Fantasy Basketball Week 3 Schedule Preview
Fantasy Basketball Week 3 Schedule Preview
Fantasy basketball managers in head-to-head leagues should be looking to maximize their games played. Here is how to do just that in Week 3.
Fantasy basketball managers in head-to-head leagues should be looking to maximize their games played. Here is how to do just that in Week 3.
Fantasy basketball is only two weeks in and already significant injuries have sidelined Karl-Anthony Towns, Ja Morant, Kevin Love, and Spencer Dinwiddie. That makes no mention of players sitting out a game for rest or with a nagging ailment. Injuries could quickly become the story of the season.
Fantasy basketball will carry on. Managers have to find a way to deal with it. One way to win any head-to-head league is to maximize your games played. Here is a look at how to do that in Week 3.
Teams that play four times (22)
Celtics, Nets, Hornets, Cavaliers, Bulls, Nuggets, Pistons, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, Bucks, Timberwolves, Knicks, Thunder, Magic, 76ers, Kings, Spurs, Raptors, and Jazz.
Teams that play three times (8)
Hawks, Mavericks, Pacers, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Suns, Blazers, and Wizards.
Fantasy basketball talking points
- John Wall returned to the court on New Year’s Eve and looked fantastic. The 30-year-old has a significant injury history, but he could be one of the steals of the draft. Keep an eye on the Rocket this week as they continue getting Wall and Cousins back in the fold after being forced to sit for one week because of COVID-19 protocols.
- Kristaps Porzingis is practicing with the Mavericks and nearing a return. Keep an eye on his status during Week 3. Fantasy managers should try to trade for the Unicorn if he struggles out of the gate.
- Keep trying to trade for struggling players. It is a long season, but some managers will panic after two weeks of subpar production.
- The Pelicans have the worst schedule this week. They play three times on the three highest volume days. They host the Pacers, Thunder, and Hornets, but it is impossible to stream any of their players into your starting lineup.
- The Nuggets, Spurs, and Timberwolves have the top schedules of the week. Each plays four times and avoids the crowded Wednesday and Friday slates. Denver has the top schedule as they host Minnesota and Dallas before traveling to Philly and the Knicks.
Top 10 streamers for Week 3 (rostered in under 50% of Yahoo Leagues)
Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz (44%), PG/SG
Clarkson has been outstanding since becoming Utah’s sixth man. He is a strong points and threes add with strong percentages.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
87 |
5 |
22.3 |
0.474 |
0.909 |
2.20 |
15.00 |
4.80 |
1.40 |
0.80 |
0.40 |
1.60 |
P.J. Tucker, Houston Rockets (25%), PF/C
Tucker is a strong rebounds, steals, and threes add. He gets underrated because of his lack of scoring, but the veteran could help you win the week.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
105 |
3 |
34.0 |
0.428 |
0.000 |
1.30 |
5.30 |
6.70 |
1.70 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
1.30 |
Malik Beasley, Minnesota Timberwolves (48%), PG/SG
Beasley is a points threes, and rebounds target. Improving his steals to over one per game would be the key to vaulting him inside the top 100. Until then, Beasley is a solid streamer.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
130 |
5 |
28.8 |
0.452 |
0.875 |
1.80 |
17.80 |
4.40 |
0.80 |
0.60 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
Paul Millsap, Denver Nuggets (44%), PF/C
Millsap won’t blow anybody away, but he should average 12 points, six rebounds, and one steal per game on solid percentages, which makes him an add given the Nuggets schedule.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
187 |
5 |
25.9 |
0.590 |
0.667 |
1.40 |
12.60 |
4.00 |
1.40 |
0.20 |
0.00 |
1.20 |
George Hill, Oklahoma City Thunder (26%), PG/SG
Points, threes, steals, and assists streamer. The Thunder may not get a ton of buzz, but Hill could be a top 100 player this season.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
92 |
3 |
24.4 |
0.551 |
0.717 |
2.00 |
14.30 |
3.00 |
3.70 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
