Setting the stage for Week 23 of the fantasy basketball season.
Schedule Breakdown
Four-game teams: CHA, DAL, HOU, LAC, LAL, MIL, NJN, NOR, NYK, OKC, PHO, SAS, TOR, WAS
Three-game
teams: ATL, BOS, CHI, CLE, DEN, DET, GSW, IND, MEM, MIA, MIN, ORL, PHI, POR, SAC, UTH
Five
best schedules: Washington (@HOU, @NOR, CHI, NJN), Toronto (@CHA, LAC, @PHI, GSW), New Orleans (LAL, WAS, @MEM, @NJN), New Jersey (SAS, PHO, NOR, @WAS), Oklahoma City (@PHI, @BOS, @DAL, MIN)
Five worst schedules: Cleveland (MIL, ATL, @BOS), Minnesota (SAC, MIA, @OKC), Detroit (MIA, PHO, @ATL), Boston (OKC, HOU, CLE), Atlanta (LAL, @CLE, DET)
Also
see: Basketball
Monster’s team
schedules and ease
rankings | Rotowire’s value
meter
Team schedules through end of season:
10
games: CHA (4,4,2), HOU (4,4,2), MIL (4,4,2), NYK (4,4,2), OKC (4,4,2), SAS
(4,4,2), TOR (4,4,2), WAS (4,4,2)
9 games: ATL (3,4,2), BOS (3,4,2), CHI
(3,4,2), DAL (4,3,2), DET (3,4,2), GSW (3,4,2), LAC (4,3,2), LAL (4,3,2), MEM (3,4,2), NJN (4,3,2), PHI (3,4,2), PHO (4,3,2)
8 games: CLE (3,4,1), DEN (3,3,2), IND (3,3,2), MIA (3,3,2), MIN (3,3,2), NOR (4,3,1), ORL
(3,3,2), POR (3,3,2), SAC (3,3,2), UTH (3,3,2)
Pickups/Plug-ins –
Players owned in
fewer than 40% of Yahoo! leagues
**Note: below is a collection of notable players with ownership levels under 40 percent. Whether or not an individual player makes sense for your roster depends on who you’d be dropping, team needs, and your opponent’s strengths/weaknesses in the upcoming matchup. Please post your specific questions in the comments section below.
Contributors: Jason Maxiell(notes) (25%), Reggie Williams(notes) (28%), James Singleton(notes) (14%), Terrence Williams(notes) (21%), C.J. Miles(notes) (15%), Wesley Matthews(notes) (14%), Delonte West(notes) (23%)
Fringe options or category specialists: Yi Jianlian(notes) (30%), Matt Barnes(notes) (24%), Bill Walker(notes) (7%), Jonas Jerebko(notes) (21%), J.J. Hickson(notes) (16%)
Deeper options and speculative adds: Luke Ridnour(notes) (26%), Kyle Lowry(notes) (9%), Nicolas Batum(notes) (19%), Serge Ibaka(notes) (8%), Jason Kapono(notes) (2%), Jannero Pargo(notes) (1%), Earl Watson(notes) (20%), Eric Maynor(notes) (2%), Carlos Arroyo(notes) (3%), Louis Amundson(notes) (1%)
Status Updates
•
Andrew Bynum(notes) – The Lakers are hopeful that Bynum will be able to return to the active roster as soon as Friday, although his specific status won’t be known until later in the week.
•
Vince Carter(notes) – VC sprained his right ankle on Friday and did not practice Saturday but is expected to be in the lineup Sunday.
•
Carlos Delfino(notes) – All tests on Delfino’s head and neck were negative and he’s currently listed as day-to-day for the Bucks. He did not play in Sunday’s game.
•
Monta Ellis(notes) – Ellis has been dealing with the flu for much of the past week and it will finally cost him a game on Sunday. The Warriors are then off until Tuesday, which should be enough time for Ellis to get closer to 100 percent.
•
Tyreke Evans(notes) – Evans (concussion) missed his fifth consecutive game Sunday and his status for Week 23 will be determined after he is re-evaluated on Monday.
•
Randy Foye(notes) – Foye missed Saturyda’s game because of a bone cyst and damage to the tendons in his left wrist and is likely to be shut down. He’ll have an MRI Monday to determine the specifics of his injuries, but it’s not looking good as of right now.
•
Francisco Garcia(notes) – Garcia was limited to six minutes Friday because of a sore right wrist and was not in the lineup Sunday. His official designation is day-to-day.
•
Marc Gasol(notes) – Gasol was back in the starting lineup Sunday after missing five games with a neck strain.
•
Spencer Hawes(notes) – Hawes was limited to eight minutes Friday because of a lower back strain and was not in the lineup Sunday. He’s being called day-to-day at this point.
•
Brendan Haywood(notes) – Haywood started but played just nine minutes Saturday because of a jammed finger. The injury does not appear to be serious and he was likely held out for the remainder of the game because of matchup purposes against the Warriors as anything.
•
Andrei Kirilenko(notes) – AK sat out Saturday’s game after aggravating his calf injury on Friday. He’ll undergo an MRI Sunday to determine the extent of the injury and it’s likely that he’ll need at least a few more days off before he can return. He’s missed seven of the last nine games and has aggravated injuries in the two games that he did play.
•
Robin Lopez(notes) – Lopez will miss all of Week 23 because of bulging disks in his back and possibly more.
•
Kevin Martin(notes) – Martin has missed the past two games with a sore left shoulder and is day-to-day in advance of the Rockets’ next game (Tue, WAS).
•
Jameer Nelson(notes) – Nelson has been bothered by a sore right thumb and did not practice Saturday but expects to be in the lineup Sunday.
•
Jermaine O’Neal(notes) – O’Neal played just seven minutes Friday because of a hyper-extended right knee and is questionable for Sunday.
•
Kendrick Perkins(notes) – Perkins has been dealing with knee tendinitis, did not play Friday, and will likely be held out of Sunday’s game as well, although Doc Rivers said that he "may" play.
•
Al Thornton(notes) – Thornton has missed the past two games with a strained hip flexor and could be out a while. Alonzo Gee(notes) got the starts during the past two games, averaging 12.5 points, 1 three, and 1.5 steals in 30 minutes.
•
Hedo Turkoglu(notes) – Turkoglu missed Friday’s game because of a stomach illness and will be a game-time decision Sunday.
•
Andersen Varejao – Varejao was not active Sunday because of a sore left hamstring. He’s day-to-day in advance of the Cavs’ next game (Wed, MIL).
•
Louis Williams(notes) – Williams is still dealing with his lower back injury and remains out indefinitely.
—
Photos via Getty Images