A frequently overlooked yet critical component of fantasy basketball strategy is the NBA schedule. While player rest, particularly on back-to-back sets, is a common point of discussion, the full extent of the season's physical demands is often underestimated. The grueling nature of an 82-game season has a significant impact on player availability and performance. This analysis will examine key scheduling quirks and variables to provide fantasy managers with a strategic advantage during their drafts and throughout the season.
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Platform-Specific Scheduling: Yahoo
Fantasy managers should note that platform-specific schedules can vary. On Yahoo, the fantasy playoffs are slated for Weeks 21, 22, and 23, running from March 16 to April 5. This schedule is advantageous as it concludes before the final week of the NBA regular season, a period often characterized by unpredictable player rotations and teams resting key assets.
Another important aspect of the Yahoo schedule is the extended Week 17, which spans from February 9 to February 22 to accommodate the All-Star break. This creates a 14-day matchup period that managers must plan for.
The NBA Cup
The NBA Cup (formerly the In-Season Tournament) has become a fixture in the league calendar. From a fantasy perspective, the primary concern is how these games are scored and integrated into the weekly schedule. The key dates for the upcoming tournament are as follows:
Group Play:
- Friday, Oct. 31
- Friday, Nov. 7
- Friday, Nov. 14
- Friday, Nov. 21
- Tuesday, Nov. 25
- Wednesday, Nov. 26
- Friday, Nov. 28
A frequently overlooked yet critical component of fantasy basketball strategy is the NBA schedule. While player rest, particularly on back-to-back sets, is a common point of discussion, the full extent of the season's physical demands is often underestimated. The grueling nature of an 82-game season has a significant impact on player availability and performance. This analysis will examine key scheduling quirks and variables to provide fantasy managers with a strategic advantage during their drafts and throughout the season.
Visit RotoWire's NBA Schedule page!
Platform-Specific Scheduling: Yahoo
Fantasy managers should note that platform-specific schedules can vary. On Yahoo, the fantasy playoffs are slated for Weeks 21, 22, and 23, running from March 16 to April 5. This schedule is advantageous as it concludes before the final week of the NBA regular season, a period often characterized by unpredictable player rotations and teams resting key assets.
Another important aspect of the Yahoo schedule is the extended Week 17, which spans from February 9 to February 22 to accommodate the All-Star break. This creates a 14-day matchup period that managers must plan for.
The NBA Cup
The NBA Cup (formerly the In-Season Tournament) has become a fixture in the league calendar. From a fantasy perspective, the primary concern is how these games are scored and integrated into the weekly schedule. The key dates for the upcoming tournament are as follows:
Group Play:
- Friday, Oct. 31
- Friday, Nov. 7
- Friday, Nov. 14
- Friday, Nov. 21
- Tuesday, Nov. 25
- Wednesday, Nov. 26
- Friday, Nov. 28
Quarterfinals: Tuesday, Dec. 9 & Wednesday, Dec. 10
Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 13
Championship: Tuesday, Dec. 16
Historically on Yahoo, games during the Group Play and Quarterfinal rounds have counted toward fantasy matchups, while the Semifinals and Championship have not. Unlike last season, when weeks were combined during the tournament, that does not appear to be the case this year.
Back-to-Back Sets (B2Bs)
Player management during back-to-back sets is a major variable in fantasy performance. The NBA has continued its efforts to reduce these, with the league average dropping from 14.9 per team last season to 14.4 this season. However, the distribution is not even.
Below is a breakdown of the number of B2B sets for each team:
- 16 Back-to-Backs: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards
- 15 Back-to-Backs: Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz
- 14 Back-to-Backs: Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic
- 13 Back-to-Backs: Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder
Strategic Implications: This data is crucial for risk assessment. Players with extensive injury histories are prime candidates for rest during one leg of a B2B set. For instance, a player like Joel Embiid, on a team with 16 B2Bs, presents a higher risk of missed games compared to a younger, more durable player on a team with 13. While not a definitive predictor—as exemplified by Kawhi Leonard playing in a B2B last season—this metric should serve as a valuable tiebreaker when evaluating similarly ranked players during a draft.
Fantasy Playoff Schedule Analysis
Analyzing the weekly distribution of games provides a more targeted level of strategy. While overhauling a draft strategy based solely on the schedule is not recommended, understanding the volume of games during the fantasy playoffs is critical for success.
The Yahoo fantasy playoffs run from March 16 to April 5.
Quarterfinals (March 16-22):
- 5 Games: Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards
- A five-game week for players on these rosters provides a significant advantage. However, managers must consider the potential for these teams to be in "tanking" mode, which could affect rotations.
Semifinals (March 23-29):
- 2 Games: Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns
- A two-game week for star players on these teams can be detrimental to a fantasy team's chances, making it difficult to win a head-to-head matchup. This should be a major consideration for managers drafting players from the Timberwolves and Suns.
Championship (March 30-April 5):
- 2 Games: Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers
- Reaching the championship with key players like Nikola Jokic or Jalen Brunson only playing two games would present a significant challenge.
Total Games During the Fantasy Playoffs
To provide a broader perspective, the following list aggregates the total number of games each team plays during the three-week Yahoo fantasy playoff period (Weeks 21-23).
- 12 Games: Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards
- 11 Games: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz
- 10 Games: Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings
- 9 Games: Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks
Conclusion: Teams with 10 or 11 games fall near the average. However, the outliers are significant. The nine-game schedules for the Nuggets and Knicks represent a notable disadvantage for fantasy managers rostering their players. Conversely, the 12-game schedules for the Rockets, Grizzlies, Magic, and Wizards offer a considerable boost. This information should be utilized as a key tie-breaking factor when making draft-day decisions.
Essential Resources for Fantasy Basketball Success
Check out RotoWire's How to Play Fantasy Basketball guide for a complete walkthrough, but here is some basic advice:
- Check out custom NBA Fantasy Projections
- Look into Fantasy Basketball Mock Drafts
- Listen to a Fantasy Basketball Podcast
- Check in on Fantasy Basketball Player News
- Read Fantasy Basketball Articles
- Dive into RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Draft Kit
- Study NBA Depth Charts
- See RotoWire's Fantasy Basketball Dynasty Rankings
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