1.30 |
Thaddeus Young, Chicago Bulls (8%), PF
Young could average 12 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game playing 27.0 minutes a night. That makes him someone that is being overlooked in nearly every league.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
84 |
2 |
36.5 |
0.529 |
1.000 |
0.50 |
10.50 |
2.00 |
4.00 |
1.50 |
1.00 |
3.00 |
Monte Morris, Denver Nuggets (11%), PG/SG
Morris is playing a career-high in minutes so far. The 25-year-old could average 12 points, 3.5 assists, and one steal per game on solid percentages. Take a flier on Morris this week given Denver’s slate.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
149 |
5 |
27.4 |
0.511 |
0.750 |
1.20 |
12.20 |
2.20 |
3.00 |
0.60 |
0.40 |
0.60 |
Josh Jackson, Detroit Pistons (45%), SG/SF
Jackson has been outstanding to begin the season. He is only playing 26.3 minutes per game, but his ability to get steals and blocks could make him standard league relevant this week.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
102 |
5 |
26.2 |
0.492 |
0.643 |
1.40 |
16.00 |
5.20 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
0.80 |
2.20 |
Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls (20%), SF
Williams is an intriguing rookie. He has averaged 1.0 block per game through his first four. The 19-year-old could average over one in threes, steals, and blocks this season to give fantasy managers a shot in the arm.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
201 |
6 |
23.4 |
0.459 |
0.800 |
0.80 |
10.20 |
3.00 |
1.00 |
0.20 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
Ivica Zubac, LA Clippers (29%), C
Zubac is a strong rebounder and shot blocker with solid percentages. He will need to increase his points to become a top 100 player, but he can help fantasy managers win categories this week.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
120 |
6 |
18.4 |
0.749 |
0.816 |
0.00 |
10.70 |
2.70 |
0.70 |
0.50 |
1.30 |
0.80 |
Daily streaming options
First, a word on the schedule itself: Wednesday and Friday both have double-digit games which likely makes streaming impossible. Monday has nine games which are borderline. With so many games in Week 3, be sure to check your lineup to see when you can stream. Here are the places where most people will be able to get two games from one pickup.
Back-to-backs
Monday-Tuesday
No teams scheduled.
Tuesday-Thursday pseudo
Brooklyn Nets
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (2%): Steals and threes streamer in deep leagues.
Denver Nuggets
Paul Millsap (44%): Points, rebounds, and steals target.
Monte Morris (11%): Points, assists, and steals add.
Gary Harris (8%): Steals and threes streamer.
Los Angeles Lakers
Kyle Kuzma (49%): Points and threes streamer.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Malik Beasley (48%): Points, threes, and rebounds target.
Naz Reid (21%): Intriguing fantasy profile and has the opportunity to put it together with Karl-Anthony Towns out.
San Antonio Spurs
Lonnie Walker IV (24%): Points and threes add.
Patty Mills (7%): Points and threes streamer.
Memphis Grizzlies
Tyus Jones (14%): Assists and steals target with Ja Moran out.
Portland Trail Blazers
Enes Kanter (37%): Rebounds and percentages stream.
Thursday-Saturday pseudo
Cleveland Cavaliers
JaVale McGee (10%): Rebounds and blocks streamer.
Cedi Osman (9%): Across the board contributor to add for deeper leagues.
Denver Nuggets
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Philadelphia 76ers
Danny Green (10%): Steals and blocks streamer.
San Antonio Spurs
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Dallas Mavericks
Maxi Kleber (19%): Threes and blocks streamer.
Portland Trail Blazers
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Saturday-Sunday
Denver Nuggets
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Miami Heat
Avery Bradley (7%): Threes and steals add.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
San Antonio Spurs
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Looking ahead to Week 4
Fans may make a pickup on Sunday that can help them in Week 4. Here are the teams playing Sunday and Monday of Week 4.
New York Knicks
Elfrid Payton (48%): Assists and rebounds streamer.
Nerlens Noel (44%): Blocks and steals target.
