Fantasy Basketball Week 20 Schedule Primer

Fantasy Basketball Week 20 Schedule Primer

The stretch run in fantasy basketball is here, and that puts added importance on maximizing your games in head-to-head leagues.

The stretch run in fantasy basketball is here, and that puts added importance on maximizing your games in head-to-head leagues.

Week 20 is here and it is crush time in fantasy basketball. Whether it is playoffs or the final weeks of your regular seasons this week likely has some huge importance in head-to-head leagues, so let us jump right into the meat of the article.

Weekly lock leagues

Tips for the week: The All-Star Break is over and that means a massive slate of games this week. 20 teams play four times in Week 20. The remaining ten teams have three games. That forces fantasy managers into a position where having players with four games in your lineup is nearly a must especially on the back end.

Here are the top ten waiver wire targets that have four games in Week 20 and are rostered in under 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.

  1. Marcus Smart- Boston Celtics (40%)- Smart continues to help fantasy managers win steals, blocks, assists, and 3-pointers made despite only playing 27.1 minutes per game on the year.
  2. Kenneth Faried- Houston Rockets (47%)- Since joining the Rockets, Faried is averaging 16.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, 0.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in 29.5 minutes a night.
  3. Collin Sexton- Cleveland Cavaliers (48%)- Sexton is averaging 19.4 points per game in the month of February. Expect massive minutes down the stretch as well.
  4. Elfrid Payton- New Orleans Pelicans (43%)- Payton should average over six assists, five rebounds, and a steal per game down the stretch.
  5. Rajon Rondo- Los Angeles Lakers (48%)- Since returning from injury on Jan. 24, Rondo is averaging 8.3 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game in 31.9 minutes a night.
  6. Cody Zeller- Charlotte Hornets (28%)- Since returning from injury on Feb. 5, Zeller is averaging 11.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.0 block per game in 27.9 minutes a night.
  7. P.J. Tucker- Houston Rockets (41%)- Rebounds, steals, and 3-pointers made target.
  8. Patrick Beverley- LA Clippers (37%)- Beverley is getting consistently over 30 minutes per game which means defensive stats, assists, and threes that make him well worth streaming.
  9. D.J. Augustin- Orlando Magic (41%)- A starting point guard worth adding for assists and 3-pointers made.
  10. Nerlens Noel- Oklahoma City Thunder (8%)- Noel averages 1.0 steal and 1.3 blocks per game for the season.

Daily roster changes

First, a word on the schedule itself: The schedule eliminates two days from streaming right off the top. Monday and Wednesday both have 11 games. Saturday has nine games and is also on the bubble. There is a lot of action this week meaning plenty of streaming chances.

Note: The Oklahoma City Thunder have the top schedule this week by avoiding both 11 game days and having two home and two road contest during Week 20.

Back-to-backs

Tuesday-Thursday pseudo

Denver Nuggets

Malik Beasley (49%)- Beasley is shooting the lights out this month but is an add for just points and 3-pointers made.

Isaiah Thomas (46%)- Thomas is back and figures to be a factor in points and threes as well.

Mason Plumlee (21%)- Rebounds and blocks target.

New York Knicks

Mitchell Robinson (47%)- Blocks and rebound stream.

Kevin Knox (42%)- Add the rookie for points, threes, and rebounds.

Emmanuel Mudiay (20%)- Points and 3-pointers made target.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Nerlens Noel (8%)- Blocks and steals add.

Orlando Magic

D.J. Augustin (41%)- Target Augustin for assists and 3-pointers made help.

Thursday-Friday

No teams scheduled.

Friday-Saturday

Phoenix Suns

Josh Jackson (46%)- Jackson continues to provide points, steals, and blocks.

Mikal Bridges (27%)- Steals and blocks streamer.

Richaun Holmes (7%)- Deeper league blocks add.

Brooklyn Nets

Allen Crabbe (40%)- Points and 3-pointers made streamer.

DeMarre Carroll (13%)- Deeper league points and threes target.

Ed Davis (8%)- Rebounds stream even in limited minutes.

Los Angeles Lakers

Rajon Rondo (48%)- Rondo should be rostered in more leagues given his ability to secure assists and rebounds.

Milwaukee Bucks

No recommended streamers.

