For the first time all season, we are starting to see a greater disparity in the number of games played this week. We have four teams with just two games and six teams with four games; everyone else plays three. Of course, you could still start players with just two games or sit players with four, but you would probably need a pretty compelling reason to do so. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the week ahead for all 30 NBA teams.
Atlanta Hawks (BOS, @DET, @WAS): Among the teams with at least three games, Atlanta might have the worst schedule. They face Boston and Washington on the second game of a back-to-back, and Washington is the only team on their schedule allowing more than 102 points per game this season. The only good news is Atlanta gets three days off between back-to-backs, which could allow Mike Muscala and Malcolm Delaney to get back in the lineup.
Boston Celtics (@ATL, LAL, CHA, TOR): The big story surrounding the Celtics, aside from their league-leading 7-2 start, is the return on Friday of Marcus Morris. Morris had nine points and four rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench, and he is expected to sit out one game in Boston’s back-to-back Sunday and Monday. Morris can be added in most leagues, especially if you lost someone like Tristan Thompson or Larry Nance Jr., though it remains to be seen if he will enter the starting lineup anytime soon. Boston’s current starting lineup of Aron Baynes, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum is +21 in 62 minutes, and Brad Stevens could elect to bring Morris off the bench for the foreseeable future.
Brooklyn Nets (@PHO, @DEN, @POR, @UTA): This is what a bad four-game week looks like. Brooklyn hasn’t played at home since Halloween, and they get two road back-to-backs this week, including playing at altitude at Denver and Utah on the back end. Phoenix and Denver are 25th and 23rd in defensive rating this season, which is the only good news for Brooklyn.
Charlotte Hornets (@NY, @BOS): Charlotte may have the worst schedule of the week, with only two games, both on the road. Boston has allowed the fewest points per game in the NBA this season while the Knicks rank 14th. Jeremy Lamb has been great of late, especially with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist out, but Kemba Walker is the only Hornet who isn’t cutable right now.
Chicago Bulls (@TOR, IND, @SA): Bobby Portis returns at Toronto Tuesday, and it will be fascinating to see how Chicago uses him when he returns. Will he simply back up Lauri Markkanen? Will Chicago play Portis at the five with Markkanen at the four? There is always the chance Chicago tries to showcase Portis for a trade, which may be his best-case scenario at this point.
Cleveland Cavaliers (MIL, @HOU, @DAL): Cleveland is eighth in the NBA in offensive rating, which is as good a reason to vote for LeBron James for MVP as any. None of the pieces on this team appear to fit, especially with Tristan Thompson out, and it is a testament to LeBron that this offense continues to click with Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade providing nothing in the way of outside shooting. At least Wade’s assist rate is up from a year ago. Cleveland should have little trouble scoring this week, and if you own any Cavs, you should probably start them.
Dallas Mavericks (@WAS, CLE, @OKC): Dallas gets three days off before they host Cleveland in a matchup of the two worst defensive teams in the NBA. The next day they face an OKC squad with the second-best defensive rating in the NBA. This schedule isn’t terrible, but it isn’t good enough to make me trust any Mav outside of Harrison Barnes.
Denver Nuggets (BKN, OKC, ORL): Jamal Murray has either scored more than 15 points or fewer than 10 in every game this season. He has provided nothing in between. That feels like a microcosm of Denver’s season so far. This team is in desperate need of a real point guard, though it would also help if Wilson Chandler wasn’t averaging nearly half as many points as he scored last season. The Nets and Magic are first and fourth in the NBA in pace this season, and while Denver may still be shaky the rest of the season, they are looking good for this week.
Detroit Pistons (IND, ATL, MIA): Detroit gets three days off before they host Indianapolis on a back-to-back. They have one day off before they face Atlanta and two more before they get Miami. This could be the week where the Pistons get more than one good game out of Stanley Johnson, and they actually avoid any let downs from their other starters.
