The Fantasy Basketball Weekly Planner is the essential guide to setting your lineup for the upcoming week. Each week, we provide you with top matchups, the latest news and give you the scoop on injured players.
Projections are for March 24-30 games.
Teams with four games (21): Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Golden State, L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Seattle, Washington
Teams with three games (8): Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indiana, Minnesota, Toronto, Utah
Teams with two games (1): Orlando
Teams with back-to-back games (15): Atlanta, Charlotte (twice), Chicago (twice), Detroit, Indiana, L.A. Clippers (twice), Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, New Jersey, New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, Washington
On tap: The week ahead features nine nationally televised games: Philadelphia at Boston and L.A. Lakers at Golden State on Monday; Washington at Portland on Tuesday; Phoenix at Boston on Wednesday; Dallas at Denver and Portland at Golden State on Thursday; New Orleans at Boston on Friday; Cleveland at Detroit on Saturday; Houston at San Antonio and Dallas at Golden State on Sunday.
| FULLCOURT PRESS |
| Cleveland F/C Ben Wallace (back) is considered day to day. He should be able to play during Cleveland's three-game week, but is in for some tough matchups. If you are deciding between him and a similar option go with the other option. ... Cleveland G Daniel Gibson (ankle) hopes to return Wednesday against New Orleans. That's not set in stone and his return could start with him coming off the bench, but this does make Delonte West a poor option this week due to the uncertainty in such a critical week. ... Dallas F Dirk Nowitzki hurt himself pretty badly in the fourth quarter of Sunday's afternoon game against San Antonio. His left knee and ankle buckled when he landed after running to block a shot and he slapped the court in agony, making us believe he'll miss at least the next couple of games. He put no weight on the leg leaving the court, then was seen limping into the X-ray room. The team says they'll re-evaluate him on Monday, but Fantasy owners will want to start looking for other options immediately. Initial reports out of Dallas have him missing two weeks. Brandon Bass may be useful in a pinch. Follow this situation on Monday all the way until lineups are due, if possible. ... Golden State F/C Chris Webber (knee) remains out indefinitely. He is a must-sit in Fantasy until further notice. ... Indiana F Jermaine O'Neal (knee) said that he hopes to return to the lineup at some point this week, but there is still no official return date. Considering that the Pacers play just two weeks and that he may initially come off the bench upon his return, he's a player to reserve for at least one more week. Jeff Foster is now a risky start as well as O'Neal threatens to take minutes and rebounds away at some point this week and that's pretty much all Foster is good for. ... Indiana G Jamaal Tinsley (knee) isn't even close to returning and it is unlikely he'll play again this season. ... The L.A. Clippers have a variety of injuries they are dealing with. Brevin Knight (leg) and Tim Thomas (stomach virus) are day-to-day while Chris Kaman (back) and Elton Brand (Achilles') remain out indefinitely. Knight is a safe, yet unappealing start while Thomas should be good to go. ... L.A. Lakers C Pau Gasol (ankle) isn't going to return until Wednesday at the earliest. That means he'd play three games on a best-case scenario in Week 22 and this will be one of the toughest calls Fantasy owners will have to make all year. He is certainly worth the gamble, but it's a huge risk. ... Miami F Shawn Marion (back) doesn't seem to be in a rush to return to the travesty that is the Heat this season. He could play next week, but could just as easily miss the rest of the season. At this point in the season, though, it's better to be safe than sorry. ... Minnesota G Sebastian Telfair (ankle) is going to play again this season, according to the team. They just won't say when. Fantasy owners should avoid him like the plague, but his unclear situation also affects the likes of Marko Jaric. Considering that the T'Wolves are one of our poor matchup teams this week, we say avoid Jaric as well. ... New York F Zach Randolph has been reserved in two games by the increasingly loony Isiah Thomas to give younger players a chance to play. Thomas did say that he plans to use Randolph on Monday, but at this point he's not No. 1 on the Fantasy trustworthiness list. He cost many Fantasy owners last week with the benching. ... New York G Nate Robinson (knee) is considered day-to-day. With the Knicks looking very much like they want to tank games, Robinson could just be a pawn in that mess. If it's Robinson or another option this week, go with the player not involved with the MSG crowd. ... Philadelphia C Samuel Dalembert (shoulder) is considered day-to-day after sustaining a mild shoulder injury in Saturday's game, but he should be able to play. It's safe to start him as a No. 2 Fantasy center. ... Suns G Raja Bell (ankle) is considered day-to-day. The Suns are one of our poor matchup teams this week, so we say sit Bell in Week 22. ... Sacramento is dealing with injuries to its three most significant Fantasy options. Beno Udrih (back), Ron Artest (elbow) and Brad Miller (elbow) may have caught Isiah-itis. Udrih says that he hopes to play Monday, though, so start him if you believe him. Artest and Miller will be very risky plays this week, so you may want to go with John Salmons or Mikki Moore as stopgaps because at least you know you won't get stuck with a zero. ... There are some rumblings that indicate that Chris Wilcox (finger) could miss the remainder of the season. Avoid him. ... Is this the week where Fantasy owners can finally activate Gilbert Arenas (knee)? As this planner was being put together Sunday afternoon, Arenas was able to participate in the team's shootaround prior to its Sunday night game. He was to be a game-time decision. Hopefully Sunday's game will go a long way in determining how far along Arenas is and Fantasy owners will be able to observe first-hand whether or not he's ready. If he doesn't play, treat him like a No. 3 or 4 Fantasy guard for the upcoming four-game week considering he could take a while to get into game shape. |
