Greetings from week 13 of the fantasy basketball season. Another week, another opportunity – that’s how I see it. With most fantasy leagues past the halfway line, week 13 will see NBA crossing that line too. With 604 out of the 1230 NBA regular season games already played, the second half of the season officially begins on Tuesday.
Let’s get into the schedule:
NBA Schedule Preview
This week’s schedule:
- Monday (01/09): 6 games
- Tuesday (01/10): 7 games
- Wednesday (01/11): 8 games
- Thursday (01/12): 6 games
- Friday (01/13): 9 games
- Saturday (01/14): 7 games
- Sunday (01/15): 8 games
Teams with 4 games this week:
BOS, CHI, DAL, DEN, DET, MIL, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, POR, SAC, SAS
Teams with 3 games this week:
ATL, CHA, CLE, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIN, NOP, PHX, TOR, UTA, WAS
Teams with 2 games this week:
BKN
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With an uncharacteristically even spread of games this week, making the usual play of Tuesday’s and Thursday’s teams won’t have the expected impact. Regardless, fantasy basketball is a game of centimeters so any little edge will help. For weekly lineups, all Brooklyn players except for Kyrie Irving and Nic Claxton can safely be benched. Assuming right now that Kevin Durant is likely to miss some games with a knee injury.
Now let’s take a look at a few teams with schedules of interest this week:
ORLANDO MAGIC (MON/TUE/FRI/SUN)
- Markelle Fultz (PG/SG): Fultz is rocking out with his socks out and still not rostered in 100% of leagues. Unless a very shallow league, Fultz belongs on a roster. He’s second in the league in steals with 2.5 per game over the last two weeks.
- Terrence Ross (SG/SF): The proverbial add-drop man, Terrence Ross could, in theory, get hot in some of the four games this week and win the threes category for you.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS (MON/WED/THU/SAT)
- Grayson Allen (SG/SF): Allen can run hot and cold but with four games this week and Khris Middleton expected to be out injured, Allen should be rostered in most leagues.
- Pat Connaughton (SG): Another member of the waiting-until-Khris-is-back committee, Connaughton is a serviceable player. He’s been playing nearly 30 minutes per game over the last couple of weeks.
BOSTON CELTICS (MON/WED/THU/SAT)
- Malcolm Brogdon (PG/SG): This is crazy and not going to last but Uncle Malcolm has been the best fantasy player on the Celtics over the past week. After seemingly losing some stature in the C’s rotation previously, this must be quite a relief for Brogdon owners. Those who dropped Brogdon must be feeling pretty stupid right now. I am one of those people.
- Derrick White (PG/SG): Brogdon’s main competition for minutes, White has a pretty nice even stat line highlighted by 1.5 blocks per game over the last month. That is league-leading for guards. Cool, right?
- Al Horford(PF/C): Horford has been slowing down ever since Rob Williams returned to the lineup and one day it might be prudent to give up on him. But not this week. I’d take advantage of the four-game schedule and if after this the performance is still poor – see ya!