NBA Draft Kit: Monthly Schedule Cheat Sheet

The 2014-15 NBA season is rapidly approaching, and as summer turns to fall, fantasy basketball enthusiasts begin the journey of crafting what they hope will result in a championship fantasy team.

There are plenty of things to take into consideration when drafting a team, such as a player's past performances, potential for improvement, offseason roster changes, and a player's contract status. Everyone is looking for a way to gain that edge that can be the difference from finishing in the middle of the pack to ending the season as the big kahuna of their league.

One area that should not be overlooked is each teams schedules. Yes, every team plays 82 games, so everyone has the same opportunities to contribute statistically. However, knowing which teams have schedule advantages on a half-by-half basis and also a month-by-month basis can help create added value in what appears to be an even playing field at first glance.

For example, by knowing the intricacies of each team's schedules, you can look to trade for a player down the stretch who might still have more games left to play than someone already on your roster. Those extra games played added to your roster could provide key stats for a championship push.

October
The 2014-15 NBA season tips off in October, and 20 of the 30 teams in the league play two games in the month while nine only play one game. The Los Angeles Lakers are the only team who play three games in October.

November
November marks the first full month of the season, and the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic lead the league with 17 games each in November. The New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, and Phoenix Suns are right on their heels with 16 games each in the month. Everyone other team plays either 14 or 15 games in the month, except for the Boston Celtics, who only play 13 games. What this should tell you is that Celtics players may have lower rankings on sites after the first month of action, because they'll have played as many as four fewer games than players on other teams.

December
The San Antonio Spurs are known for resting their star players and might have to rest some early on as they play the most games in December with 18 games. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Los Angeles Clippers are next in line with 17 games each. The Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Golden State Warriors all play the fewest amount of games in the month with 14 each.

January
We're well into the full grind of the NBA season by January, and the 76ers and Golden State Warriors lead the league with 18 games each in the month. The Miami Heat get to enjoy some of that South Beach winter fun by playing only 13 games in the month. The Knicks, Hornets, Bucks, Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder play the second fewest games of the month with 14 each.

February and the "Half-Way" Point
February marks the All-Star break, and every team plays either five or six games before the break begins. Even though this is generally considered the "first half" of the season, every team has played well more than 41 games at this point. The leader in games played so far is the Orland Magic with 56. Following them are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks with 55. The team with the fewest games played is the Boston Celtics with only 51, making their roster an intriguing one to target players for possible trades in for the second half.

Most teams then play either five or six games over the rest of February after the All-Star break, except for the Pacers, Hornets, Magic, Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Sacramento Kings who all play only four games after the All-Star break in February.

March
The Celtics step up their schedule to make up for lost time as they lead the league with 18 games in March. The 76ers, Hornets, and Grizzlies all play 17 games as they make up for a lighter early schedule as well. The Mavericks get a bit of a rest in March as they play only 13 games. The Magic, Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz have a lighter load as well, as they only play 14 games each.

April
The regular season comes to an end in April, and the Hornets, Spurs, Lakers, and Kings play the most games in the month with nine each. Remember that the Spurs are notorious for resting their older star players, so even though they are tied for the most games played in April, it may not mean that much if they aren't playing for playoff seeding. The only other teams that don't play eight games are the 76ers, Cavaliers, Hawks, Grizzlies, Clippers, and Suns who all play a league-low seven games in April.

A lot of things can change over the course of the regular season. Players can go down with injuries, players can be traded, and changes in player's roles on their team could all impact your fantasy team. One thing that won't change, and that you can use to your advantage on draft day, is the schedule. Good luck to everyone in your drafts and enjoy the season!