For the second week in a row, 29 of the 30 NBA teams play 3+ games. The Timberwolves have five days off before hosting Boston, and while that rest may do those players good in a long run, it is hard to stay competitive for fantasy when every other team gets an extra game or two. With that in mind, let’s look at the week ahead for all 30 NBA teams.
Atlanta Hawks (@TOR, @IND, CHI): I would love to talk myself into Taurean Prince or John Collins, but this schedule is too difficult. The Raptors and Pacers rank second and sixth in opponent’s points over the last 10 games.
Boston Celtics (@CHI, @MIN, IND): Marcus Smart has been getting most of the credit for Boston’s 4-1 record since the All-Star Break, but Marcus Morris probably deserves some credit, too. Morris is averaging 13.8 points and 5.8 rebounds over those five games, and he looks like a solid fantasy play the rest of the way.
Brooklyn Nets (@GS, @CHA, PHI): D'Angelo Russell is averaging 16.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists over the last two weeks. That being said, he has been better playing alongside Spencer Dinwiddie than running the point by himself. If Dinwiddie were to go down with an injury, Russell’s numbers could suffer, even though his usage would likely increase.
Charlotte Hornets (PHI, BKN, PHO): The schedule gets considerably easier after Charlotte hosts Philadelphia. Nicolas Batum is averaging 10.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 9.0 assists over the last two weeks, and this is probably what fantasy players can expect from him so long as he stays healthy.
Chicago Bulls(BOS, MEM, @DET, @ATL): Only the Bulls could fail to score on a power play, miss the ensuing technical free throw, and then still manage to win a game they were trying to lose. As a former Bulls fan, I’m not sure it matters where they pick. They will keep giving away second round picks for no reason until all of their fans give up on them like I have. Until then, at least Bobby Portis, Kris Dunn, Lauri Markkanen, Zach LaVine and David Nwaba are producing for fantasy.
Cleveland Cavaliers (DET, @DEN, @LAC, @LAL): LeBron’s behind-the-back dribble through Tristan Thompson’s legs is the highlight of the year, even better than James Harden breaking Wesley Johnson. While I think it is awesome LeBron is secure and honest enough to admit he didn’t exactly mean to do it, I kind of wish he had left it remain a mystery. There is so little mystery surrounding this team until it reaches the playoffs.
Dallas Mavericks (DEN, MEM, HOU): Nerlens Noel is averaging 15.5 minutes in his two games since returning from a thumb injury, and unless the Mavs rest Dirk Nowitzki and/or Dwight Powell, Noel is unlikely to play enough to matter. Powell has continued to play heavy minutes despite Noel’s return, and he should be solid for as long as he can stay healthy.
Denver Nuggets (@DAL, CLE, LAL, SAC): Trey Lyles is droppable now that Paul Millsap has returned, though I am still hopeful Mike Malone will stop playing Mason Plumlee 20 minutes per game at some point. Wilson Chandler was interesting when he was starting at power forward, but he has little fantasy appeal at small forward. Will Barton should be just fine despite coming off the bench.
Detroit Pistons (@CLE, TOR, CHI): Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy is hopeful Reggie Jackson can return to practice this week, which means he is likely at least two weeks away from playing in a game. That could be bad news for Reggie Bullock, who is quietly averaging 15.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists over his last 10 games. He doesn’t offer a whole lot for fantasy beyond scoring, but he can certainly be added in most leagues.
Golden State Warriors (BKN, SA, @POR, @MIN): Andre Iguodala is finally playing well after looking done for most of the season. He probably still doesn’t need to be owned for fantasy, unless you are really desperate for assists, but it is nice to see this team may be more than four deep, after all.
Houston Rockets (@OKC, @MIL, @TOR, @DAL): The Rockets had the slowest Pace in the NBA in February. They are officially a bad matchup for opposing fantasy players. They could pick up the pace down the stretch,
Indiana Pacers (MIL, UTA, ATL, @BOS): Darren Collison could return as soon as this week, and he needs to be added as soon as that happens. Collison averaged 14.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in January, and those kind of numbers can help most fantasy teams.
Los Angeles Clippers (NO, CLE, ORL): The Clippers will be without Danilo Gallinari for at least two more weeks, and Avery Bradley could miss all that time as well. Tyrone Wallace’s two-way contract expired last week, which means Milos Teodosic, Austin Rivers, Montrezl Harrell and C.J. Williams are all safe bets to see heavy minutes going forward. All four players are addable, especially in deeper leagues.
Los Angeles Lakers (POR, ORL, @DEN, CLE): Lonzo Ball is playing well of late—his whole team is, really—but I find it a bit worrisome, especially for fantasy, that Brandon Ingram was so much better when Ball was out. All we heard all summer was about how Ball would make his teammates better, but the team could be better off when Ingram has the ball, and Ball is never going to be as valuable off the ball, either. Ingram still needs to be owned, unless his hip injury turns out to be serious, but I fear we have already seen his best basketball this season.
Memphis Grizzlies (@SA, @CHI, UTA, @DAL): The Grizzlies sat Marc Gasol Saturday in the second of a back-to-back, and if they continue that going forward, he will sit Friday at Dallas. That is a shame because that should be a nice matchup for Memphis. Deyonta Davis, JaMychal Green and Jarell Martin are all interesting for fantasy when Gasol sits.
