The first thing that jumps out about this week’s schedule is all of the teams that play each other back-to-back. I haven’t dived into the numbers, but I get the sense that teams (and players) tend to even out over the two games. If Goran Dragic struggles against Washington Wednesday, I would feel pretty confident about his ability to bounce back two days later. With the exceptions of the Lakers getting the Suns twice, none of the home-and-home series feature any slam dunk matchups. I wouldn’t try to avoid teams that face an opponent twice in one week, but I don’t see any reason to seek it out, either.
Atlanta Hawks (@NO, SAC, BOS): Is there any Hawk you are ever excited to watch, much less play for fantasy? Dennis Schroder has to be the only one, and this isn’t a great schedule for him. Opponents are taking fewer than 33.3 percent of shots at the rim against the Pelicans and Kings this season, which severely limits Schroder’s game and Atlanta’s offense.
Boston Celtics (@BKN, GS, @ATL): At this rate, Brad Stevens will have Coach of the Year sewn up by New Years. Kyrie Irving was the latest Celtic to go down, leaving Friday’s game in the first quarter after taking a blow to the head. Boston went on to win its 11th consecutive game anyway. Boston’s depth was supposed to be an issue, and it could be tested again if Terry Rozier is forced into the starting lineup. The good news for Boston is all three opponents are in the top eight in points allowed this season.
Brooklyn Nets (BOS, UTA, GS): Brooklyn might be a playoff team if they could just keep a point guard healthy. The Nets may have to pick up a point guard or trade for one if it looks like Spencer Dinwiddie will miss many more games. DeMarre Carroll probably needs to be owned in all leagues, as he could serve as the de facto point guard most nights. Even in deep leagues, it may be best to avoid Brooklyn this week, as they face three of the best defensive teams in the NBA.
Charlotte Hornets (CLE, @CHI, LAC): Nicolas Batum could return at the start of this week, and he needs to be owned in all leagues. It will be interesting to see if Jeremy Lamb can remain fantasy relevant when Batum returns, but my guess is no. Lamb is having the best season of his career, and if Charlotte elects to trade him at some point, he could be very interesting for fantasy. This is a pretty favorable schedule for Charlotte, so you may want to keep Lamb in your lineup while they work Batum back in.
Chicago Bulls (@OKC, CHA, @PHO): The Bulls brought Fred Hoiberg in three years ago to run his pace and space offense. He finally has a young team, and the Bulls are playing at the slowest pace in the NBA. The Bulls also have the worst offensive rating in the game, so obviously playing slow is working out well. Kris Dunn played a season-high 34 minutes in Friday’s loss to Indiana, and he has intriguing upside if he continues to play 30+ minutes per game.
Cleveland Cavaliers (@NY, @CHA, LAC): Only the Kings have allowed more three-point attempts than the Kings this season, while Charlotte ranks ninth and the Clippers rank 16th. I’m not sure how the Cavaliers lead the league in three-point field goal percent while giving significant minutes to Derrick Rose and Dwayne Wade, but I bet it will continue for at least one more week.
Dallas Mavericks (SA, MIN, MIL): One of these days I want to write an article about the NBA players who should be playing more. Nerlens Noel would be at the top of the list. Dallas finally has the slashing big man it has needed since Tyson Chandler left, and they refuse to play him. This is an ugly week for Dallas, even with three home games.
Denver Nuggets (@POR, NO, @LAL): Portland is fourth in the NBA in defensive rating after ranking 21st last season. That matchup, combined with only one home game, makes the schedule a bit dodgy. That being said, if Gary Harris’s shoulder injury keeps him out, the rest of Denver’s wings will all be playable.
Detroit Pistons (@MIL, @IND, @MIN): Detroit gets three of the 12 worst teams in the NBA in defensive rating, which helps take the sting out of three consecutive road games. Detroit hasn’t gotten anything from Reggie Bullock or Langston Galloway with Stanley Johnson out, and that could be a problem if Johnson doesn’t return soon.
Golden State Warriors (ORL, @BOS, @PHI, @BKN): What a difference a year makes. This would have been an outstanding schedule last season—even with three games on the road. Now, Boston leads the league in defensive efficiency while Orlando and Philadelphia are also in the top 10. While Golden State could still score 120 points in every game this week, you might want to look elsewhere for DFS.
Houston Rockets (TOR, @PHO, @MEM): Chris Paul could return to the court this week, and it will be fascinating to see what Houston looks like with Paul in the lineup. Eric Gordon’s minutes will almost certainly take a hit, but you probably still have to play him despite a tough matchup at Memphis at the end of the week.
Indiana Pacers (@MEM, DET, @MIA): Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner have played just 18 minutes together this season. Memphis and Miami are both in the top eight in defensive rating this season, so we will have a good idea of how effective Indiana’s bigs are together after this week.
Los Angeles Clippers (PHI, @CLE, @CHA): Blake Griffin has struggled of late, though that could have as much to do with facing the Spurs and Thunder as with Danilo Gallinari’s hip injury. Griffin will almost certainly bounce back soon, especially if the Clippers start getting some of their players back. Facing the Cavs will certainly help as well.
Los Angeles Lakers (@PHO, PHI, PHO, DEN): No team has allowed more points than Phoenix this season, and the Lakers scored 132 against them before Earl Watson was fired. Philly and Denver are better defensively, but they aren’t exactly scary. Now if only Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle could get more than 20 minutes per game, this team would really be exciting for fantasy.