New Orleans Pelicans

Elfrid Payton (43%)- Payton is an add for help in assists, rebounds, and steals.

Jahlil Okafor (35%)- When Anthony Davis misses time, Okafor is a fantastic add for points, rebounds, and blocks.

Kenrich Williams (28%)- Williams is playing massive minutes on the wing and should contribute in rebounds, threes, steals, and blocks.

Saturday-Sunday

Cleveland Cavaliers

Collin Sexton (48%)- Likely the top points streamer on the waiver wire.

Cedi Osman (42%)- Osman is on fire this month. He is shooting 52.5 percent from the field in his five games. Add him for points and threes while Osman is shooting well.

Ante Zizic (8%)- Zizic is a rebounding specialist who will not hurt your percentage categories.

Detroit Pistons

Wayne Ellington (10%)- 3-pointers made streamer.

Memphis Grizzlies

Avery Bradley (19%)- Points and threes target.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo

Orlando Magic

Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo

Looking ahead to Week 21

Maximizing your games in two straight matchups becomes even more important during the stretch run, so here is a look at the players who have games at end of Week 20 and beginning of Week 21.

Sunday-Monday of Week 21

Atlanta Hawks

Kent Bazemore (45%)- Only averaging 21.0 minutes per game over the Hawks last ten, but Bazemore is still averaging 1.2 steals and 0.5 blocks a night.

Kevin Huerter (18%)- Huerter missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but is playing over 30 minutes per game since the start of 2019. Monitor his status and playing time this week.

LA Clippers

Patrick Beverley (37%)-Since Jan. 1, Beverley is averaging 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 3-pointers made, 1.0 steal and 0.9 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (27%)-SGA remains a target for steals and blocks but is still only playing just over 23 minutes per game.

Landry Shamet (14%)- Shamet has played in four games with the Clippers and is averaging 2.8 3-pointers made and 12.0 points in 28.8 minutes per game.

New York Knicks

Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo

Final thoughts

Looking to have some more fantasy basketball content in your life? Take a listen to the Watching the Boxes Podcast for plenty of discussion on the schedule and all the fantasy basketball knowledge managers need to know to win their championship. The path to a fantasy glory is available at Hashtag Basketball, so please take full advantage.

Week 20 is here and it is crush time in fantasy basketball. Whether it is playoffs or the final weeks of your regular seasons this week likely has some huge importance in head-to-head leagues, so let us jump right into the meat of the article.

Weekly lock leagues

Tips for the week: The All-Star Break is over and that means a massive slate of games this week. 20 teams play four times in Week 20. The remaining ten teams have three games. That forces fantasy managers into a position where having players with four games in your lineup is nearly a must especially on the back end.

Here are the top ten waiver wire targets that have four games in Week 20 and are rostered in under 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.

  1. Marcus Smart- Boston Celtics (40%)- Smart continues to help fantasy managers win steals, blocks, assists, and 3-pointers made despite only playing 27.1 minutes per game on the year.
  2. Kenneth Faried- Houston Rockets (47%)- Since joining the Rockets, Faried is averaging 16.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, 0.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in 29.5 minutes a night.
  3. Collin Sexton- Cleveland Cavaliers (48%)- Sexton is averaging 19.4 points per game in the month of February. Expect massive minutes down the stretch as well.
  4. Elfrid Payton- New Orleans Pelicans (43%)- Payton should average over six assists, five rebounds, and a steal per game down the stretch.
  5. Rajon Rondo- Los Angeles Lakers (48%)- Since returning from injury on Jan. 24, Rondo is averaging 8.3 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game in 31.9 minutes a night.
  6. Cody Zeller- Charlotte Hornets (28%)- Since returning from injury on Feb. 5, Zeller is averaging 11.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.0 block per game in 27.9 minutes a night.
  7. P.J. Tucker- Houston Rockets (41%)- Rebounds, steals, and 3-pointers made target.
  8. Patrick Beverley- LA Clippers (37%)- Beverley is getting consistently over 30 minutes per game which means defensive stats, assists, and threes that make him well worth streaming.
  9. D.J. Augustin- Orlando Magic (41%)- A starting point guard worth adding for assists and 3-pointers made.
  10. Nerlens Noel- Oklahoma City Thunder (8%)- Noel averages 1.0 steal and 1.3 blocks per game for the season.