Miami Heat (PHO, @WAS, PHI, WAS): I write this at least once a month, but Miami’s injuries really are unbelievable. With Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington dealing with injuries, Josh Richardson should remain a viable fantasy play at least a bit longer.
Milwaukee Bucks (@IND, HOU, NY): Jabari Parker still hasn’t reached 20 points, eight rebounds or 30 minutes in any game this season. He could get to all three of those numbers against the Knicks, but Indiana and Houston rank third and fourth in opponent’s points since the All-Star Break.
Minnesota Timberwolves (BOS, GS): Jeff Teague should probably get suspended for a game for body checking Ricky Rubio into the Minnesota bench at the end of Friday’s game. If he is, Tyus Jones would be a strong fantasy option against Boston Thursday. In a weekly league, you probably have to bench Teague if he is suspended, since he would just have the one game this week.
New Orleans Pelicans (@LAC, @SAC, WAS, UTA): Are we overrating Anthony Davis? I guess you can’t really overrate someone who is averaging 35.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.2 blocks on .507 shooting over the last month, but I think he is getting a bit too much credit for the Pelicans’ seven-game winning streak. New Orleans won three of those games in overtime, and they needed a LaMarcus Aldridge injury to squeak past San Antonio. If the Pelicans were 4-3 over their last seven games, would we be talking about Anthony Davis as a legit MVP candidate?
New York Knicks (@POR, @MIL, TOR): Milwaukee’s defense hasn’t improved much since Jason Kidd left, but Portland and Toronto rank first and fifth in opponent’s points since the All-Star Break. Michael Beasley looked like a safe fantasy play when Kristaps Porzingis went down, but he is averaging 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists over the last week. He will probably bounce back eventually, but I doubt it happens this week.
Oklahoma City Thunder (HOU, PHO, SA): The Thunder have a tough schedule down the stretch for real life and fantasy. They have two points in their favor this week. The first is that they get all three games at home with rest in between. The second is that they have played well against the best teams in the league this season. Corey Brewer could actually be a very important addition for OKC, which illustrates how thin they are on the wing.
Orlando Magic (@UTA, @LAL, @SAC, @LAC): It was nice to see Jonathan Isaac play both games of a back-to-back over the weekend, even if he didn’t play a ton of minutes. Orlando will presumably ramp up his workload slowly, but you would think they would try to get the rookie as many minutes as possible down the stretch as they race towards the bottom of the standings.
Philadelphia 76ers (@CHA, @MIA, @BKN): I don’t know that I am rooting for LeBron to go to any one team this summer, but I think the 76ers are the most fun destination. He isn’t an ideal fit alongside Ben Simmons, but I think they would make it work. Most teams don’t have anyone who can guard them, much less two of those guys. And while neither LeBron nor Ben Simmons is a spot-up shooter, there are things you can do off the ball other than stand in the corner, no matter what Ty Lue thinks.
Phoenix Suns (@MIA, @OKC, @CHA): The Suns might actually be a good team if they got any contributions from their frontcourt. Alex Len, Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss all look like they could wind up playing in Europe in a few years. Chriss probably has the most potential of that group, but he is averaging 7.1 fouls per 48 minutes. Even if he starts playing better, he isn’t going to stay on the floor fouling so often.
Portland Trailblazers (@LAL, NY, GS): Not to harp on the Anthony Davis for MVP discussion, but you could argue Damian Lillard has been just as good this season and over the last 30 days, at least offensively. For as good as C.J. McCollum has been, I don’t think there is any question that if Portland has to choose between the two of them, Lillard is the better player. Jusuf Nurkic appears to be rounding into form as the third option Portland thought they were getting coming into the season.
San Antonio Spurs (MEM, @GS, @OKC): Last week, I recommended dropping Kawhi Leonard. That may have been a bit aggressive, especially now that he is back working with the team. He hopes to return to the lineup at some point in March, and while you might not have the luxury of waiting for him, there is a chance you miss three awesome weeks at the end of the season. With Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge out, look for Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay and Dejounte Murray to carry the offensive load more often than not.
Sacramento Kings (NO, ORL, @DEN): I don’t think anyone is noticing because he plays in basketball Siberia, but Bogdan Bogdanovic is good. He is averaging 15.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals over his last 10 games. His numbers are remarkably similar to De’Aaron Fox’s over that same span, and I think Bogdanovic will be the better player for the rest of this season and possibly even future seasons.
Toronto Raptors (ATL, @DET, HOU, @NY): Toronto starts the week with a back-to-back, but they get one day off between the last two games of the week. Norman Powell got the start with OG Anunoby out Friday, but Powell failed to score in 16 minutes. This team is so deep that it would probably take at least three injuries for anyone outside of DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka to have much fantasy value.
Utah Jazz (ORL, @IND, @MEM, @NO): I don’t feel like Ty Lue and LeBron James are getting enough blame for how well Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder have played since they were traded away. Crowder has scored at least 11 points in all seven of his games with the Jazz after scoring at least 11 points in 20 of his 53 games with Cleveland. Crowder will never be an exciting player to own for fantasy, but he is as solid as they come.
Washington Wizards (MIA, @NO, @MIA): I think John Wall’s struggles this season were due to injury more than anything else, and I think he and the Wizards will be good once he returns from his knee injury. That being said, he could be another player who needs a better coach/change of scenery. It will also be interesting Wall gets more minutes with Thomas Satoransky. They are -1 in 83 minutes together, but Satoransky could make sense at shooting guard when Bradley Beal is on the bench.