Golden State Warriors (MIA, MIN, PHI): I don’t know if Golden State was actually tired from celebrating their title all summer and spending an abbreviated preseason in China, but they should get some rest this week. They have at least one day off before each game, but you aren’t using anyone outside of their big four anyway.
Houston Rockets (CLE, MEM, @IND): The good news for Houston is Cleveland and Indiana are each allowing more than 109.2 points per game this season. Houston gets three days off before hosting Cleveland, so that could be a good day for a Rockets DFS stack. The bad news is Memphis has the fourth-best defensive rating in the league, after which they travel to Indiana to play the next day.
Indiana Pacers (NO, @DET, @CHI, HOU): This schedule is a decidedly mixed bag for Indiana. Having four games is obviously good, but all four opponents are in the bottom half of the NBA in points allowed per game this season. They face host a Rockets team on the second of a back-to-back but they travel to Detroit on their own back-to-back. Indiana almost certainly will not continue to shoot 48.1 percent from the field for much longer, and with Myles Turner returning to the starting lineup Sunday, the only must-plays on this team are Turner and Victor Oladipo.
Los Angeles Clippers (@SA, @OKC, @NOR): How much longer before Lou Williams starts playing more than Austin Rivers? Rivers is playing 30+ minutes per game but hasn’t done much with it. He is shooting 42.9 percent on threes and 37.6 percent overall. The door is wide open for Milos Teodosic to contribute if he ever returns from his foot injury.
Los Angeles Lakers (@BOS, @WSH, @MIL): The Lakers begin their week with a back-to-back, and I’m not seeing much to like in their schedule. Luke Walton proved he hates fantasy players by playing Randle just 13 minutes Friday even with Larry Nance Jr. out. I am sticking with Randle in seasonal and DFS, but it is getting harder and harder, and the schedule doesn’t do him any favors.
Memphis Grizzlies (@POR, @HOU): If any team might actually benefit from a two-game week it might be the Grizzlies with their aging dynamic duo. While seasonal players aren’t usuing anyone besides Gasol, Conley and Tyreke Evans this week, everyone should at least keep an eye on Dillon Brooks. He is averaging 29.2 minutes per game over the last week, and he is especially interesting when Chandler Parsons sits.
Miami Heat (@GS, @PHO, @UTA, @DET): Miami closes out a six-game road trip this week but at least their only back-to-back is Sunday at the Clippers and Monday at Golden State. Dion Waiters missed the Heat's game on Sunday expecting the birth of his daughter, and if he misses any additional games, Tyler Johnson, Justise Winslow and Wayne Ellington could all see more playing time.
Milwaukee Bucks (@CLE, @SA, LAL): Milwaukee has three days off before they face Cleveland and two days off before a back-to-back at San Antonio and home against the Lakers. John Henson has at least 10 rebounds in each of his last two games, and against Cleveland and the Lakers he might actually get some points to go with those rebounds.
Minnesota Timberwolves (@GS, @PHO): Taj Gibson has played at least 31 minutes in each of Minnesota’s last four games, and he should be fantasy relevant for as long as that continues. As is typical for a Tom Thibodeau team, the starters are all playing 30+ minutes and the bench players rarely sniff 20 minutes. Gibson is the only starter available in most leagues, but that may change soon. If you were thinking about sitting any Timberwolves in this short week, you may want to reconsider. The Suns and Warriors are second and fourth in the NBA in pace.
New Orleans Pelicans (@IND, @TOR, LAC): This could be the Pelicans’ last full week without Rajon Rondo, which could mean decreased usage for Jrue Holiday. As for this week, New Orleans faces two teams in the bottom ten in points allowed along with an Indiana team allowing 109.2 points per game. They have at least one day off between each game, which feels like a rarity this week.
New York Knicks (CHA, @ORL, SAC): Ideally if your team only gets three games in a week, you would like the only road game to not be the second of a back-to-back. All three of New York’s opponents have surrendered at least 44.6 rebounds per game this season, which is good news for Enes Kanter.