Toronto Raptors
Aron Baynes (23%): Rebounds streamer.
Fantasy basketball is only two weeks in and already significant injuries have sidelined Karl-Anthony Towns, Ja Morant, Kevin Love, and Spencer Dinwiddie. That makes no mention of players sitting out a game for rest or with a nagging ailment. Injuries could quickly become the story of the season.
Fantasy basketball will carry on. Managers have to find a way to deal with it. One way to win any head-to-head league is to maximize your games played. Here is a look at how to do that in Week 3.
Teams that play four times (22)
Celtics, Nets, Hornets, Cavaliers, Bulls, Nuggets, Pistons, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, Bucks, Timberwolves, Knicks, Thunder, Magic, 76ers, Kings, Spurs, Raptors, and Jazz.
Teams that play three times (8)
Hawks, Mavericks, Pacers, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Suns, Blazers, and Wizards.
Fantasy basketball talking points
- John Wall returned to the court on New Year’s Eve and looked fantastic. The 30-year-old has a significant injury history, but he could be one of the steals of the draft. Keep an eye on the Rocket this week as they continue getting Wall and Cousins back in the fold after being forced to sit for one week because of COVID-19 protocols.
- Kristaps Porzingis is practicing with the Mavericks and nearing a return. Keep an eye on his status during Week 3. Fantasy managers should try to trade for the Unicorn if he struggles out of the gate.
- Keep trying to trade for struggling players. It is a long season, but some managers will panic after two weeks of subpar production.
- The Pelicans have the worst schedule this week. They play three times on the three highest volume days. They host the Pacers, Thunder, and Hornets, but it is impossible to stream any of their players into your starting lineup.
- The Nuggets, Spurs, and Timberwolves have the top schedules of the week. Each plays four times and avoids the crowded Wednesday and Friday slates. Denver has the top schedule as they host Minnesota and Dallas before traveling to Philly and the Knicks.
Top 10 streamers for Week 3 (rostered in under 50% of Yahoo Leagues)
Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz (44%), PG/SG
Clarkson has been outstanding since becoming Utah’s sixth man. He is a strong points and threes add with strong percentages.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
87 |
5 |
22.3 |
0.474 |
0.909 |
2.20 |
15.00 |
4.80 |
1.40 |
0.80 |
0.40 |
1.60 |
P.J. Tucker, Houston Rockets (25%), PF/C
Tucker is a strong rebounds, steals, and threes add. He gets underrated because of his lack of scoring, but the veteran could help you win the week.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
105 |
3 |
34.0 |
0.428 |
0.000 |
1.30 |
5.30 |
6.70 |
1.70 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
1.30 |
Malik Beasley, Minnesota Timberwolves (48%), PG/SG
Beasley is a points threes, and rebounds target. Improving his steals to over one per game would be the key to vaulting him inside the top 100. Until then, Beasley is a solid streamer.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
130 |
5 |
28.8 |
0.452 |
0.875 |
1.80 |
17.80 |
4.40 |
0.80 |
0.60 |
0.00 |
1.00 |
Paul Millsap, Denver Nuggets (44%), PF/C
Millsap won’t blow anybody away, but he should average 12 points, six rebounds, and one steal per game on solid percentages, which makes him an add given the Nuggets schedule.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
187 |
5 |
25.9 |
0.590 |
0.667 |
1.40 |
12.60 |
4.00 |
1.40 |
0.20 |
0.00 |
1.20 |
George Hill, Oklahoma City Thunder (26%), PG/SG
Points, threes, steals, and assists streamer. The Thunder may not get a ton of buzz, but Hill could be a top 100 player this season.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
92 |
3 |
24.4 |
0.551 |
0.717 |
2.00 |
14.30 |
3.00 |
3.70 |
1.00 |
0.00 |
1.30 |
Thaddeus Young, Chicago Bulls (8%), PF
Young could average 12 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game playing 27.0 minutes a night. That makes him someone that is being overlooked in nearly every league.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
