By Raphielle Johnson
While scheduling may not impact fantasy basketball managers’ thinking in the same way that it does football, this is an essential factor to consider. There aren’t bye weeks to deal with, but there are back-to-backs, with some players being virtual locks to consistently sit out one of those games.
Another scheduling aspect that requires consideration is the fantasy playoff dates and the schedules of NBA teams during these dates. Some teams are competing for postseason positioning, while those well out of the picture may have reached a point where less established players are taking on most of the workload. Let’s look at the 2024-25 schedule breakdown and how it will impact the fantasy basketball season.
- Six teams will play a league-high 16 back-to-backs
Six teams drew the proverbial “short stick,” with Cleveland, Houston, the Clippers, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, and Washington scheduled to play 16 back-to-backs apiece. One player who immediately comes to mind here is Kawhi Leonard, whose 2023-24 season came to a premature end due to a knee injury, and he was also sent home before the United States began its quest for Olympic gold in Paris this summer. And Tyronn Lue won’t have to wait long to navigate a back-to-back, with the Clippers scheduled for their first on October 26-27 (at Denver, at Golden State).
The good news is that their next game won’t be until October 30 against Portland, but playing two difficult opponents on the road (with one at high altitude) will give fantasy managers an early answer on how the Clippers will handle Leonard’s availability. The bad news is that the October 30 game against Portland is followed by another home game against the Suns the following night. Two back-to-backs within a team’s first five games is obsence, and could put some fantasy managers in a difficult spot regarding Leonard’s availability. The Clippers will play seven of their 16 back-to-backs before the calendar flips to 2025.
Cleveland may be the most concerning team among the other five due to their injury-riddled 2023-24 season. Three of the Cavaliers’ five starters - Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley - played fewer than 60 games last season. The good news is that Mitchell (27) is the oldest of the trio, so fantasy managers won’t need to be as concerned about the scheduling as they would for a player who’s well into his thirties.
Houston’s Tari Eason could take a slight hit to his value due to the scheduling, but only if he isn’t fully cleared when the regular season begins. The Rockets play a home/away back-to-back on October 25 (vs. Memphis) and 26 (at San Antonio), and ten of their 16 back-to-backs will be played in the 2025 portion of the slate. They also have consecutive back-to-backs on November 22-23 (two vs. Portland) and November 26-27 (at Minnesota, at Philadelphia).
- Twelve teams, including Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Phoenix, play 15 back-to-backs
There are some notable names among teams that will play 15 back-to-backs, including Joel Embiid and Paul George (Philadelphia), Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant (Phoenix), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee), and Zion Williamson (New Orleans). While George (76 games in 2023-24) and Williamson (70 games) had solid availability last season, others missed extended time due to injury. Due to a knee injury, Embiid only played 39 games and didn’t look to be at full strength during the postseason. He looked better in the Paris Olympics, but availability remains a concern for the 2023 NBA MVP.
Middleton’s fantasy peak may be in the rearview mirror, and the Bucks schedule doesn’t help matters. Milwaukee plays its first back-to-back on October 27-28 (at Brooklyn, at Boston), and they’ll play four before the end of November. With Middleton undergoing surgery on both ankles this offseason, the schedule could knock him down another peg or two in some fantasy leagues. Phoenix will play six back-to-backs before 2025, with the first occurring during games two and three of the season, while New Orleans will play eight.
The Pelicans have two instances of consecutive back-to-backs during this portion of the schedule: November 15-16 (vs. Denver, vs. Lakers) and November 19-20 (at Dallas, at Cleveland), and December 21-22 (vs. New York, vs. Denver) and December 26-27 (vs. Houston, vs. Memphis). Williamson’s name may be the one that sticks out here, but Brandon Ingram has endured an absence of at least five games in each of his last four seasons. We’ll see if the early-season schedule impacts his availability, and it’s not like players only get injured during back-to-backs.
- Five teams are scheduled to play 14 back-to-backs
Charlotte, Golden State, Indiana, Minnesota, and Utah have the second-fewest back-to-backs this season. LaMelo Ball is the player most impacted among these five teams, having played 58 games over the last two seasons (22 in 2023-24). His shaky availability could make a Tre Mann or Vasilije Micic relevant in intense fantasy leagues, and it also impacts safer fantasy options like Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller. Mark Williams has only played 62 games in his first two seasons, with a back injury limiting him to 19 in 2023-24. Charlotte plays two of its 14 back-to-backs within the first two weeks of the season, October 25-26 (at Atlanta, vs. Miami) and November 1-2 (two vs. Boston).