Daily roster changes

First, a word on the schedule itself: The schedule eliminates two days from streaming right off the top. Monday and Wednesday both have 11 games. Saturday has nine games and is also on the bubble. There is a lot of action this week meaning plenty of streaming chances.

Note: The Oklahoma City Thunder have the top schedule this week by avoiding both 11 game days and having two home and two road contest during Week 20.

Back-to-backs

Tuesday-Thursday pseudo

Denver Nuggets

Malik Beasley (49%)- Beasley is shooting the lights out this month but is an add for just points and 3-pointers made.

Isaiah Thomas (46%)- Thomas is back and figures to be a factor in points and threes as well.

Mason Plumlee (21%)- Rebounds and blocks target.

New York Knicks

Mitchell Robinson (47%)- Blocks and rebound stream.

Kevin Knox (42%)- Add the rookie for points, threes, and rebounds.

Emmanuel Mudiay (20%)- Points and 3-pointers made target.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Nerlens Noel (8%)- Blocks and steals add.

Orlando Magic

D.J. Augustin (41%)- Target Augustin for assists and 3-pointers made help.

Thursday-Friday

No teams scheduled.

Friday-Saturday

Phoenix Suns

Josh Jackson (46%)- Jackson continues to provide points, steals, and blocks.

Mikal Bridges (27%)- Steals and blocks streamer.

Richaun Holmes (7%)- Deeper league blocks add.

Brooklyn Nets

Allen Crabbe (40%)- Points and 3-pointers made streamer.

DeMarre Carroll (13%)- Deeper league points and threes target.

Ed Davis (8%)- Rebounds stream even in limited minutes.

Los Angeles Lakers

Rajon Rondo (48%)- Rondo should be rostered in more leagues given his ability to secure assists and rebounds.

Milwaukee Bucks

No recommended streamers.

New Orleans Pelicans

Elfrid Payton (43%)- Payton is an add for help in assists, rebounds, and steals.

Jahlil Okafor (35%)- When Anthony Davis misses time, Okafor is a fantastic add for points, rebounds, and blocks.

Kenrich Williams (28%)- Williams is playing massive minutes on the wing and should contribute in rebounds, threes, steals, and blocks.

Saturday-Sunday

Cleveland Cavaliers

Collin Sexton (48%)- Likely the top points streamer on the waiver wire.

Cedi Osman (42%)- Osman is on fire this month. He is shooting 52.5 percent from the field in his five games. Add him for points and threes while Osman is shooting well.

Ante Zizic (8%)- Zizic is a rebounding specialist who will not hurt your percentage categories.

Detroit Pistons

Wayne Ellington (10%)- 3-pointers made streamer.

Memphis Grizzlies

Avery Bradley (19%)- Points and threes target.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo

Orlando Magic

Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo

Looking ahead to Week 21

Maximizing your games in two straight matchups becomes even more important during the stretch run, so here is a look at the players who have games at end of Week 20 and beginning of Week 21.

Sunday-Monday of Week 21

Atlanta Hawks

Kent Bazemore (45%)- Only averaging 21.0 minutes per game over the Hawks last ten, but Bazemore is still averaging 1.2 steals and 0.5 blocks a night.

Kevin Huerter (18%)- Huerter missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but is playing over 30 minutes per game since the start of 2019. Monitor his status and playing time this week.

LA Clippers

Patrick Beverley (37%)-Since Jan. 1, Beverley is averaging 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 3-pointers made, 1.0 steal and 0.9 blocks in 30.4 minutes per game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (27%)-SGA remains a target for steals and blocks but is still only playing just over 23 minutes per game.

Landry Shamet (14%)- Shamet has played in four games with the Clippers and is averaging 2.8 3-pointers made and 12.0 points in 28.8 minutes per game.

New York Knicks

Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo

Final thoughts

Looking to have some more fantasy basketball content in your life? Take a listen to the Watching the Boxes Podcast for plenty of discussion on the schedule and all the fantasy basketball knowledge managers need to know to win their championship. The path to a fantasy glory is available at Hashtag Basketball, so please take full advantage.

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