Oklahoma City Thunder (@SAC, @DEN, LAC, DAL): I’m not sure how much this schedule matters. You are starting the big three no matter what, and Steven Adams should probably be started in all leagues until further notice. Oklahoma City has no other players of consequence, though I remain convinced Patrick Patterson would be an impact player with more than 14.3 minutes per game.
Orlando Magic (NY, @PHO, @DEN): Phoenix is one of only three teams playing at a higher pace than Orlando this season, and while that will likely lead to a high-scoring game, it could also lead to trouble for Orlando in the high altitude of Denver the next night. Elfrid Payton appears poised to return at some point this week, which throws a monkey in the wrench of a 6-3 team. Payton could thrive in the space provided by Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon’s newfound three-point shooting, or he could completely ruin the spacing the Magic have enjoyed in his absence. Outside of Vucevic, Gordon and Evan Fournier, it may be best to take a wait-and-see approach with this team.
Philadelphia 76ers (@UTAH, @SAC, @GS): The 76ers get three days off before they begin their road trip at Utah. It will be interesting to see how T.J. McConnell responds to scoring three points on Friday after he scored in double digits in three consecutive games. You should probably bench him against the Jazz, but if he plays well, he could be a solid fantasy contributor for as long as Markelle Fultz is out. J.J. Redick is coming off a season-high 31 points Thursday, and it is worth noting the Kings are allowing the fifth-most three-point attempts this season.
Phoenix Suns (BKN, MIA, ORL, MIN): A four-game slate at home is obviously nice, though it is mitigated by the fact the first and last games are the second of back-to-backs. Also, Monday’s game against Brooklyn follows a five-game road trip. Devin Booker is the only Sun averaging more than 26.3 minutes per game this season, and unless TJ Warren has to miss multiple games after taking a shot to the head Friday, It almost doesn’t matter how good Phoenix’s schedule is. It is impossible to trust any Sun outside of Booker and maybe Warren.
Portland Trailblazers (MEM, BKN): The only saving grace for Portland’s schedule is both games are at home. Nobody stepped up in Al-Farouq Aminu’s first game out Thursday, and until somebody does, you should feel free to ignore the Blazers outside of their big three. If Caleb Swanigan, Maurice Harkless or Ed Davis can turn Aminu’s absence into increased playing time, they would be interesting for fantasy.
San Antonio Spurs (LAC, MIL, CHI): Tony Parker still hasn’t played since he was recalled from the G-League Wednesday, but that could change this week. Even if he does return, Parker seems unlikely to play both games of the back-to-back against the Bucks and Bulls. All three of San Antonio’s opponents are with the Spurs in the bottom 10 in the NBA in pace, so San Antonio is unlikely to light up the scoreboard despite playing all three games at home.
Sacramento Kings (OKC, PHI, @NY): More interesting than the Kings’ schedule is the availability of George Hill. De'Aaron Fox had 14 points and four assists in 27 minutes with Hill out Saturday for personal reasons. Sacramento has played at a faster pace when George Hill has been off the court, so his teammates could actually benefit statistically if he is out.
Toronto Raptors (CHI, NOR, @BOS): The Raptors get a schedule that is like them: not flashy, but good enough. Toronto has 11 players averaging at least 17.6 minutes per game this season, which is the biggest reason why only Demar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are usable for fantasy right now.
Utah Jazz (PHI, MIA, BKN): Utah began last week with three consecutive home wins, and after playing in Houston Sunday they get three more home games this week. Utah is averaging 12.5 more points per game at home this season, so this could be a good week for fringe fantasy players like Joe Ingles, Donovan Mitchell and Rodney Hood.
Washington Wizards (DAL, LAL, ATL): The started with the worst three-game schedule of the weak, and now we end with the best. Washington gets a day off between all three home games, and they are averaging 9.5 more points per game at home than on the road this season. The Hawks and Lakers are in the top 10 in pace this season while Dallas has the second-worst defensive rating. With three winnable home games, Washington may be extra cautious with the injuries to John Wall and Tim Frazier, which could lead to more shots for Bradley Beal and the rest of the starters and more minutes for Tomas Satoransky.