| F I V E T E A M S W I T H F A V O R A B L E M A T C H U P S |
| The following five teams have the best matchups for the upcoming week. That doesn't necessarily mean they will post the best Fantasy stats, but if you're looking for a one-week start or are trying to make a difficult decision between two players to use, lean toward players from these teams: |
| Team | 3/24 | 3/25 | 3/26 | 3/27 | 3/28 | 3/29 | 3/30 |
| Dallas Mavericks (DAL) | -- | LAC | -- | @DEN | -- | -- | @GS |
| It's only a three-game week, but it's a very favorable one for Fantasy owners in leagues that use averages for a scoring system. All three teams allow at least 100 ppg and the Nuggets and Warriors both allow over 105 ppg. There should be enough to go around for the likes of Brandon Bass and Jerry Stackhouse -- especially if Nowitzki is forced to miss significant time. |
| Los Angeles Lakers (LAL) | @GS | -- | CHA | -- | MEM | -- | WAS |
| Three of their four opponents allow over 100 ppg, with the Wizards (98.4) the only team that doesn't. The same goes for rebounding. The Wizards are the only opponent the Lakers will face this week that doesn't rank among the 10 teams who give up the most boards per game. Give Ronny Turiaf a look in deeper formats -- Gasol or no Gasol. |
| Memphis Grizzlies (MEM) | DEN | -- | @SAC | -- | @LAL | @LAC | -- |
| All four opponents this week allow over 100 ppg. They should get off to a high-scoring start to the week against the Nuggets (105.7 ppg) and Kings (104.2 ppg) -- especially considering the Grizz give up 105.9 ppg themselves. Hakim Warrick and Juan Carlos Navarro are solid starts. Mike Conley, Darko Milicic and Kyle Lowry are worth a look. |
| New Jersey Nets (NJ) | @NY | -- | IND | -- | @IND | PHO | -- |
| Their opponents this week give up a combined average of 104.7 ppg and 44.0 rpg. This should be a productive week for both Josh Boone and Nenad Krstic. |
| Portland Trail Blazers (POR) | @SEA | WAS | -- | @GS | -- | CHA | -- |
| Just like the Lakers, the Blazers will play three teams that give up over 100 ppg with the Wizards being the exception. The two games against the Sonics (106.7 ppg, 44.3 rpg) and the Warriors (108.0 ppg, 46.8 rpg) should more than make up for that. Travis Outlaw is a good matchup start this week and Joel Przybilla should provide good rebound totals all week. |
| F I V E T E A M S W I T H P O O R M A T C H U P S |
| The following five teams have the worst matchups for the upcoming week. That doesn't necessarily mean you should reserve every player from these teams, but try to avoid less-heralded performers from these squads if you have an alternative on your roster: |
| Team | 3/24 | 3/25 | 3/26 | 3/27 | 3/28 | 3/29 | 3/30 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers (CLE) | -- | -- | NO | -- | -- | @DET | PHI |
| They are one of the three-game teams this week and all three opponents give up fewer than 100 ppg and 41 rpg. In fact, they all give up fewer than 96 ppg. This should be a slow week for anybody who doesn't have a royal nickname on the Cavaliers. Think long and hard about avoiding Ben Wallace and Drew Gooden and don't even consider Anderson Varejao. |
| Minnesota Timberwolves (MIN) | -- | -- | @HOU | -- | @SA | -- | UTA |
| They'll have to take the dreaded trip through Texas this week, which has meant nightmares for Fantasy owners all season outside of this past week with the Celtics. Houston allows just 92.3 ppg and 40.7 rebounds while the Spurs give up 91.1 ppg and 40.3 rpg. Ryan Gomes has been solid, but this could be the week to reserve him. |
| Orlando Magic (ORL) | -- | SA | -- | -- | @MIL | -- | -- |
| Only one team this week plays two games and that's the Magic. As if that weren't enough, one of the two games comes against the stingy Spurs. Don't even think about starting anyone outside of the big three this week. And in some formats, you'll want to consider going with a four-game alternative for even them. |
| Philadelphia 76ers (PHI) | @BOS | -- | CHI | -- | PHO | -- | @CLE |
| They do have one favorable matchup this week against the Suns, but will face three teams that give up less than 100 ppg outside of that. That could mean a slow week for the likes of Willie Green and Louis Williams, who do little outside of scoring. |
| Phoenix Suns (PHO) | @DET | -- | @BOS | -- | @PHI | @NJ | -- |
| A road trip to the East Coast will match them up against four teams that don't allow a lot of running, so this will be the grind-it-out scenario general manager Steve Kerr envisioned when he traded for Shaq. That should mean more than a couple of game under 100 points. That means Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa could be in for a slow week. |
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