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My mom told me the other day she thinks fantasy sports are making me too critical. I would argue that particular personality trait was learned well before I began writing about fantasy, but my mom’s point is not without merit.

As fantasy players we have to look at everything with a critical eye. We are conditioned to look at trade offers, injury reports, stat projections and preseason reports with a healthy dose of skepticism. Maybe that is why I enjoy fantasy sports so much; my family prepared me perfectly for the skills I would need to succeed. Thanks Mom!

There will be plenty of opportunities going forward to warn you away from players with difficult schedules, but as I begin my weekly look at the upcoming fantasy schedule, I want to be positive. After all the beginning of the season should be a time for blind faith and unbridled optimism. Unless you are a New York Knicks fan, in which case I do not have any hope to offer you.

The following are players who are helped by their Week 2 schedule, which for our purposes runs from Monday, November 3 to Monday, November 10. These players are available in many leagues and could make good plays in daily fantasy games as well.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons (Home vs. Knicks, Home vs. Bucks, Road vs. Jazz, Road vs. Bulls)

I do not like the road matchup with Chicago any more than you do, but the other three more than make up for it. None of those games are back-to-back, so that certainly helps. The Bucks and Jazz were the two worst teams in defensive efficiency last season, and the Knicks were nearly as bad. Caldwell-Pope is still raw, but he is the starter, and at the very least he should be good enough to take advantage of a nice schedule.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Hornets (Road vs. New Orleans, Home vs. Heat, Home vs. Hawks, Road vs. Lakers)

I may have recommended adding Kidd-Gilchrist even if his schedule were not so favorable. By all accounts he improved his jump shot over the summer, and for one game at least it appears the improvement is real. The Pelicans and Lakers do not have any perimeter defenders and the Heat do not have any rim protectors. That bodes well for Kidd-Gilchrist.

Marco Belinelli, San Antonio Spurs (Home vs. Hawks, Road vs. Rockets, Home vs. Pelicans, Road vs. Clippers)

The Hawks, Rockets and Clippers were all in the top half of the league in pace last season. More shots for those teams means more shots for the Spurs and Belinelli. The Pelicans do not play as fast, but their perimeter defense was atrocious last season.

Timofey Mozgov, Denver Nuggets (Home vs. Sacramento Kings, Road vs. Sacramento Kings, Home vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Road vs. Portland Trailblazers)

I actually like Wilson Chandler this week as well, but I did not want this article to be all wing players. Mozgov began the season with a double-double against Detroit, and I see a few more in his future with this schedule.

Enes Kanter, Utah Jazz (Road vs. Los Angeles Clippers, Home vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, Home vs. Dallas Mavericks, Road vs. Detroit Pistons, Road vs. Indiana Pacers)

Utah’s schedule is admittedly a mixed bag, but Kanter makes this list because there are not many teams who play five games over these eight days, and Utah’s schedule is better than those other teams.

 

I am trying not to be too critical this week, but that does not mean you shouldn’t be. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Am I crazy for liking Enes Kanter? Did I miss someone with an awesome matchup? As my grade school basketball coach used to tell me, criticism is good. Have at it.