Preparing for the Trade Deadline: Week 17 Fantasy Basketball Preview
Now that the All-Star break is behind us, the trade deadline is the next significant date for most fantasy basketball leagues. In Yahoo! public leagues, the default trade deadline is Thursday, March 6, meaning Week 17 will be the final full week of games before that date. Some significant availability issues will impact how managers craft their rosters in preparation for the fantasy playoffs. Notably, San Antonio lost Victor Wembanyama for the rest of the season, and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid has looked like a shell of his former self post-All-Star break. Let’s delve into the Week 17 schedule and key storylines.
Week 17 Games Played
4 Games:
- Brooklyn Nets (BKN)
- Boston Celtics (BOS)
- Charlotte Hornets (CHA)
- Chicago Bulls (CHI)
- Denver Nuggets (DEN)
- Detroit Pistons (DET)
- Indiana Pacers (IND)
- Los Angeles Clippers (LAC)
- Los Angeles Lakers (LAL)
- Miami Heat (MIA)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (MIN)
- New Orleans Pelicans (NOR)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC)
- Phoenix Suns (PHO)
- Portland Trail Blazers (POR)
- San Antonio Spurs (SAS)
- Toronto Raptors (TOR)
- Utah Jazz (UTA)
3 Games:
- Atlanta Hawks (ATL)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (CLE)
- Dallas Mavericks (DAL)
- Golden State Warriors (GSW)
- Houston Rockets (HOU)
- Memphis Grizzlies (MEM)
- Milwaukee Bucks (MIL)
- New York Knicks (NYK)
- Orlando Magic (ORL)
- Philadelphia 76ers (PHI)
- Sacramento Kings (SAC)
- Washington Wizards (WAS)
Week 17 Storylines
Spurs March On Without Wembanyama
San Antonio has played two games since it was announced that Wembanyama would miss the remainder of the season due to a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Bismack Biyombo, who recently agreed to a second 10-day contract, has stepped into the starting lineup, but his production hasn’t been significant. Jeremy Sochan, currently rostered in 44 percent of Yahoo! leagues, appears to be the most valuable option for managers to target. Charles Bassey (12 percent rostered) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (three percent) have also been picked up in some leagues.
The Spurs have a grueling schedule ahead, with four games in Week 17, including two back-to-backs. They face New Orleans on Tuesday, Houston on Wednesday, Memphis on Saturday, and Oklahoma City on Sunday. The Saturday/Sunday back-to-back makes San Antonio a team worth watching for managers needing production to win their weekly matchups.
Hawks’ Unique Schedule
The Atlanta Hawks are the only team whose Week 17 schedule concludes on Friday. Unlike the other 29 teams, the Hawks will play only three games during Week 17, starting with a Monday/Wednesday home-and-home against the Heat. While this won’t significantly impact Trae Young or Dyson Daniels, Caris LeVert (27 percent) and Georges Niang (eight percent) may offer limited streaming value due to the schedule. Additionally, the Hawks’ three games are on three of the busiest days of Week 17, which could affect their performance.
Streaming Day: Thursday
Thursday is the closest to a "streaming day" that fantasy managers will have during Week 17, with only five games on the slate. The notable games include Charlotte at Dallas and the Timberwolves visiting the Lakers. The Lakers game is particularly interesting as it’s the first of a back-to-back for both teams. Will Luka Doncic play against the Timberwolves and Clippers? Another team with back-to-back concerns that will be active on Thursday is New Orleans, which will play two games in as many nights against the Suns in Phoenix. Zion Williamson is a safe bet to sit out one of those contests; fantasy managers who have him rostered will hope he plays on Thursday before sitting out Friday’s rematch.
Rockets’ Lineup Uncertainty
Jabari Smith Jr. returned from a fractured hand on February 22 and moved back into the starting lineup the following night against the Jazz, replacing Tari Eason (who was inactive). Fred VanVleet remains out due to a sprained ankle he suffered during a February 1 loss to the Nets. Amen Thompson has flourished as a starter, first filling in for Smith and then taking over the primary playmaking responsibilities after VanVleet went down. FVV partially participated in the Rockets’ first practice after the All-Star break but reported some soreness in his ankle, so he was ruled out for games against the Timberwolves and Jazz.
Head coach Stephen Silas said on Friday that they may be able to put VanVleet through another practice ahead of their Tuesday/Wednesday home back-to-back against the Bucks and Spurs. If so, they’ll evaluate his condition before deciding on his availability for those games. Houston’s offensive efficiency has decreased since VanVleet’s injury, but Thompson’s fantasy value has increased. The question remains: will Thompson remain in the starting lineup once the Rockets are whole, or will Smith or Dillon Brooks be asked to come off the bench? We may get an answer during Week 17.
76ers’ Struggles and Embiid’s Future
The 76ers’ February 22 loss to the Nets was their seventh straight, dropping them to a season-worst 16 games below .500. If the result wasn’t concerning enough, Joel Embiid did not play at all during the fourth quarter. He appeared to be laboring throughout his 31 minutes on the court, and Guerschon Yabusele, who played the entire fourth quarter, offered mobility that the former league MVP lacked. The 76ers are trending in the wrong direction, and there’s a recent report suggesting that Embiid may need another surgery and an extended rehabilitation period to get his left knee back to full strength.
The 76ers play three games without a back-to-back during Week 17, beginning with the Bulls on Monday night. Fantasy managers may not get an immediate answer to the Embiid question, but it’s one of the significant subplots to be mindful of as the trade deadline and fantasy playoffs approach in most leagues.
Key Game Days and Back-to-Backs
Light Game Days:
- Thursday: 5 Games
- Golden State Warriors vs. Orlando Magic
- Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks
- Charlotte Hornets vs. Dallas Mavericks
- New Orleans Pelicans vs. Philadelphia 76ers
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Back-to-Backs:
- Sunday (Week 16)-Monday: Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards
- Monday-Tuesday: Charlotte Hornets
- Tuesday-Wednesday: Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors
- Wednesday-Thursday: None
- Thursday-Friday: Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Philadelphia 76ers
- Friday-Saturday: Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies
- Saturday-Sunday: San Antonio Spurs
- Sunday-Monday (Week 18): Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz
By carefully monitoring these storylines and scheduling details, fantasy managers can make informed decisions to optimize their rosters and position themselves for success in the final stretch before the trade deadline.
