Welcome to Week 11 and welcome to 2023! After all the excitement from the Christmas Day games, the NBA moves forward into the New Year. In terms of the fantasy season, we are more than halfway through. It’s time to put the finishing touches on your roster construction through trades or the waiver wire. This means thinking hard on roster decisions like whether to keep injured players like Anthony Davis or try to recoup value for him in case he gets “shutdown” long term. As a general rule, teams outside of the playoff hunt will play their veterans until the All-Star break and then shut them down to finish the season. While it is still early, use the time now to identify players that could be shut down or get a boost in playing time towards the end of the season.
While you shape your roster, make sure to stream to take advantage of the schedule and maximize games played. For this week, the fantasy basketball schedule is balanced until the low night on New Year’s Day. Let’s take a closer look.
NBA Schedule Preview
This week’s schedule:
- Monday (12/26): 7 games
- Tuesday (12/27): 10 games
- Wednesday (12/28): 8 games
- Thursday (12/29): 6 games
- Friday (12/30): 9 games
- Saturday (12/31): 9 games
- Sunday (01/01): 3 games
Teams with 4 games this week:
MIA, DET, UTA, SAC, CHA, NOR, LAC, CHI, SAS, MIN, HOU, DEN, MEM, IND, WAS
Teams with 3 games this week:
DAL, ORL, NYK, MIL, OKC, BOS, ATL, CLE, GSW, PHI, PHO, LAL, BKN, TOR
Teams with 2 games this week:
POR
Optimize your Streaming
Thursday (6 games) and Sunday (3 games) are the low days this week. The Memphis Grizzlies have the best schedule with four games and play on each of the low nights. They have a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday. Depending on your league the players available will vary, but the players below should be available in most 12- or 14-team formats.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (TUES/THURS/SAT/SUN)
- Tyus Jones (PG): Jones’ value is limited with a healthy Ja Morant and Bane, however, he remains useful as an assist specialist. If Ja were to miss games or sit on the back-to-back this weekend, Jones’ value rises considerably.
- Brandon Clarke (PF/C): Clarke is surging in the last two weeks, averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 75% from the field making him an excellent play this week and especially this weekend.
- Santi Aldama (PF): Aldama won’t blow you away with huge stat lines, but he offers value across categories, especially in deeper leagues. Aldama can produce in points, threes, rebounds, and throw in steals and blocks as well.
BOSTON CELTICS (TUES/WED/SUN)
- Derrick White (PG/SG): While not quite a 12-team guy, White offers value as a streamer this week. In any game, White can provide support in points, rebounds, and assists.
- Grant Williams (SF): Williams makes for a sneaky stream this week to boost your threes and rebounds. Robert Williams will limit his upside, but Grant Williams can still swing a category, especially on Sunday.