84 |
2 |
36.5 |
0.529 |
1.000 |
0.50 |
10.50 |
2.00 |
4.00 |
1.50 |
1.00 |
3.00 |
Monte Morris, Denver Nuggets (11%), PG/SG
Morris is playing a career-high in minutes so far. The 25-year-old could average 12 points, 3.5 assists, and one steal per game on solid percentages. Take a flier on Morris this week given Denver’s slate.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
149 |
5 |
27.4 |
0.511 |
0.750 |
1.20 |
12.20 |
2.20 |
3.00 |
0.60 |
0.40 |
0.60 |
Josh Jackson, Detroit Pistons (45%), SG/SF
Jackson has been outstanding to begin the season. He is only playing 26.3 minutes per game, but his ability to get steals and blocks could make him standard league relevant this week.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
102 |
5 |
26.2 |
0.492 |
0.643 |
1.40 |
16.00 |
5.20 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
0.80 |
2.20 |
Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls (20%), SF
Williams is an intriguing rookie. He has averaged 1.0 block per game through his first four. The 19-year-old could average over one in threes, steals, and blocks this season to give fantasy managers a shot in the arm.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
201 |
6 |
23.4 |
0.459 |
0.800 |
0.80 |
10.20 |
3.00 |
1.00 |
0.20 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
Ivica Zubac, LA Clippers (29%), C
Zubac is a strong rebounder and shot blocker with solid percentages. He will need to increase his points to become a top 100 player, but he can help fantasy managers win categories this week.
| TYPE |
R# |
GP |
MPG |
FG% |
FT% |
3PM |
PTS |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TOV |
| 2020/21 Season |
120 |
6 |
18.4 |
0.749 |
0.816 |
0.00 |
10.70 |
2.70 |
0.70 |
0.50 |
1.30 |
0.80 |
Daily streaming options
First, a word on the schedule itself: Wednesday and Friday both have double-digit games which likely makes streaming impossible. Monday has nine games which are borderline. With so many games in Week 3, be sure to check your lineup to see when you can stream. Here are the places where most people will be able to get two games from one pickup.
Back-to-backs
Monday-Tuesday
No teams scheduled.
Tuesday-Thursday pseudo
Brooklyn Nets
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (2%): Steals and threes streamer in deep leagues.
Denver Nuggets
Paul Millsap (44%): Points, rebounds, and steals target.
Monte Morris (11%): Points, assists, and steals add.
Gary Harris (8%): Steals and threes streamer.
Los Angeles Lakers
Kyle Kuzma (49%): Points and threes streamer.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Malik Beasley (48%): Points, threes, and rebounds target.
Naz Reid (21%): Intriguing fantasy profile and has the opportunity to put it together with Karl-Anthony Towns out.
San Antonio Spurs
Lonnie Walker IV (24%): Points and threes add.
Patty Mills (7%): Points and threes streamer.
Memphis Grizzlies
Tyus Jones (14%): Assists and steals target with Ja Moran out.
Portland Trail Blazers
Enes Kanter (37%): Rebounds and percentages stream.
Thursday-Saturday pseudo
Cleveland Cavaliers
JaVale McGee (10%): Rebounds and blocks streamer.
Cedi Osman (9%): Across the board contributor to add for deeper leagues.
Denver Nuggets
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Philadelphia 76ers
Danny Green (10%): Steals and blocks streamer.
San Antonio Spurs
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Dallas Mavericks
Maxi Kleber (19%): Threes and blocks streamer.
Portland Trail Blazers
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Saturday-Sunday
Denver Nuggets
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Miami Heat
Avery Bradley (7%): Threes and steals add.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
San Antonio Spurs
Listed under Tuesday-Thursday pseudo.
Looking ahead to Week 4
Fans may make a pickup on Sunday that can help them in Week 4. Here are the teams playing Sunday and Monday of Week 4.
New York Knicks
Elfrid Payton (48%): Assists and rebounds streamer.
Nerlens Noel (44%): Blocks and steals target.
Toronto Raptors
Aron Baynes (23%): Rebounds streamer.