Memphis Grizzlies (@MIL, IND, HOU): At the end of this week, Memphis will have played Houston in four out of 15 games. Tyreke Evans had 22 points in their last meeting, his fifth consecutive game with at least 20. If he keeps the streak going against a long Milwaukee team, it may last into next week.
Miami Heat (WAS, @WAS, IND): Miami’s schedule is pretty average, much like this Heat team. It is almost impossible to guess who will score for Miami on any given night outside of Goran Dragic, James Johnson, Dion Waiters and Hassan Whiteside. The schedule certainly isn’t good enough to warrant targeting anyone else, even in DFS.
Milwaukee Bucks (MEM, DET, @DAL): The Bucks have at least one day off between every game this week, which could be helpful in integrating new point guard Eric Bledsoe. John Henson played a season-high 32 minutes Friday, finishing with 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Dallas and Memphis have two of the four worst rebounding rates in the NBA, so Henson should be playable for at least one more week.
Minnesota Timberwolves (@UTA, SA, @DAL, DET): Minnesota is 10th in the NBA in offensive rating, but I can pretty much guarantee they will rank lower by the end of this week. This schedule would be a disaster if it weren’t for the road matchup with the Mavericks.
New Orleans Pelicans (ATL, TOR, @DEN): Rajon Rondo is targeting a potential return Friday at Denver, so you have until then to try to sell high on Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. Rondo was always a poor fit for New Orleans, and giving most of Jameer Nelson’s minutes to Rondo will only serve to ruin the Pelicans’ spacing and take the ball out of the hands of their two best players. Jrue Holiday, who is averaging 6.5 assists per game this season, will likely see a significant decrease in production as well.
New York Knicks (CLE, UTA, @TOR): New York’s schedule is pretty typical of this week: one good matchup, followed by a bad matchup and then an okay matchup. Joakim Noah returns from his suspension Monday, and fantasy players should watch to see what Jeff Hornacek’s rotation looks like with Noah back. Enes Kanter probably deserves to play more, not less, but that almost certainly won’t happen while Noah is available. Noah probably matches up better with this week’s opponents, so even if he plays a lot initially, it may not stay that way for long.
Oklahoma City Thunder (CHI, @SA): This might be the time to buy low on the Thunder. I’m not convinced a closed-door meeting solved their problems, but extra practice time over a short week will probably help. It is also nice that the schedule will allow Steven Adams some time to heel from his right calf contusion since he was probably benchable this week anyway.
Orlando Magic (@GS, @POR, UTA): Jonathan Isaac will miss at least one game with a right ankle injury, and while Orlando may not feel his absence much, fantasy players might. Jonathon Simmons had season-highs in points and minutes in the only game Isaac missed this season, and Simmons should see a similar boost in value this time around.
Philadelphia 76ers (@LAC, @LAL, GS): This schedule is more interesting for basketball fans than fantasy players. I am interested to see J.J. Redick in his return to Los Angeles as well as Ben Simmons against Brandon Ingram and Kevin Durant. Dario Saric has at least 12 points in six of his last seven games after he failed to reach double digits in his first five. There is no reason to believe his scoring will slow down much this week.
Phoenix Suns (LAL, HOU, @LAL, CHI): The Lakers are good defensively but make up for it by playing at the league’s third-fastest pace. The Bulls are the slowest team in the league but make up for it by being mediocre defensively. The Suns don’t play anybody enough minutes to really be trustworthy, but Mike James and Alex Len are worth a look thanks to their upcoming schedule.
Portland Trailblazers (DEN, ORL, @SAC, SAC): Only the Hawks and Knicks have allowed more three-point attempts than the Kings this season, while Denver ranks seventh. Pat Connaughton is worth a look if you need threes or are trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Also, it is worth noting Jusuf Nurkic had 33 points and 15 rebounds in his only game against his former team.
San Antonio Spurs (@DAL, @MIN, OKC): San Antonio takes on two of the worst defensive teams in the NBA before finishing the week at home against one of the best. The Spurs didn’t need Danny Green to beat the Bulls Saturday, but they will likely need him this week, no matter how well Bryn Forbes has played in November.
Sacramento Kings (@WAS, @ATL, POR, @POR): The sooner Sacramento limits the minutes of Zach Randolph, Garrett Temple, George Hill and Vince Carter, the happier Kings fans and fantasy players will be. Washington and Atlanta are both in the top 10 in pace this season, so the old guys might struggle even more than usual this week.
Toronto Raptors (@HOU, @NO, NY, WAS): The Raptors’ bench has played very well this season, but it will be tested if Norman Powell misses much time after suffering a right hip pointer Sunday. C.J. Miles will likely step into the starting lineup, though O.G. Anunoby could see more run as well.
Utah Jazz (MIN, @NY, @BKN, @ORL): Utah is kind of a mess offensively, and that may not change barring a trade. That being said, I like this schedule for them quite a bit. Three of these games are against teams in the top 10 in pace, and three are against teams in the bottom 10 in defensive rating.
Washington Wizards (SAC, @MIA, MIA, @TOR): Only three teams have allowed more points to the roll man in the pick & roll than Miami, and Toronto is one of them. Don’t give up on Markieff Morris, even if it takes a while for his minutes to get back up. Marcin Gortat has actually been dropped in some shallow leagues, and this is shaping up to be the week he bounces back.