The NBA season is winding down to its final, precious weeks and with it the fantasy basketball playoffs have arrived. Fantasy managers tend to be loyal, trusting the players they have relied upon for months, but those seeking championships should be willing to do whatever it takes to win, within reason, and become open-minded to changing players with ordinary statistics for upgrades.
Ten franchises will miss the NBA playoffs and the play-in tournament, and most of those organizations struggle to defend and know it, so fantasy managers should look there first for advantages. The Washington Wizards are particularly terrible in permitting points and solid shooting, especially after trading away Daniel Gafford, along with the Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and even the relevant Indiana Pacers.
Those in weekly formats must pay attention to games played, regardless of opponent. For example, this current week, the Dallas Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets each play only two games. A myriad of teams play twice as many. No one should bench Luka Doncic, but we should keep an eye on other statistically prominent players. Volume matters, though there are no two-game weeks after this one.
A number of top players are hurt or resting, and in some cases, they will not return for more than a few games in the final weeks or two, if at all. Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns and Trae Young are legitimately hurt and it is anyone's guess if they return by the first week of April. Donovan Mitchell is out with a broken nose and he may sit until the final week. Fantasy managers may need the roster spot today.
For our purposes in the fantasy world, we will focus on recommending players available in at least 50% of ESPN standard leagues, mainly looking at a team's volume and opponents.