The other four teams with 14 back-to-backs don’t have any significant red flags to deal with health-wise, with Indiana’s depth likely protecting it the most. The question with the Warriors is if there will be times when they look to rest Stephen Curry or Draymond Green, but there also isn’t much margin for error in the Western Conference. Utah should be worth watching after the All-Star break, as Will Hardy’s team does not appear to be one that will be fighting for a postseason berth this season. Players like Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George, and rookie Cody Williams could prove especially valuable if Utah makes an in-season shift toward giving its younger talent more minutes, as was the case for the last two seasons.
- Boston and the Lakers among those who will play 13 back-to-backs
Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, the Lakers, Orlando, and Portland will play a league-low 13 back-to-backs this season. The Celtics and Lakers are worth watching because of their older contributors. Al Horford did not play both ends of any back-to-backs last season, and at age 38, that will likely be the case for him again this season. Also, the Celtics may not get Kristaps Porzingis back from offseason leg surgery until November or December. Boston plays five of its 13 back-to-backs before the end of December, with the first being two road games against the Hornets on November 1-2. Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman aren’t viable targets in most drafts, but there may be streaming value to be had until Porzingis is cleared to return.
As for the Lakers, getting LeBron James and Anthony Davis as much rest as possible is paramount for a team that made no significant changes to its roster this offseason. The former will turn 40 on December 30, and by that point in the season, the Lakers will have played four back-to-backs. LeBron played 71 games in 2023-24, the most for him in a season since his last in Cleveland (82 in 2017-18), while Davis played a career-high 76. Fantasy managers who have James and AD rostered should be in a good place if they can replicate that availability.
Among the other teams with 13 back-to-backs, Detroit and Portland stand to be most valuable to fantasy managers after the trade deadline. Both teams have players who are must-draft options, most notably Cade Cunningham and Deandre Ayton, but there will be some young players who emerge as the Pistons and Trail Blazers play out the string in what should be non-playoff seasons. Will rookies Ron Holland II (Detroit) and Donovan Clingan (Portland) have added value after the trade deadline? That depends on whether or not a veteran at their respective positions gets moved via trade, with Robert Williams (Portland) being one name to keep an eye on.
- All teams will get two countable games during Week 8
The schedules for Week 8 in Monday-Sunday leagues (December 9-15) won’t be known until after the group play stage of the Emirates NBA Cup is completed. As was the case last season, the quarterfinals (December 10-11) and semifinals (December 14) will count toward fantasy matchups and NBA statistics, while the championship game (December 17) will not. The 22 teams not qualifying for the quarterfinals will play two games that week. Due to the championship game being on a Tuesday this year (it was Saturday last season), Week 9 boasts loaded Thursday (December 19) and Saturday (December 21) slates. There are 13 games on that Thursday and 12 on Saturday. As for back-to-backs, Charlotte, Miami, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, and New Orleans will have one to navigate during Week 9. Charlotte and Oklahoma City play on December 19-20, while Miami and Milwaukee have games on December 20 and 21. As for New Orleans, they’ll play a back-to-back on December 21-22.
- Minnesota and New Orleans are the teams to avoid during playoff time in Yahoo default leagues
In Yahoo default leagues, the fantasy playoffs will run from Week 20 (March 10-16) through Week 22 (March 24-30). The Timberwolves and Pelicans are at a disadvantage, with both scheduled to play a league-low nine games during this period. Minnesota will play three games each of those weeks, so managers who have those players rostered won’t take too big of a hit. As for the Pelicans, Week 20 (two games) is problematic, but New Orleans will play four games in Week 21. In leagues with weekly lineups, a fringe option who should be benched for the quarterfinal round will have added value during the semifinals.
On the other end of the spectrum, five teams will play 12 games during the Yahoo default playoff rounds. Brooklyn, Indiana, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and Washington will play 12 times, with the Nets and Wizards having five-game slates for Week 20. Both will drop to three games in Week 21 before playing four during Championship Week. The other three teams play four games in each of the final three weeks of the Yahoo fantasy basketball season. Another glaring scheduling concern during the playoff rounds is Dallas (10 games) playing two games in Week 21. The good news is that they’ll play four games in Weeks 20 and 22, but managers who have a Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving rostered will need to find a way to survive Week 21.