Fantasy Basketball Week 19 Schedule Breakdown

With Week 19 of the fantasy basketball season coinciding with the first full week of March, playoffs in many leagues will begin by the end of the month. That means the hunt for potential “silly season” stars grows more fierce, with multiple teams looking to get young, unproven players more game reps with an eye toward the future. Most of the NBA will play four games during Week 19, with the Nets being a notable exception due to their five-game week.

Let’s look at the Week 19 schedule breakdown and some of its essential fantasy storylines. Also, if you’re in the States and your residence observes Daylight Saving Time, that begins in the early morning of Sunday, March 10.

Week 19 (March 4-10) Games Played

5 Games: BKN

4 Games: ATL, CHI, CLE, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, OKC, ORL, PHI, POR, SAC, WAS

3 Games: BOS, CHA, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, IND, NOR, NYK, PHO, SAS, TOR, UTA

Week 19 Storylines

– Brooklyn is scheduled to play five games in Week 19

As noted in the intro, the Nets are the only team in the NBA that will play five games in Week 19, beginning with a home back-to-back against the Grizzlies and 76ers on Monday and Tuesday. Kevin Ollie’s team will have to navigate two back-to-backs during the week, the second being a Saturday/Sunday roadie against the Hornets and Cavaliers. Personnel-wise, the statuses of Ben Simmons (leg) and Cam Thomas (ankle) will impact fantasy basketball, the latter more than the former, due to Simmons’ persistent availability issues. Dennis Schroder and Cameron Johnson have started Brooklyn’s last two games, and the latter has been a 7th-round player in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. Both are already rostered in most fantasy leagues, but a young player like Jalen Wilson could be worth tracking during Brooklyn’s five-game week.

– It’s “Amen and Cam time” in Houston

Following Saturday’s win over the Suns, Rockets coach Ime Udoka announced that Tari Eason (leg) will undergo season-ending surgery on Monday. The second-year forward is looking at a four-month recovery timeline, but Eason is expected to be ready for the start of next season. In the short term, rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore should continue to figure prominently in Houston’s bench rotation. Thompson, who’s rostered in 41% of Yahoo leagues, offers a higher fantasy upside due to the defensive production; he’ll be added in more standard leagues now that we know Eason is done for the season. As for Whitmore, who’s rostered in 15% of Yahoo leagues, his percentage should increase due to more deep-league managers hopping onto the bandwagon.

– Suns will head into Week 19 banged up (as usual)

Bradley Beal’s return on Saturday was supposed to get the Suns closer to full strength, and it did…until halftime. By that point in the loss to Houston, Jusuf Nurkic had been shut down due to neck spasms, and Devin Booker and Royce O’Neale injured their left and right ankles, respectively, when they bumped into each other during the fourth quarter. While O’Neale stayed in the game, Booker immediately limped back to the locker room and did not return. Phoenix ends its Week 18 slate with a game against the Thunder on Sunday, followed by three games during Week 19. The good news for Phoenix is that there are no back-to-backs, and home matchups with the Raptors and Celtics follow Tuesday’s game in Denver. The statuses of Booker, Nurkic, O’Neale, and Eric Gordon (groin) impact the rotation and fantasy basketball rosters, as does Beal’s minutes restriction (he was ejected during the third quarter on Saturday).

– How will the Raptors account for Scottie Barnes’ absence?

Barnes suffered a broken left hand during Friday’s loss to the Warriors and is without a timeline for return. Many have hopped onto the Kelly Olynyk bandwagon, and rightfully so, given his skill set and ability to play as either the lone big on the court or a second big next to starting center Jakob Poeltl. Olynyk is rostered in 40% of Yahoo leagues, so finding him on waiver wires shouldn’t be too difficult.

Another player to be mindful of, especially with Toronto sitting four games in the loss column behind 10th-place Atlanta, is rookie Gradey Dick. He played 27 minutes on Saturday and has provided 12th-round value in 9-cat formats over the past three weeks. In theory, chasing down Atlanta and 11th-place Brooklyn will be more difficult with Barnes sidelined, and falling off the pace should mean more minutes for the Raptors’ first-round pick out of Kansas. Gradey is rostered in just 11% of Yahoo leagues, so he won’t be too hard to find, even in deep leagues.

– Is it time to hop onto the Norman Powell fantasy bandwagon?

The Clippers losing Russell Westbrook to a broken left hand may not be as impactful as the Raptors losing Barnes, but his absence will undoubtedly impact Tyronn Lue’s rotation. The only other healthy “point guard” besides starter James Harden is Bones Hyland, and he hasn’t even been in the rotation for most of this season. Expecting that to change immediately may be unrealistic.

On the other hand, Powell being asked to do more as a critical cog for the second unit may be more likely, especially with the ability to stagger the rest times for Harden and the other starters with playmaking ability, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. We’ll get our first look at the Westbrook-less rotation on Sunday when the Clippers visit the Timberwolves, the first game of a back-to-back for L.A. (at Milwaukee on Monday). The Clippers play four games during Week 19, ending with a Saturday/Sunday home back-to-back against the Bulls and Bucks.

– Will Justin Holiday have deep-league streaming value?

The Nuggets were without Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (personal reasons) for Saturday’s win over the Lakers, with Christian Braun replacing him in the starting lineup. However, Holiday played 31 minutes off the bench to Braun’s 24 and was more impactful, especially as a catch-and-shoot option. Denver plays three games, all at home, during Week 19, beginning with the Suns on Tuesday. Whether or not Holiday (or Braun) is worth streaming will depend on KCP’s availability. If he is back, there’s no need to consider either one. If not, Holiday represents the better option in deep leagues.

– How will the 76ers’ guard rotation shake out?

The only certainty is that Tyrese Maxey will lead the way on the perimeter. Who plays alongside him and how the minutes will be distributed is what’s up in the air. De’Anthony Melton is still dealing with back issues and does not have a timeline for return. Buddy Hield has been the starter alongside Maxey and has provided 7th-round value in 9-cat formats over the past three weeks. Kelly Oubre Jr. was moved to the bench for Friday’s win over the Hornets, with Kyle Lowry replacing him as part of a three-guard lineup. Lowry didn’t offer much fantasy value in Miami despite starting, and his importance to the 76ers is higher than to fantasy managers, regardless of where he is in the rotation. Philadelphia plays four games in Week 19, beginning with a road/home back-to-back against the Nets and Grizzlies on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Light Game Days

Monday: 6 Games

MEM vs. BKN

LAC vs. MIL

POR vs. MIN

WAS vs. UTA

CHI vs. SAC

OKC vs. LAL

Week 19 Back-to-backs

Sunday (Week 18)-Monday: LAC, MIN, OKC

Monday-Tuesday: BKN

Tuesday-Wednesday: ATL, CLE, HOU, ORL, PHI

Wednesday-Thursday: CHI, GSW, SAC

Thursday-Friday: MIA, MIN

Friday-Saturday: CHA, POR

Saturday-Sunday: BKN, LAC

Sunday-Monday (Week 20): CLE