With Week 21 being the first week of the playoffs in Yahoo! default leagues, Week 20 is huge in terms of positioning for the “money weeks.” And with injury reports getting longer by the day, being able to navigate the waiver wire is of even greater importance. Let’s look at the Week 20 schedule breakdown and some key storylines, beginning with the 76ers, who will go into the week shorthanded, and things could get worse for Nick Nurse’s team.
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Week 20 Games Played
5 Games: PHI
4 Games: BKN, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, IND, LAC, MEM, MIL, MIN, NYK, SAC, TOR, UTA
3 Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, HOU, LAL, MIA, OKC, ORL, PHX, POR, SAS, WAS
2 Games: NOR
Week 20 Back-to-backs
Sunday (Week 19)-Monday: CLE, NYK
Monday-Tuesday: BKN, GSW, MEM, PHI
Tuesday-Wednesday: CHA, HOU, MIN, SAC, TOR
Wednesday-Thursday: DEN, ORL
Thursday-Friday: CHI, DAL, DET, IND, MEM, PHX
Friday-Saturday: LAC
Saturday-Sunday: MIL, PHI, SAC
Sunday-Monday (Week 21): DAL, GSW, POR
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Week 20 Storylines of Note
– Philadelphia has five games, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing.
At first glance, a team having five games in a week would be great news for fantasy managers. However, given how banged up the 76ers are going into Week 20, it’s fair to question whether managers will be able to reap the rewards. Joel Embiid (oblique) will be re-evaluated during the week, missing at least the first two games on Monday and Tuesday. Andre Drummond and Adem Bona have shared the center responsibilities in the former MVP’s absence, but neither has been consistent enough to be trusted completely in fantasy leagues.
And the perimeter situation may be even worse. VJ Edgecombe (back) missed the 76ers’ final two games of Week 19, while Tyrese Maxey (hand) was injured during the final minute of Saturday’s loss to the Hawks. While Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness) made his return on Saturday, going into Week 20 with questions regarding Edgecombe and Maxey is bad news for the 76ers. Besides Oubre, Quentin Grimes is the player worth trusting going into Week 20. Cameron Payne‘s role would likely expand if Maxey has to miss time, but he’s struggled with inconsistency throughout his NBA career.
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With two back-to-backs to navigate while holding onto the 6-seed in the East, Week 20 will be an interesting week for the 76ers in “real” and fantasy basketball.
– New Orleans has the schedule to avoid in Week 20.
While the 76ers will be incredibly busy during Week 20, the Pelicans are on the other end of that spectrum. New Orleans only plays two games, on Wednesday and Friday. Managers who have Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson or Saddiq Bey rostered don’t have much to worry about, as they’ll figure prominently in the rotation and should be held onto in standard leagues. Does the light schedule lead to Dejounte Murray‘s playing time increasing, or do the Pelicans continue to play it safe? Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears may not be worth holding in a two-game week, especially since they’re coming off the bench.
– Chicago and Houston are among the teams whose schedules conclude on Friday.
In addition to the Pelicans, the Bulls, Rockets, Grizzlies and Suns will complete their Week 20 schedules on Friday. While Houston won’t end its week with a back-to-back, the Bulls, Grizzlies and Suns will. For Chicago, the concern is players like Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith, who have both missed time recently due to injury. Due to the Thursday/Friday road back-to-back against the Lakers and Clippers, fantasy managers may get no more than two games from Giddey and Smith if they’re available at the beginning of the week.
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Collin Sexton put up a season-high 30 points as Giddey’s replacement in the starting lineup on Thursday in a win over Phoenix, and Tre Jones‘ fantasy value also receives a boost when he’s the lone point guard in the starting lineup. Smith’s availability has affected Guerschon Yabusele and Nick Richards, as they’ve handled most of the available minutes at the center position.
– Like Philadelphia, the Grizzlies and Kings have two back-to-backs to navigate within Week 20.
The Grizzlies and Kings are headed for the draft lottery. However, while Memphis has been willing to sit players like Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cedric Coward, as they’ve all missed time due to injury, the Kings have continued to play Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan significant minutes. For managers who have Jerome, Pippen or Coward rostered, they’ll need to plan for Week 20 with the expectation that those players, whose minutes are limited when available, will be limited to two games due to the back-to-backs.
As for the Kings, the players to watch are Nique Clifford and, to a lesser extent, Devin Carter, since Maxime Raynaud‘s playing time has not been an issue. Clifford’s status as a starter could change during Week 20, as Keegan Murray (ankle) is expected to be re-evaluated. And the rookie was limited to 21 minutes in the Kings’ March 5 loss to the Pelicans. Carter’s plight may be even more frustrating, as the second-year guard picked up a DNP-CD in the New Orleans loss while Westbrook played 34 minutes and Killian Hayes logged 11. Maybe things will shift in Carter’s favor during Week 20; he isn’t a great fantasy option, but extended playing time could make him someone worth targeting for Weeks 21 and beyond.
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– How much will Warriors forward/center Kristaps Porziņǵis play?
Porziņǵis returned to the Warriors’ rotation on Saturday, and pregame reports indicated he would be limited to 10-15 minutes. In the loss to the Thunder, Porziņǵis actually played 22 minutes. The Warriors begin their four-game Week 20 with games on Monday (at Utah) and Tuesday (vs. Chicago), so fantasy managers will likely get three games, at most, out of Porziņǵis. However, even that isn’t guaranteed for two reasons. First and foremost is the unpredictable nature of his illness. Secondly, the Warriors’ final game of Week 20, March 15, against the Knicks, is the first of two games in as many nights, as Golden State visits Washington on the first day of Week 21. One would hope that Porziņǵis plays three games, but two may also be a possibility.
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