Week 23 is Championship Week in many fantasy basketball leagues. All the work that went into drafting and beefing up the roster comes down to his seven days of action, but the good news is that most teams in the NBA will play him four games.
However, not all schedules are the same, with some teams playing one game back-to-back and some teams playing two games back-to-back. And of the four teams he will play only three games during Week 23, three will close out the week with games on Friday and Sunday.
Let's take a look at the breakdown of Week 23's schedule and some of its key storylines. Hopefully this helps him dominate the Championship Week matchup in a similar way to his UConn men's basketball team, which cruised through the East over the past two weekends.
Games played in week 23
4 games: ATL, BOS, BKN, CHO, CLE, DAL, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NOR, NYK, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, POR, SAC, TOR , was
3 games: Chi, Den, Sasu, Yuta
Week 23 Storyline
– Denver could be a team worth playing three games towards the end of Week 23
Chicago, Denver, San Antonio, and Utah only play three games in Week 23, which puts them at a disadvantage in terms of fantasy value. However, there are notable differences in the schedules. Chicago, San Antonio, and Utah will play on the two busiest days of Week 23 (Friday and Sunday), while Denver will play its final game of four on Saturday. Whether fantasy managers can unearth that roster will largely depend on where the Nuggets sit in the Western Conference playoff race for homecourt advantage and the health of point guard Jamal Murray. .
Murray has been plagued by knee, shin and ankle issues and has missed four recent games, including Denver's first three in Week 22. Reggie Jackson is in his place in the starting lineup and will continue to fill the void even if Murray continues to be sidelined. The Nuggets enter the final day of Week 22 in third place in the West in the loss column, one game behind Minnesota and Oklahoma City. How that impacts Michael Malone's thoughts on the rotation is a big question heading into Week 23, especially considering other starters who have been plagued by injuries recently (Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon). This is one of the problems. In addition to Jackson, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson will also be worth keeping an eye on for Denver's final game in Week 23.
– It's time for fantasy managers to 'go all in' with Keon Ellis
Week 22 was tough for the Sacramento Kings regarding injuries. Kevin Huerter suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder and will undergo surgery before the end of the season, while Malik Monk will miss four to six weeks with an MCL sprain in his knee. Ells was already in the spotlight when he was moved into the starting lineup due to Huerter's injury, and Monk's injury only increased his streaming value even further. As of Saturday night, Ellis was enrolled in 20% of the Yahoo League roster, and that number should increase heading into Sacramento's four Week 23 games.
Another player whose value will increase due to injury is Harrison Barnes, but he hasn't been the most impressive fantasy player this season. He averages 29.3 minutes per game, which could increase slightly if Huerter and Monk are sidelined. Davion Mitchell, Chris Duarte, and Kessler Edwards are worth keeping an eye on in the first half of Week 23, especially as the Kings have been active on the lighter day of the week (Thursday).
– Thursday and Saturday are Week 23's “Streaming Days”
As mentioned earlier, the busiest days for Week 23 are Friday (12 games) and Sunday (13 games), while Saturday (4 games) is the quietest. However, with five games scheduled for Thursday, fantasy managers should not sleep on it. Teams from Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Golden State, New York, and Philadelphia participated in the game that night. And of the 10 teams playing, eight will begin Thursday with three games in four days. Philadelphia may have the most attractive schedule of these teams. The 76ers play Thursday (Miami) and Saturday (Memphis) before facing the Spurs on Sunday.
Fantasy managers are still waiting for Joel Embiid (knee), who has been sidelined since January 30th. He was expected to return by the end of the regular season, but the reigning MVP doesn't have much time left. It happens. The good news is that Embiid was with the team through Friday's loss to the Cavaliers. Embiid has reached a point in his development where he is playing against flesh-and-blood opponents, but there's no definitive word on whether this will be one-on-one or three-on-three. Mo Bamba and Paul Reed are the available options at the center position, with the latter being the better fantasy option despite coming off the bench.
– Identifying quality streamers in Detroit, Memphis or Portland could push some managers over the finish line
Detroit, Memphis and Portland will play four games in Week 23, but all have already been eliminated from postseason contention. That can make identifying streamers a difficult challenge, especially for teams limited by injuries. Marcus Sasser's rise in Detroit is no surprise. That's because with Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey having recent health issues, the rookie is in a good position to get additional playing time. But who would have thought Evan Fournier would sneak up on the radar? James Wiseman is a better choice than either, especially if Jalen Duren is out.
Charlotte (Vasije Micic, Tre Mann), Portland (Dalano Banton, Duop Reese), Memphis (GG Jackson, Jake LaRavia, Scottie Pippen Jr.) and Washington (Corey Kispert) are also in the playoffs. He fits the mold of a player who cannot participate. Value increases during Championship Week. Of the teams listed, Detroit and Memphis conclude their Week 23 schedule on Saturday, while Charlotte, Portland and Washington conclude on Sunday.
– How many games will the manager get from LeBron and Anthony Davis?
The Lakers will play four games in Week 23, but their schedule consists of two back-to-back games. They visit the Raptors and Wizards on Tuesday and Wednesday before hosting Cleveland and Minnesota on Saturday and Sunday. Given that LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (knee) have been dealing with health issues recently, managers could get a full week's work from these two stars. Or? With the Lakers in the West standings and Houston on fire, there's not much room for error in their bid to qualify for the play-in.
With eight games remaining (Houston has nine), the Lakers lead the Rockets by two games in the loss column, and the teams have split four meetings. Another thing to keep an eye on for the Lakers is the status of Gabe Vincent (knee), who could be cleared to return for Sunday's game against the Nets. He may not be doing enough to make a splash in fantasy leagues, but he would be a welcome addition to the rotation as a perimeter option at this point in the season.
– Can Utah's unheralded rookie prove his worth despite playing in only three games?
Utah is one of four teams to play only three games, with all three scheduled on busy nights (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday). However, with Lauri Markkanen (shoulder) and Jordan Clarkson (back) out with injuries, some of the team's younger players may be worth the risk in fantasy leagues. Taylor Hendricks has started all but three games for the team since the All-Star break, and fellow rookie Bryce Sensabaugh has started whenever Markkanen is out. It's too late to add Keyontae George in most standard leagues, but Hendricks and Sensabaugh are still on the waiver wire in over 80% of Yahoo leagues.
light game day
Saturday: 4 games
CLE vs. LAL
DET vs. BKN
PHI and MEM
ATL vs. DEN
Week 23 Consecutive games
Sunday (22nd week) to Monday:BKN, Cha, Chi
Monday Tuesday: none
Tuesday Wednesday: CLE, LAL, MIL, MIN, OKC, TOR
Wednesday Thursday:ATL
Thursday Friday: DAL, GSW, HOU, LAC, MIA, NYK, SAC
Friday Saturday:DET, MEM
Saturday and Sunday: BKN, CLE, LAL, PHI
Sunday to Monday (24th week): none
