no further than the Memphis Grizzlies. They are 24-16, they have one of the league’s best defenses and they look like the upset specialist come playoff time. It all centers around Marc Gasol and Mike Conley staying healthy, but along with those two studs, Memphis is deep, getting healthier and making strides in fantasy circles. Chandler Parsons is the x-factor, but he is slowly looking better in limited minutes too. With games against the Thunder, Rockets and Bulls in Week 12, the Grizzlies should be rostered in all formats.

New Orleans Pelicans

Speaking of making runs in the West, the New Orleans Pelicans are looking like a team to respect over the last few weeks. They are holding opponents to only 98.1 points per game over their last seven games and while they are losers of three straight, they played tough in all three games, losing by less than 10 points each game. Now their schedule lightens up against the Knicks, Nets and Bulls in Week 12. All three are on the road, but these are winnable games, which lead to nice implied totals and fantasy goodness.

Philadelphia 76ers

After a nice string of weeks without a back to back, the 76ers are staring at a Friday-Saturday stretch of games against the Hornets and Wizards. Joel Embiid will be out one of those games, but overall even when he doesn’t play, the Sixers have had increased fantasy production. Ersan Ilyasova has turned into a fantasy stud as the starting power forward with or without Embiid in the lineup and it looks like Brett Brown wants to stick with T.J. McConnell in the starting lineup. Along with strong play from Robert Covington, the Sixers are putting up nice numbers. They open against the Knicks on Wednesday, which should serve up peak fantasy value for Philly.

San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio has as good of a three-game week as any team this week with home games against Milwaukee and the Lakers, followed by a trip to beat up on the Suns. The Spurs are 4-0 against these teams already this season, with an average margin of victory of 11.5 points and nearly 110 points per game scored. The Spurs are also getting nice production from Tony Parker finally. They need it too. In games where Parker scored at least 14 points, the Spurs are 9-1.

Toronto Raptors

Toronto is coming into Week 12 off of two bad losses, but for fantasy purposes this team is poised for a nice few weeks ahead. They have one of the easiest stretches of their schedule all season starting in Week 12, with three home games against the Celtics, Nets and Knicks. They will be favored heavily against the two New York teams and the Celtics will bring out of the best of the Raptors stars. With a four-game week next week to we’ll be talking more about the Raptors next week too.

Washington Wizards

Washington is probably one of the harder teams to figure out in real life, but in fantasy they are a goldmine of consolidated goodness. With one of the shortest benches in the league, the Wizards starters are all averaging 31.4 minutes per game or higher and all five are double-digit scorers. They fall down in pace some this week against the Bulls, Celtics and Sixers, but none of those defenses are imposing enough to consider benching your Wizards this week.

Other Three Game Weeks

Milwaukee Bucks

Opening your week against the Spurs is never fun, but other than that game the Bucks do have some appeal this week against the Heat and Hawks. Giannis Antetokounmpo was sick on Sunday forcing him to miss that game, but as long as he is ok by Tuesday, his matchup against presumably Kawhi Leonard will be one to watch. Overall Milwaukee is playing really well recently and the discovery of Malcolm Brogdon has done wonders for their starting unit on both ends.

Orlando Magic

Orlando really looked like they were putting something together at times in November and December, but in January they are 1-4 and their offense is falling apart. After a good win against the Knicks to start the week, the Magic put up an average of just 93.3 points against the Hawks, Rockets and Lakers. That’s pretty pathetic against those three pace-up teams. Now they go into a week where they are on the road against the Clippers, Blazers and Jazz, so other than their Friday game in Portland, it might be a rough week for Orlando in fantasy. 

Portland Trail Blazers

With Damian Lillard healthy, the Blazers are capable of digging themselves out of the hole they’ve dug in the first half, but it’s going to take more than the backcourt for this team. They need guys like Al Farouq Aminu, Mo Harkless, Mason Plumlee and Allen Crabbe to be consistent on offense. If that happens that could easily make those guys bigger fantasy values, especially this week against the Lakers, Cavaliers and Magic. However, they play Cleveland on the second night of a back to back, so that puts them out of the notable section this week.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings have all three of their games at home this week, but they are also against teams that rank inside the top 12 in points allowed per 100 possessions. However, the Kings are still in play this week as Dave Joerger works out his starting unit and rotations. Darren Collison and Ty Lawson have been starting together recently with some nice fantasy impact and success on the court. They didn’t win either game, but they played the Clippers and Warriors to single digits. The Kings are hard to trust in fantasy outside of DeMarcus Cousins, but if Rudy Gay stays put, this team has some guys who can get hot and win some categories for you in a week.

Utah Jazz

Utah is finally as close to fully healthy as they’ve been all season. If they continue trending in that direction, this team is much like Memphis in their ability to slow down and beat great teams. They get another crack at that this week with a game against the defending champs on Tuesday, followed by games against the Pistons and Magic. None of them games are extreme value boosters, but when healthy this team still has at least five good fantasy producers on any given night.

The Rest

Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte may only have two games this week but at least they should be good ones for their fantasy assets and potentially win column. They head on the road to Houston before finishing their week on Friday against the Sixers. With Nicolas Batum out, there is going to be a lot of extra shots up for grabs, while Kemba Walker might be in for his best stretch of the season. 

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers may still be without Blake Griffin, but they are back to winning after sinking the Heat on Sunday. They have only two games this week at home against the Magic and Lakers, so while the quantity is not there, the quality is. Blake Griffin should be back soon and while currently enjoying a nearly two-week home stand, the Clippers are back to being one of the West’s most dangerous teams.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns don’t have a ton of fantasy studs anyway, but eve those guys are questionable plays this week in weekly lock formats. They have only two home games against the slow paced Mavericks and the lockdown Spurs. Neither really exude a strong source of value, so other than Eric Bledsoe, it’s a good week to stream some other guys for your fringe Suns.

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat offense has been a struggle sometimes, but with injuries there have been a ton of waiver options from the Heat. James Johnson is turning into a fantasy star when he gets the minutes and now close to healthy this team has some time to figure things out in week 12. They have only two games against the Warriors and Bucks, but while both are probably losses, both should bring some nice performances from some of Miami’s ancillary players.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors have been on a distinct pattern lately of having great weeks followed by bad ones and we are once again in the trough in Week 12. Only two games this week against the Heat and Pistons at home are both solid games for the Dubs, but it’s not going to help you much when it comes to winning your weekly matchup. Interestingly enough the Warriors start a five game stretch of being on national television, so if you believe that brings the best out in teams, at least Warriors owners have that going for them over the next week and a half.

Denver Nuggets

I’m not sure what the rarity of a unicorn is, but for the first time this season, we have teams with only one game in a week. The Nuggets and Pacers will square off in London this week as their only game, but considering the one game week only happens four times all year, just grin and bare it this week. It will happen again in Week 17 with the Rockets and Knicks, but these are the only four teams it happens to this season. Bench your Nuggets in weekly lock formats. 

Indiana Pacers

At least the Pacers and Nuggets should be a good fantasy game and yearlong players might be the only group that gets to take advantage of it. The Nuggets are allowing 112.5 points per 100 possessions this season too, so our friends in London will likely be in for a high-scoring game with these two pace-up teams.