Thursday brings a difficult two-game slate in the NBA. Not only are we looking at limited options in DFS, but a key injury could also have a significant impact.
Read MoreNBA Fantasy Basketball Schedule Analysis for Week 9
*Mike Barner*
Use Code “CYBER30” at checkout for 30% off Seasonal Package
NBA Fantasy Basketball Schedule Analysis for Week 9
With the holidays rapidly approaching, the NBA is loaded this week with 50 games on the schedule. It’s important to know the intricacies of the schedule to gain an advantage over your opponent in a head-to-head league as starting your best players might not always give you the best chance to win. Here are the moves you want to consider for your team based on the week ahead.
Teams With The Most Games – 4 Games Each
Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards
With elite players such as LeBron James, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook all scheduled to have four games each this week, many of you will be starting off with an excellent foundation. If you do need help filling out the rest of your starting lineup, consider adding the below players who can all provide value based on their schedule.
Kelly Olynyk, Miami Heat
The Heat are without arguably their best player in Hassan Whiteside (knee) as he has missed the last five games. Olynyk has played well in his absence, averaging 11.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.8 blocks and 1.2 three-pointers in those five games. Not only did he play at least 25 minutes in each game, but he started the last two. There is a chance that Whiteside returns at some point this week, but with four games in six days, he’s likely going to see limited minutes when he does return. Olynyk is still available in 53% of Yahoo! leagues and he can provide you with solid all-around numbers.
Caris LeVert, Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have been decimated by injuries this year, leaving LeVert to average a career-high 26 minutes per game. He’s played more than that lately, logging at least 28 minutes in six of his last seven games. He has provided balanced production by averaging 13.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.0 steals 1.0 three-pointer in those seven contests. LeVert’s 20.9% usage rate is second-best on the team among players to appear in at least 17 games this season. Still available in 62% of Yahoo! leagues, he could be a valuable addition to your squad for Week 9.
Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors
The Raptors clearly don’t like what they are getting out of starting center Jonas Valanciunas as he is averaging a career-low 20 minutes per game. With minutes up for grabs, Poeltl has been able to establish a significant role off the bench. He has played at least 17 minutes in six straight games, four of which he played at least 22 minutes. He has cashed in his opportunity by averaging 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game. He’s not going to provide you hardly any assists, but take a look at him if you need help at center. He’s still available in 90% of Yahoo! leagues.
Teams With The Fewest Games – 2 Games Each
Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers
There are 13 teams playing at least four games this week, leaving players on the three teams that only play two each to see a significant decrease in value. Consider benching the below players who would normally be in your starting lineup otherwise.
Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers
Covington (back) missed Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans and is listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Do you really want to risk putting him in your lineup with the potential that he plays only one game, or maybe none at all, this week? He’s a streaky shooter, so even if things do change quickly and he is able to play both games, it could be ugly if he’s not playing at 100%. Don’t take the risk, put him on your bench.
Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers continue to show no hesitation to pull Ball in games when he is struggling. He has played 27 minutes or less in three of his last six games, often sitting out big portions of the fourth quarter. He continues to struggle from the field and is attempting way too many three-pointers considering he’s only shooting 24.6% from behind the arc. His counting stats still give him value most weeks, but with only two games for the second straight week, keep Ball on your bench.
Brook Lopez, Los Angeles Lakers
The move to LA has not been successful for Lopez as he is averaging a career-low 23 minutes per game. While never a great source of rebounds for a center, he is not helping fantasy owners by averaging a meager 4.5 rebounds per game this season. To put that into perspective, Trail Blazers backup center Ed Davis is averaging 7.1 rebounds in three fewer minutes per game. Lopez just doesn’t play enough anymore to be someone you want to start in a week with only two games.
NBA Fantasy Basketball Schedule Analysis for Week 8
*Mike Barner*
Use Code “LLNBA17” at checkout for 20% off Seasonal Package
NBA Fantasy Basketball Schedule Analysis for Week 8
The NBA starts off the first full week of December with three days with at least 10 games. With 52 total games this week, it’s important to know the intricacies of the schedule to gain an advantage over your opponent in a head-to-head league as starting your best players might not always give you the best chance to win. Here are the moves you want to consider for your team based on the week ahead.
Teams With The Most Games – 4 Games Each
Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards
There are a staggering 19 teams with four games each this week, meaning you might not need as much help as you have in previous weeks this season. If you aren’t fortunate enough to have most of your players on these teams this week, consider adding the below to gain back that edge.
Jonathon Simmons, Orlando Magic
After beginning the season as a member of the second unit, Simmons has started each of his last four games. With Terrence Ross (knee) out indefinitely, Simmons should continue to start and get big minutes. One of his four starts was a dud against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he averaged 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 1.7 three-pointers over the other three. The Magic have four favorable matchups this week as they play the Hornets, Nuggets and the Hawks twice, all three of which are in the top half of the NBA in terms of pace of play. If you need offense, Simmons can give you a boost and is still available in 57% of Yahoo! leagues.
Ersan Ilyasova, Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks are decimated up front as they are expected to be without Dewayne Dedmon (leg) and John Collins (shoulder) for this entire week. Mike Muscala (ankle) is also without a timetable for his return, so Ilyasova should have a big role until the Hawks start to get healthy. He showed what he can do with more minutes last season as he averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 three-pointers in 24 minutes per game. He could get even more playing time than that, giving him excellent value. Still available in 64% of Yahoo! leagues, you shouldn’t hesitate to pick him up if you can.
Tomas Satoransky, Washington Wizards
Tim Frazier has been starting in place of John Wall (knee), but he’s not the player you want to pick up this week. Satoransky has outplayed him to this point, averaging 12.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.0 three-pointers over his last three games. His scoring has increased in all three of those games as he continues to get comfortable playing extended minutes. If he continues to play this well, he’s only going to get more opportunities to produce. If you need point guard help, go get Satoransky as he’s still available in 88% of Yahoo! leagues.
Teams With The Fewest Games – 2 Games Each
Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers
With so many teams playing four games this week, the five teams that only play two each will see their players value decrease significantly. Consider benching the below players who would normally be in your starting lineup otherwise.
Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
Ball has been a killer for fantasy owners in terms of percentages as he is shooting only 31.3% from the field and 50.0% from the charity stripe. The main value he provides owners is his ability to provide all-around counting stats, but even that is hurt by his 8.7 points per game average. The Lakers have shown a tendency to bench him late in games if he’s struggling and he has now played 26 minutes or less in two of his last four games. With only two games on the schedule this week, Ball likely won’t be able to provide enough value to warrant being in your lineup.
Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers
Ingram has really improved offensively this season as not only is he averaging 16.0 points per game, but he’s shooting 46.3% from the field after shooting only 40.2% last year. He has already scored at least 20 points in a game five times this season, something he only did twice all last season. The problem for this week is that he doesn’t excel in any other area and provides little in terms of steals, blocks, and three-pointers. With only two games on the schedule, there just isn’t enough meat on the bone here to warrant starting him.
James Johnson, Miami Heat
Johnson is the opposite of Ingram as his value comes in terms of his all-around value. His scoring is down this season, but he’s averaging career-highs in rebounds (5.2) and assists (4.1) per game. He’s hit a rough patch lately, averaging 7.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists over his last three games. With Hassan Whiteside (knee) out of action for that stretch, it’s no surprise that Johnson saw a decrease in assists without one of the team’s best scoring options. With very little upside, make sure Johnson is firmly on your bench this week.