With the recent release of the 2023-24 full NBA schedule, we can start engaging in serious fantasy basketball planning. With good planning, it is possible to significantly increase the number of games played for your fantasy teams.
2023-24 NBA Schedule Insights
Back-to-backs
Back-to-backs are teams playing on consecutive days. Whenever that happens, teams are more likely to rest their star players or the players might perform worse with the fatigue from the previous game. Obviously, not ideal for fantasy basketball purposes. This season, all NBA teams will have between 13 and 15 back-to-backs so any advantage gathered from trying to game the system will be minimal.
- 15 back-to-backs: ATL, CHA, CLE, DET, GSW, LAC, LAL, ORL, SAC
- 14 back-to-backs: BKN, BOS, CHI, HOU, MEM, MIL, OKC, PHI, PHX, POR, TOR
- 13 back-to-backs: DAL, DEN, IND, MIA, MIN, NOP, NYK, SAS, UTA, WAS
Three-in-four
Three-in-four refers to a team playing three games on four consecutive days. The possible fantasy risks are the same as with the back-to-backs – rest and underperformance. Unlike with the back-to-backs, some imbalances in the schedule are revealed. And imbalances are key to the sport of fantasy basketball. Or maybe that was chess? Regardless, the differences here are substantial enough to consider them in your draft. If two players are close enough in everything else but one plays for Toronto and the other for Denver, you might want to prefer the Denver player. Victor Wembanyama for San Antonio comes up favourably in this stat too.
- 13 three-in-fours: TOR
- 12 three-in-fours: POR, SAC, UTA
- 11 three-in-fours: BOS, CHI, DET, IND, LAC, NYK
- 10 three-in-fours: CHA, CLE, MIA, NOP, PHI
- 9 three-in-fours: ATL, BKN, DAL, GSW, MEM, OKC, ORL, PHX, WAS
- 8 three-in-fours: HOU, LAL, MIL, MIN
- 7 three-in-fours: SAS
- 6 three-in-fours: DEN
First half vs. second half
If you were to split the default 24-week fantasy calendar into two halves and count each team’s games, you would find that not all teams play the same number of games in each half. By committing a well-timed trade, you could increase your fantasy team’s number of games played. All teams will play more games in the second half than in the first but some will play more more games than others. The difference between the top and bottom teams is 8 games. All else being equal, trading a player from Chicago, Denver, or Utah for one from Charlotte, Cleveland, or Philadelphia at the halfway mark wouldn’t be the worst idea.
- 10 more games in the second half of the season: CHA, CLE, PHI
- 8 more games in the second half of the season: ATL, BKN, HOU, OKC, SAS, WAS
- 6 more games in the second half of the season: BOS, DET, GSW, IND, LAC, MEM, MIA, MIN, NYK, ORL, PHX, POR, SAC, TOR
- 4 more games in the second half of the season: DAL, LAL, MIL, NOP
- 2 more games in the second half of the season: CHI, DEN, UTA
Busy & slow runs
Throughout the season, all teams will go through busier and slower periods in their schedule. As a keen fantasy player, you can use it to your advantage on the trade and waiver market to maximize your total games played. Here are some examples:
Busy streaks:
- 16 games in weeks 6-9: DEN
- 16 games in weeks 6-9: LAC
- 16 games in weeks 11-14: IND
- 16 games in weeks 12-15: IND
- 16 games in weeks 12-15: OKC
- 17 games in weeks 14-17: CHA
- 17 games in weeks 15-18: CHA
- 17 games in weeks 15-18: CLE
- 17 games in weeks 16-19: BKN
- 17 games in weeks 16-19: CLE
Slow streaks:
- 11 games in weeks 2-5: HOU
- 11 games in weeks 6-9: OKC
- 11 games in weeks 9-12: CLE
- 10 games in weeks 10-13: CLE
- 11 games in weeks 11-14: CLE
- 11 games in weeks 12-15: BKN
- 11 games in weeks 12-15: CLE
- 12 games in weeks 16-19: UTA
For the full weekly schedule grid, you can refer to the tables below throughout the season.
2023-24 NBA Schedule Grid
| team\week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| BKN | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| BOS | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| CHA | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| CHI | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| CLE | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| DAL | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| DEN | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| DET | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| GSW | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| HOU | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| IND | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| LAC | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| LAL | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| MEM | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| MIA | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| MIL | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| MIN | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| NOP | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| NYK | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| OKC | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| ORL | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| PHI | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| PHX | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| POR | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| SAC | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| SAS | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| TOR | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| UTA | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| WAS | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| team\week | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| BKN | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| BOS | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| CHA | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| CHI | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| CLE | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| DAL | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| DEN | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| DET | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| GSW | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| HOU | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| IND | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| LAC | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| LAL | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| MEM | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| MIA | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| MIL | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| MIN | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| NOP | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| NYK | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| OKC | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| ORL | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| PHI | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| PHX | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| POR | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| SAC | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| SAS | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| TOR | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| UTA | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| WAS | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |